In some ways I think that is a retreat for me because I used to find faith in politics and in the idea of mass communities. That's no longer true though I still hold on to a faith in the necessity for the communal and the social. I think that we are social beings and that we have communal as well as individual desires and needs. I think working out the borders of being individual and being social is one of the most pressing of questions for me. Practice your craft.
Writing is a craft or a skill that requires practice and dedication to get right.
But enjoy it. Don't do it if it there is no pleasure to be found in the activity. We don't need the protestant work ethic any more.