All these years, I was hoping that I could become a successful writer without having to really get out there. I knew that success comes with criticism, and being as sensitive as I am, I thought that if I just remained low-key without really pushing my work into the mainstream -- that I would be safe from the critics. So as an impulsive writer, I've been continuously dumping huge amounts of my work online for years to avoid commercial publishing. Because you see, my goal as a writer has always been simply to help change the world, to inspire people, to improve lives based on the lessons I gathered from my own personal experiences, observations, travels, and mistakes. This is why I would immediately dump my latest essay or poem on social media. I cared more about putting my words to work to help others, rather than turn my words into work.
However, now that I am older and find myself sitting on volumes of work I've written in solitude. I realize that much of the fear of commercializing my work comes from the years and years of criticism I had to endure during my upbringing from my super critical father. And now that I see so much of my work shared on social media and clothing, with or without my name, or paraphrased in so many ways on memes and tweets, I realize that my writings have always been commercial. And that now it really does not matter whether I go mainstream, for the critics and bullies have already begun stomping on my name. Yet having to keep up an online presence once you do, is not an avenue I intend on taking at this stage in my life. Would you rather that I write about the things that count -- or about how many pickles I had for lunch?
As for the those spreading libellous statements on Wikipedia about me, be cautious. I own all the copyrights to my work and am the true author behind every sentence listed next to my name. Who we really need to question are those who want to pluck my name from my words - and the desperate motive behind trying to illogically tarnish my good name.
With love and forgiveness,
Suzy Kassem
Nobody bothers slandering a person who isn't somewhere near the upper rings of the ladder of success. -- Napolean Hill
To avoid criticism is to also avoid success. -- Suzy Kassem
