As a writer who's coming to terms with the fact I need to start inhabiting my body again after far too long locked up in the ivory tower of my head, this is exactly the kind of article I needed to stumble across, almost uncannily so!
And I love your observation on how we grant authority to writing because of how it arrives to us divorced of the body that moved the pen/pressed the keys. Very true, but that being said - you do write with authority, verve, grace... all that good stuff. And in spite of having a body!
Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading your other posts :)
Going to just share a bunch of joyful, disconnected thoughts.
1. "Have you ever told yourself a story that later turned out to be more physically-influenced than you thought?" Yes! As you may know, recently I've been obsessed with this idea of becoming a full-time creative (most likely centering on YouTube). I made a whole document outlining what it'd take.
Then I started to feel angsty & impatient.
After a upscale-Mexican dinner with my friend Vishesh, I realized the story of being a full time creative was really coming from a feeling: bouncing, happy energy from all the things I wanted to make & share, then a sense of trapped anxiety that I don't know how to channel all that energy, & then a fearful tightness that I'm running out of time.
I didn't need a career switch: I needed to acknowledge the creative energy inside, & make peace with the slow uncertainty of working it out day by day. Something that would only become harder if I were full time!
2. You open with "(How else does one begin, but in loving something?)". I can think of a few ways:
- with a clear go to market strategy
- with 2 Monster energy drinks
- start your day with Cheerios -- the heart healthy breakfast!
- with a burning sense this will be the salary I deserve, and dammit it's about time I got some recognition for working my ass off and having to take her telling me every night I don't spend enough time with the kids
- with a 6 months cash reserve in a high-interest money market account (with any pending Roth IRA contributions factored in)
;)
3. I love how you dig into writing as a medium: that every writer in history looks the same, proceeds linearly across the page the same. But that behind it is a fleshy being with stomach acid & nose hairs.
And I liked how you brought us into the physical reality of where you were writing this. I felt closer to you for it, the essay felt richer for seeing a glimpse of the vivid you behind it.
I've got a crik in my neck, the edges of my Macbook are digging into my forearms, & our black cat is pressed against my laptop. I'm sitting at the metal chairs in our kitchen. My eyelids feel tired & but there's a buzzing in my fingers & chest. My mouth is still sweet from mango green milk tea. I hear cars whirring by on the freeway.
As a writer who's coming to terms with the fact I need to start inhabiting my body again after far too long locked up in the ivory tower of my head, this is exactly the kind of article I needed to stumble across, almost uncannily so!
And I love your observation on how we grant authority to writing because of how it arrives to us divorced of the body that moved the pen/pressed the keys. Very true, but that being said - you do write with authority, verve, grace... all that good stuff. And in spite of having a body!
Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading your other posts :)
Going to just share a bunch of joyful, disconnected thoughts.
1. "Have you ever told yourself a story that later turned out to be more physically-influenced than you thought?" Yes! As you may know, recently I've been obsessed with this idea of becoming a full-time creative (most likely centering on YouTube). I made a whole document outlining what it'd take.
Then I started to feel angsty & impatient.
After a upscale-Mexican dinner with my friend Vishesh, I realized the story of being a full time creative was really coming from a feeling: bouncing, happy energy from all the things I wanted to make & share, then a sense of trapped anxiety that I don't know how to channel all that energy, & then a fearful tightness that I'm running out of time.
I didn't need a career switch: I needed to acknowledge the creative energy inside, & make peace with the slow uncertainty of working it out day by day. Something that would only become harder if I were full time!
2. You open with "(How else does one begin, but in loving something?)". I can think of a few ways:
- with a clear go to market strategy
- with 2 Monster energy drinks
- start your day with Cheerios -- the heart healthy breakfast!
- with a burning sense this will be the salary I deserve, and dammit it's about time I got some recognition for working my ass off and having to take her telling me every night I don't spend enough time with the kids
- with a 6 months cash reserve in a high-interest money market account (with any pending Roth IRA contributions factored in)
;)
3. I love how you dig into writing as a medium: that every writer in history looks the same, proceeds linearly across the page the same. But that behind it is a fleshy being with stomach acid & nose hairs.
And I liked how you brought us into the physical reality of where you were writing this. I felt closer to you for it, the essay felt richer for seeing a glimpse of the vivid you behind it.
I've got a crik in my neck, the edges of my Macbook are digging into my forearms, & our black cat is pressed against my laptop. I'm sitting at the metal chairs in our kitchen. My eyelids feel tired & but there's a buzzing in my fingers & chest. My mouth is still sweet from mango green milk tea. I hear cars whirring by on the freeway.
Ok as much as I have enthused about your ability to write, the curation of art that you are gifting us is also WOW. Look at that!!!