I was picking up a couple of gifts at Barnes and Nobles and had to check out the sale tables before paying. These random titles always pique my interest and I have a sudden desire to jump out of my everyday conservative suit and sweep a few of them in my arms to purchase. You know I rarely buy myself a book, but I almost did. It was about learning to write well. I sort of felt guilty for leaving it on its table. But I just wasn't sure where I stood.
We’ve offered Avery sewing classes ad nauseam throughout the years. She’s been creating clothes and pillows, decorations and alterations, for years. And we thought it might be valuable for her to learn the proper way to put in a zipper and to make sleeves, to be tutored by the experts. But she’s always retorted that she doesn’t want people telling her how to do it, she just wants to do it her own way.
Which is exactly how I feel about writing. I’d never refer to myself a writer, and yet it’s intuitive and enjoyable. I don’t plan on ever writing or selling a book (although I think it’d be fun to see an article in a magazine at least once in my life). I just write for fun, for myself and my family mostly.
I’ve always wondered, if I like it so much, why don’t I do what it takes to get good at it? Should I read some books, take a class, ask the experts? This is a question Todd and I discussed into the night. What makes a good writer, and is there a right way? Are there rules, is it something a person needs to study? We’re not sure.
With some disciplines, yes, obviously education comes into play. I argued that people get degrees in art and design, fairly creative fields. And so if I want to get better at writing, logically I should get some professional help. But I’m wondering if it’s more for people who want to write stories and books, for all the folk who want to get published. I’m not interested in any of that, but would it help me get better at expressing my thoughts? I think the answer is an obvious yes.
And yet I shy away from the idea. A friend is thoroughly enjoying her writing class, and over the years I’ve thought about signing up for one. I was invited to a writing group, and I wondered how that would be. And yet I knew instinctively there was no way. I’ve asked myself why. Basically, I don’t want to be told how it’s supposed to look. I just want to write my way. I want to be true to myself, to use my voice, to be authentic and real. I know it’s nothing fancy, but I don’t want to use flowery phrases and big words to impress people. I just want to convey my authentic feelings, my inner thoughts, my life’s experiences in an realistic manner. I’m not writing to be artistic, I express myself mostly to explain life and its happenings to myself more clearly but also to bridge a gap between us. I guess I feel like if I’m experiencing something, there’s a good chance someone else in the world has or is too, and I’d like others to know we’re all pretty much going through the same things, they’re not alone. That’s my incentive for writing. That, and it almost spills out of me like a daily need. It’s the most natural thing in the world to be driving with a pencil in my hand and a pad of paper on my lap, the one thing I almost always feel like doing.
I’m guessing everyone experiences something like this. Whether it’s playing the piano or building or painting, we probably all have something bubbling up inside of us, just like Avery and her insatiable desire to beautify her surroundings and to create a distinctive look and my friend who does paper art, my other friend who does intricate cut-outs, others who do cakes and pillows.
I guess my question is, are there rules to writing, is there a right way? To drawing? To composing music? To decorating? Obviously we start with teaching Avery how to thread the machine, we begin with Mary Had a Little Lamb on the recorder. We learn the basics of color and style along with parts of speech and grammar rules. It’s not like we just create out of nothing with no foundation to build on. But at what point is that enough instruction? And when does the teaching overtake the creativity, the individual’s style? What’s the tipping point?
Will I lose my authentic voice by being trained and taught the right way to write (if there is one)? Will it somehow change me? I value my rough edges, my unpolished voice. I don’t want to learn that I’ve been doing it all wrong and all of a sudden feel guarded and stifled as I sit down to write with all of the shoulds and shouldn’ts floating around in my head. For now I am like a youngster in a field of dandelions. I have no inhibition, I’m carefree, I’m running to and fro with my thoughts, I don’t care who sees me and I don’t need to check in with anyone. I’m not aware of what I’m doing wrong and so I’m content and uninhibited.
But that’s just it. Maybe it’s time to move on from the toddler stage and grow up. Maybe free time is over; I’m just not sure. I can see where Todd’s You Tube video on building a shed would come in handy, why reading about beekeeping has been useful, and why learning a few tricks about gardening is productive. But what about these less scientific, more creative fields? Todd and I, in talking this over, agree that yes, there are foundational principles, which is why there are classes and schools specific to even the creative arts.
I’d love you to weigh in, to share your experiences and ideas about interests you have honed and developed. Did you consider proper schooling essential or do you just create simply for personal satisfaction and shy away from being told the hows and whys of your art? I think I already know what I need to do, I’m just wondering if (and am afraid to admit) it’s my stubbornness and laziness that’s preventing me from becoming a real writer. I believe all of us have latent talents or interests percolating that we should really attend to and uncover, I’m just wondering how much training should play a role in their development.
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