Inner Voice: Dude, write something. Anything! You have thoughts to offer. So just say it. Now is not the time. Well, if not now, then when?

Andrew: Any other time when my thoughts are not running around in my head like on a slip and slide without any grounding of creativity or insight. If I'm to speak now, the only truth that will be unveiled will be that of my inconsistencies and frailties. Proof of how I do not belong in this caucus of academics.

Inner voice: So you'd rather stay quiet with a voice starved of an audience?

Andrew: I'd rather stay quiet with a reputation untainted. For even the fool when he holds his tongue is thought to be wise. (Proverbs 17:28).

Inner Voice: Wow! So now we are using scriptures to validate cowardice.

Andrew: There's no cowardice here, just self-preservation. This is us living up to the status of perfectionism you instigated. This is me refusing to lend a voice until I'm sure of its creative and cohesive value. Thanks to you, I'll be damned before I become to one to air a thought that has room to be improved. You did this to us, made it so that even the inspiring words of Tom and David Kelly failed to inspire creative confidence in us.
Like a blockade, this very quest to be perfect is not the stumbling block censoring our powers of expression, siphoning the spirit out of our morale. If I'm tongue tied today, it's not because I cower fear. It's because it feels a better option than to be caught short of phenomenal because I'm a perfectionist, even if it means I can no longer be a creative, I'm a perfectionist.

Inner voice: You're right. I did this to us. When I made perfection a goal to be attained. I did not envision how it could stifle creativity and hold back our thoughts. I was wrong. Truth is, even at our peak, there’ll always be more room for improvement because there's always better to be.

Andrew: So what are you saying now? That we change our whole identity. Stop shooting for the stars because we might never reach them.

Inner Voice: I'm saying maybe it's time to let go of this choking grip that is the expectation to deliver and just deliver. Maybe it’s time we finish our many unfinished thoughts archived under the guise of “Awaiting Inspiration”. For the creative confidence, we seek lies in the belief of our imperfect word’s ability to carry a pleasant tune. These folks listening to us are not expecting perfect, just good and relevant. So rather than sit in silence, weaving together the perfect creations in our mind, maybe we should just show and tell the raw creative impetus we possess. Look back on the road that has led us here to celebratory applauses that have guided our path. They came, in spite of our shortcomings and ruthless critiques of our own ability. We do not have to settle for less, but will be deluded if we fail to recognize what we do possess and the ability we do possess,
it's good. So maybe it's time to smile with head lifted high and finally belt out our contributions because. Because “y3 w) adze oye.”