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Sometimes You Need to Scorch Everything to the Ground
“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.” ― Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere
There’s a quote that has been tossed around the past few years, as a reminder of our strengths and limitations:
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
In the world of writing, that statement seems almost laughable. As a writer, you often feel like you need to spend your career trying to be the smartest person in the room.
After all, when you are the go-to person for a particular subject or school of thought, you are indispensable.
But what do you do when your skills are no longer cutting edge?
What do you do when you log onto a random website like The Atlantic or Wait But Why one day, stare at a new article, only to realize you have no idea how someone figured out something so simple?
Or what do you do when you jump into a writing community, see the innovative concepts those newcomers are coming up with, and feel like you are suddenly learning a new language all over again?
