Last night in the Creative Writing Class everyone made lists of what they feel passionate about. For some, it was hard to get started, but for others, it came easily. Every list was different, because we all care about specific things. I make these lists every now and again and find it helpful for my writing. What I'm passionate about drives what I have to say.
I thought I'd pose the same question here for my readers to consider. What are you passionate about? What would be on your list? Some items on my list include identity, looking deep inside at my own brokenness and facing up to areas of weakness, living with honesty, body image, raising respectful children and the equality of all people. These themes become the basis of my fiction and non-fiction writing.
As life changes, our passions and interests change with it, but some things remain constant. In my early twenties I fought to form my identity, and therefore this theme will always be important for me. I feel immense joy when I see my kids strengthening their identities much earlier than I did. I want them to know who they are, to grow in their own unique personality, and never be afraid to express themselves honestly.
I've received some wonderful feedback in the last few weeks from many of you about my blog. I've heard that it's inspired some of you to discover what it is that you love to do, encouraged you to parent differently, or helped you find the positive in negative situations. Hearing from you has made this blog journey much sweeter and more meaningful to me. Thank you for taking the time to read, and to e-mail or Facebook me to let me know you are reading and how my writing has impacted you. It means so much to me.
Feel free to comment here as well, so that other readers can interact with your ideas and thoughts. If you sit down and make a list of things you care passionately about, please share your list with me. I hope it is a good exercise for you to figure out what makes your heart beat just a little bit faster, and drives you forward to action.
Without sitting down and putting much thuoght into it, the first things that come to mind that I am passionate about are:
ReplyDelete-family
-working with people with disabilities
-keeping my mind engaged and always learning new things
-branching out and trying new things.
I'm sure if I sat down and put some real thought into it I could come up with some more things. When I am "into" something, I tend to embrace it with everything in me, and perhaps that makes me a bit too passionate about many things to really be passionate about a few things. Does that make sense?
Makes perfect sense, Janice. Thanks for sharing. I know for a fact that you are a passionate person, interested in many things, and that makes you interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I hear that word I think of social justice, and working with the poor. That has been the cry of my heart since I was young. The older I get the more frustrating it becomes because how I invisioned it all to come is far from how it has turned out. I picked my major (International Studies/Politics) because at the time I thought I could make a difference. After a couple years of trying to get into something along the lines I am working in Oil and Gas...in many ways the symbol of everything I was against...the irony. I guess it ties in with your post about taking a stand...
ReplyDeleteThe line between ideals and reality is a hard one to navigate. We all have the "I wish" portion when we are planning our lives, and then you get living and look back and see you aren't where you planned to be, but often I find I've been on a zig-zag path with a specific thread running through it (writing in my case, social justice in yours).
ReplyDeleteEven if we think we aren't on the right path, sometimes we are, it just may be a bit more circuitous than we would like!