Not As Special As We Thought

So, while at work, I stumbled upon a book called "My teeming brain": Understanding Creative Writers by Jane Piirto. The book is basically a study of the lives of writers, looking at recurring themes. Piirto is a professor--which is made obvious by the way in which she presents the book. It reads almost like a dissertation--a formal study, complete with quotes, footnotes, and appendices. The type of writing one only reads when one is in school.

Needless to say, I skimmed the book. But what I found was quite interesting. Basically, we writers have a lot in common. Our backgrounds, our psychology--it turns out that we're not as special or individual as we like to think.

Some of the themes that seem to recur in the lives of writers:

1. We read a lot as children and showed an early interest in writing. For as far back as I can remember, I loved to read. I tried my hand at writing at age 9 and never put the pen down.

2. We often felt like an outsider. Starting in high school, I always felt different from most of my peers. I always attributed it to the fact that I lived in a small town while having a big city mentality.

3. Academic achievement. Many writers excelled in school. Many also went on to get college degrees in English Lit. I was always the "A" student. My undergraduate degree is in English.

Other themes include military service (male writers) and high incidence of divorce (female). Late career recognition. Residence in NYC. Issues with society's expectations of their gender (I minored in Women's Studies in college and a lot of my writing deals with gender). Unconventional families and family trauma.

Piirto also writes briefly about personality traits common in writers, including: independence, nonconformity, drive, resiliency, courage, androgyny (as in writers are able to get into the minds of both men and women), perfectionism, introversion, and intensity.

I don't know about you, but the realization that we're not so unique is both depressing and uplifting. On the one hand, it's always a blow to your ego when you find out that you're not as special as you once thought. But on the other hand, it's comforting to know that you're not alone, that all your struggles and faults are similar to others'.

Piirto goes into far more depth in her book. If you're a writer or just someone interested in the study of creativity, check out her book.

New Year, Same Ol' Resolutions

Yesterday, I decided to torture myself and go through my Friends List on Facebook. My original intent had been to just "check in" with old friends, to see what they were up to, see where they were living. That sort of thing.

What ended up happening was far different. I inhaled a bag of M&Ms as I realized that my "friends'" lives were far more exciting than mine. Most are either married, engaged, or in a relationship. Some have kids. Some have big, fancy jobs in big, fancy cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago. Some have finally outgrown their awkwardness and achieved some level of attractiveness.

I, on the other hand, am an underpaid librarian in a far-from-glamorous town with no significant other whatsoever (unless you count my two cats). Oh yeah, and a 50 lb. weight gain within the past three years. Yay me.

So, I had one of those mini What-Am-I-Doing-With-My-Life Moments. Which always leads to plans to make changes. And it just so happens that these changes come right at the time that everyone is making their New Year's Resolutions.

To start, I'm going to get my act together when it comes to my health. My family's medical history includes everything from different cancers, to heart disease and diabetes, to various forms and degrees of mental illness. Needless to say, I don't want any part of it. So, I'm going green--knocking out most meat, processed foods, and other generally unhealthy things. I'm also going to attempt to get off the comfy couch and move my badonka-donk.

Second, I'm want to start getting serious about my writing and other creative endeavors... Which is the reason for starting this blog.

In the past, I've found that writing about my creative experiences helps jumpstart the muse. It lets the anxiety out. Lets you pull back for a moment and see new angles. It helps me write more. So, this blog will be just that--ramblings and musings about my creative projects, as well as bits of info collected from my readings and research.

And maybe--just maybe--this is the year I'll get serious. Wish me luck.