User blog comment:Ameagle/Anxieties/@comment-25941663-20161023095924

I probably shouldn't be giving life advice, but oh well. I'm just a 20-year old programmer who primarily lives on overworking himself and wishful thinking. I'll give it a shot anyways.

I'm afraid that your fears and anxieties come as a package with creative endeavors in life. With pretty much any profession I can think of, being "good enough" is adequate to find a job in the field. In more creation-related fields though, you need to be head and shoulders above the rest to have a consistent income (or you could get very lucky, but I wouldn't count on it). One constantly needs to improve themselves and work on his craft as much as possible, just to have a chance at success. Pretty stressful stuff right there.

What I do is work and work and work to stay ahead of everyone else. Then, every time anxiety seeks to take hold, I think of how far I've come. For you, it is your stories that have had success or you are proud of. Even the story you wrote when you were 14 is an impressive feat. It means that even though at times you might not see it, there is something bright inside you. In your darkest times, you just have to keep clawing and biting until you unearth it again. And it will be the best feeling in the world.

Then anxiety will take hold again and all over again.