I am sitting in the Palm Beach airport right now, I just finished writing in my journal and figured that why not just write down here what I wrote there.
Perfectionism is the Voice of the Oppressor -Anne Lamott
I have been feeling that I need to write down my story that I should be aware of what has happened in my life and what is happening. I like to forget things, I like not to be effected but I am intensely sensitive to the happening around me!
Yesterday my roommate who I love didn’t mean to offend me when she said I wasn’t a real writer, she even said so (don’t worry I am not offended, not really) but it got me wondering what it means to be a real writer, like what qualifies you… if its about storytelling then are we not all capable of being writers. I know my flaws in the eyes of the school system and various friends
- bad grammar
- poor spelling
- uneducated in current discourse
But after attending a storytelling workshop a week back I have come to not believe all these things to be of the utmost importance, not when you like it. For years I have struggled in school to produce what I believed the teachers wants, what everyone else was giving and failed miserably.
I have had many conversations with my roommate Jenn about writing… like why one does it, who it’s for… what the purpose is. I like what Donald Miller has to say about his own writing experience which he attributes to Anne Lamott who I also appreciate… he writes this
“When I started writing this book I just wanted to end up with something like Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, because in Traveling Mercies it felt like she was free, free to be herself, to tell her story, to just vent, to rant, to speak as if she were talking to a friend” he also states that part of his writing was just being able to talk to himself! I think they both got it right one..its not about, it is kind of a narotic thing, i am trying to figure it out and be good at it in my own eyes.. i guess kinda like trying to be comfortable in my own skin ?
So this is why is wasn’t really an offence when I was told I wasn’t a real writer, we all have our own definitions that we try to live up to that we want to attain . I just realize that I am not the same kind of writer as others, others who maybe have had better education, more support and perhaps a more clear imagination then me. This is not meant to be excuses as to my inability to always articulate myself, just different things that shape my writings and others as well.
3 comments:
Well I did mean to include myself into the whole non-real writer category - writing in many ways is subjective - novels, poems and the myriad of other forms of writing/discourse come in all forms - and yes some do offend, some aren't glamourous and some are rigid - but they are all discourse - that' why I don't get the whole being offended thing... but I think that's for my blog and not yours.
Not offended - love you dearly and think that you should express yourself as you see fit - orally, written, both or neither - and spelling, grammar and all that - some of us have it and some don't and I'm in the don't have category...
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppresor - I love that quote
Well, if your writing style is not inclusive in the "real writer" category, then I don't like real writers.
I think when I write, I try to make it come straight from the heart (doesn't that just remind you of that Bryan Adams song?)... anyway, I think when I do that, my best writing pieces (aka. blog posts) are created.
leaha, u stun me once again. i loved the post. and just so u no. to tell u the truth, u r the best writer i no, chances r thats cuzz i dun no jenn, even tho i think i do no her, anyways, u r fer sure the best writer i no. u r soo good at writing wat u feel. i dun really like commenting on ur writing, i mostly just like to enjoy it, but i am just for u. keep representin
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