Writing words is how I color my own life.
Last week, a group of my friends went through a weekend of The Daring Way (by Brene Brown) together. I want to take the time to write a post each week in April to reminisce and remind myself of the lessons I learned. I hope that these exercises will challenge and grow you in your personal and writing lives.
To start April off on a positive note, let’s talk about what kind of person/writer you want to be. The difficult, and most challenging, part of this exercise is answering the first question,…
“What three things do you NOT want to be known for? Why?”
I won’t bore you with my own self-deprication, but I will say that coming to grips with the most selfish parts of me was not fun. On a personal note, being considered Fake, Ordinary, and Shallow are my deepest fears in the writing community, as well as in life. Coming to terms with the fact that it’s NOT the end of the world if someone does think I’m ordinary was a revelation. I have to hold the opinions of people that know me dear, not to the critiques of individuals that claim to know me because they’ve read my book. That’s like me claiming to be BFFs with Claude Monet because I read his biography and love his paintings.
Now, let’s take these nightmarish notions about ourselves, and use them to ask,…
“What three things do you want to be known for? Why?”
Really take some time to sift through your ideas. You’ll want to explore the top three words that you want to be synonymous with your name. I think my answers are self explanatory, but I’m going to flesh this out for all of us. I like to tell myself that recalling why I want to be these things is good for me.
Genuine
I want others to know that I’m genuine, authentic. I may write about fantasy worlds, and fantastic ideas, but I have a real life that’s filled with wonderful days, and palm-slapping-forehead-days. I fear releasing my first novel, I ache for approval, and I feel unprepared for the journey ahead. The dismay, worry, and excitement all help me write about genuine characters, so I cling to staying real in my personal and writing worlds.
Unique
I grew up hating the word unique. It was a word used to describe an awkward teenage girl, who just wanted to be called pretty. Now, being rare, uncommon, and different are all things I hope I am. I want to live life and tell stories that make people think about who they are, and how they can make a difference being different, or unique.
Relevant
Relevance and purpose are what I want the foundation of my life and writing to be built on. Part of being relevant is being willing to change and grow. I hope that I will always challenge and improve myself, and in turn stay relevant to my readers and friends.
Now it’s your turn… What do you want to be known for?
