Support Structure

There is a saying that no man is an island. Most people agree with it, but some do not. I've been on both sides of the fence. I grew up without a support structure. If I had a problem, I dealt with it. I cheered myself up when I was down and amused myself when I was born. It certainly worked well enough. As I grew older, I made friends, some of whom have become very close. Now I need those friends. They provide a support structure. I may be able to get along without it, but I sure don't want to.

In terms of writing, your support structure has two tiers. The first tier is "you can do no wrong." These are the people who will cheer you on no matter what you do. They are a great ego boost and are essential for helping you get through the hard times. The second tier is "you can always do better." These are the people who love what you do and want to see you become the best in the world at it. These people will prevent you from stagnating by always challenging you to do better and helping you to accomplish it.

As I said earlier, there are plenty of people who do not need a support structure; they can get by perfectly fine on their own. That may be true. However, just because you don't need a support structure doesn't mean you can't benefit from one.

If you have people who are happy to help you, make sure they know how much you appreciate them. If you don't have those people, consider looking for them.