Am I Really a Writer?

Source: yuribaranovsky.com

Tweet     Of all the questions we ask ourselves, there is one question that does more to gum up a writers muse than all others:   Am I Really A Writer?

   By itself it seems harmless enough and self reflection is good for us. Right? So why does this question carry such dire consequences? 

    Sometimes the very act of discovering the perfect descriptors, a basic exercise for any writer, for what it is we do creates an insurgent inadequacy powerful enough to knock the pen from our hands.  

    For we idealize the artist as we do the movie star. Each of us carrying  a vision of what a true writer looks like. 

    Perhaps yours is of the lone writer struggling tirelessly against the curse of vagueness.  Or a Stephen King-like voraciousness that continues to spew forth published works or the Emily Dickenson-like surreptitious strength of brevity bubbling quietly from within.  

     An impossible measure that can leave us barren.

     A writer, not unlike an artist,  is someone who views the world in a way that demands the act of expression and wields the pen like a brush upon a canvas.  

      Roland Barthes  said  "... I cannot but ascribe to some super-humanity the existence of beings vast enough to wear blue pajamas at the very moment when they manifest themselves as universal conscience."

Source: kaboodle.com

So as I don my pink footie pajamas armed with nothing but my keyboard and a cup of joe I plunge again because I don't know any other way to live.

What's your vision of a writer and how do you remind yourself that you are indeed a writer? 

My Favorite B Words

      I love words as does any writer. However, I have some words that are my absolute favorites, either because of how they sound when I say them, the feeling or picture they produce, or what they intuitively mean to me. 

     Today I thought I would share my three most favorite B words. These three words pretty much govern my philosophy of life. They provide a paradigm that I live by. Interestingly, I think they also apply to the writing life.

      Believe  A belief in yourself, a belief in the benevolence of others, and a belief that there is something larger than all of us. I'm not sure the specifics of what that is is as important as the belief that we are part of something greater, part of a power that governs the universe in which all living things play a vital role.

      Balance  Living and growing is a chaotic process. When we are in balance we see things clearer and make better choices. Our daily choices of how we spend our time are rarely between good and bad. They are about balancing our precious time between our families, our work and ourselves.

     Be     This is the hardest of the three. This is the word that tells us to slow down, stop and listen. To be is about learning to accept ourselves. Being allows us to stop the treadmill in order to hear our better self and appreciate who we are. It is about enjoying the moment. Being present in our lives.  

What are your favorite words?

Brain Lurking

This is boring!

 People often say, “My mother always said” or “You know what Dad always says". I wonder what my children will carry with them. A few things come to mind: My ridiculous morning wake up song, *obnoxiously loud* “Time to wake up, up, up”, and my response to the their statement, “I’m bored.” *hands on hips* “Well, that means you must be a boring person Surely, you can think of something to do.” That’s it? That’s the legacy of wisdom I have passed down to my offspring?

Needless to say, I hope that there are nuggets of wisdom I have passed on that I just can’t think of right now. Reflecting on my own childhood I dug to see what was lurking in my brain. “Honesty is the best policy.” “Skin the cat.” (This was my mother’s creative way to get us to help take our shirts off. I guess out of context it sounds kind of morbid.) “The healthiest meal has lots of color on the plate.” Ok, that’s a start. Then I started thinking about unspoken messages passed from generation to generation. Grandma Dorothy was always whistling or humming and I find that there is always some kind of music in my head. (It is often some annoying jingle from a commercial or even a Christmas song. Blah) However, it gives me a connection to her, a memory that is etched in my brain forever. We always knew how grandma and grandpa felt about each other. No big physical displays of affection, only glances and subtle touches and a warm safe feeling. But the biggest way we knew were the little things they did for each other. There were little acts of kindness, pulling a chair out, cooking a favorite trout dinner, speaking to each other with gentleness and respect.

What nuggets have you received from important people in your life? Are there any unspoken messages lurking in your head? I would love to hear about them!

Check out my new page entitled “Mom Says” This week is the first in a three part series on what I think are the essential ingredients of a happy life…