As if…
When I was an aspiring writer, I didn’t always prioritize my work.
One conversation changed that.
Years ago, I told my therapist I often felt guilty when I was writing.
He drew back as if startled. “Why?” he asked, frowning.
I shrugged, said “Like I should be cleaning or something…” and then stopped. I was about to say “more constructive.”
As if my writing isn’t constructive. As if.
I saw it all in my therapist’s face, too, that if he could write, that’s what he would make his priority.
I’ve never felt guilty again.
Respect what you do. It matters.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz writes fiction, poetry and essays. Her second novel, Love and Other Incurable Ailments, is coming October 27, 2026 from Regal House Publishing: When an anxious overthinker stumbles on love letters from a despondent stranger, she convinces herself she’s the cure—throwing herself into a misguided plan that risks heartbreak and threatens the new life and friends she’s grown to love.
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