Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely at least heard the name Brené Brown. She’s “spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.” What do any of those have to do with writing? Plenty.

Every one of you writers out there knows how much courage it takes to put a single word on the page, how vulnerable it makes you feel to pursue publishing those words, how much shame you feel when you get a “no” (how in the world do we not take that personally?!), and how much empathy you feel when you meet another writer struggling out there in the world.

So if you’re feeling a little low about it all, I highly recommend two things:

1. Try reading one of Brown’s books, like Daring Greatly or The Power of Vulnerability.
2. Watch one of Brown’s TED Talks or her new Netflix special, The Call to Courage.

You will find that you are not alone, you are not powerless, and you are not done!