I've done some creative writing and watched a lot of author talks (big authors like VE Schwab, Neil Gaiman, etc). Almost all of them stress that their first completed and fully edited novel wasn't picked up until they'd written several other stories, and when one of those several stories was finally published they still were not popular until much later. Of course, some authors do get published from their first novel and meet immediate success, but then you have the classics like Jane Austen novels and To Kill a Mockingbird that may have received some notoriety in their time but not nearly as much as now long after the authors have passed away. Validation cannot come from an outside source. If your self-worth hinges on other people, you are going to be miserable. I wish Ruby the best, but at the same time, she's a couple of years older than me and I really feel like this is a good time for her to learn this if she hasn't already.
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I think she could benefit from temporarily hiring a stylist to put together outfits. Most of her clothes are actually not too bad, but she doesn't usually combine them in a way that actually looks smart and put together. She's not obligated to impress us by any means, but personally, I feel much better when I look better, and I've learned looking better has less to do with body size and fitness and more to do with putting together a nice outfit that fits correctly
i know her fans are weird but this is beyond sad
aesthetic