Are you AWAKE?
Good morning all members of The Tribe,
I hope your Christmas holiday (or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate this time of year) has been a good one and not the cause of too much anxiety. If you DID have some awkward moments, then utilize it as rich fodder for use in your writing endeavors. Yeah, I mean the stories about the weird, confirmed-bachelor uncle who likes to sit too close to you and talk -- in excruciating detail -- about his taxidermy hobby, his knife collection, his daily bleach bath, and his never ending hunger for Jello. Go ahead and chronicle the exact moment when you realized Uncle Weirdo fits a serial killer's profile, then ease yourself politely away from his presence and run to your notebook or computer and begin your story.
I was recently asked by a new reader: "What do you mean when you call your readers 'The Tribe?'"
I explain this periodically. Many years ago, I noticed a certain awareness level in people. Not everyone has it.
For instance, I am not good at small talk. Please understand, I can do it when I need to do it, but I am not good at it. I have learned ways around it from my days as a reporter. I ask a lot of questions, it usually keeps conversation going and I don't have to think of things to say. Instead, I listen and learn. Much better. (I hope that helps my fellow introverts out there.) Anyway, let's just say I had noticed way too many people are good at getting into in-depth conversations about trivial things. They don't seem to look past the superficial layer of our existence. Their children and their work and/or personal lives are all they know and understand.
I don't get that. I really don't. There's more to it all and I just KNEW it. This ended up being the topic of a conversation with my friend, Kathy. As Kathy and I were discussing this phenomenon, she said, "Those people are not awake." Later, I used this terminology with one of my very dearest friends, Cinnamon (Sigh. Yes, that's her real name. No, she's not a stripper. I'm glad to get that out of the way.) ... Anyway, Cinnamon coined the phrase,"Oh, they're 'Tribal.'" It was easier to ask "Do you think John is Tribal?" Than asking if a person was cool? Are they AWAKE? Are they perceptive? Will they understand what we are talking about?
So ... when I refer to you all, Dear Readers, as "members of The Tribe," I am already assuming you are all Tribal. You get it. You are seekers. You are perceptive, artistic, and inquisitive. Otherwise, you'd only be checking out cooking blogs. (Hey, I'm totally NOT disrespecting cooking/food blogs - I actually have a cooking obsession -- I am just saying that's not ALL I check out.)
Let's manage to tie this explanation back to writing, shall we? I have to assume that if you are a writer, you almost have to be Tribal, by nature. You have to have the imagination to explore deeper than the surface of our everyday lives. (Some people never explore the big picture, or the meaning of it all, until the end of their lives - if ever.)
You have to have great imagination to make that journey. It takes courage and imagination to explore both those bright and dark paths. You have the courage to put your hands to the keyboard or to pick up that pen and explore the answers to your questions. Do you write down the questions? Do you have the urge to create worlds and then explore them? Most of all, do you have an unending need -- like an itch located in your brain -- to write it all out? The urge is only eased when you write it down. If you have those urges, then you are most certainly a writer. Now, whether you are a good or a bad writer makes not one bit of difference. You still can call yourself a writer.
The ones who do not write ... you probably have other ways in which you express that imagination. I know that you do. You know that you do. If you are AWAKE ... if you are Tribal ... then you know what I am saying or you wouldn't be here and you wouldn't keep coming back to me. Here is where you'll get to spend some time with someone who understands.
Are you awake?
Let's put some imagination out there ... write, paint, cook, decorate, read, sing, explore ....
Have a great day. Hugs are on the house.
Until next time,
LA
I hope your Christmas holiday (or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate this time of year) has been a good one and not the cause of too much anxiety. If you DID have some awkward moments, then utilize it as rich fodder for use in your writing endeavors. Yeah, I mean the stories about the weird, confirmed-bachelor uncle who likes to sit too close to you and talk -- in excruciating detail -- about his taxidermy hobby, his knife collection, his daily bleach bath, and his never ending hunger for Jello. Go ahead and chronicle the exact moment when you realized Uncle Weirdo fits a serial killer's profile, then ease yourself politely away from his presence and run to your notebook or computer and begin your story.
I was recently asked by a new reader: "What do you mean when you call your readers 'The Tribe?'"
I explain this periodically. Many years ago, I noticed a certain awareness level in people. Not everyone has it.
For instance, I am not good at small talk. Please understand, I can do it when I need to do it, but I am not good at it. I have learned ways around it from my days as a reporter. I ask a lot of questions, it usually keeps conversation going and I don't have to think of things to say. Instead, I listen and learn. Much better. (I hope that helps my fellow introverts out there.) Anyway, let's just say I had noticed way too many people are good at getting into in-depth conversations about trivial things. They don't seem to look past the superficial layer of our existence. Their children and their work and/or personal lives are all they know and understand.
I don't get that. I really don't. There's more to it all and I just KNEW it. This ended up being the topic of a conversation with my friend, Kathy. As Kathy and I were discussing this phenomenon, she said, "Those people are not awake." Later, I used this terminology with one of my very dearest friends, Cinnamon (Sigh. Yes, that's her real name. No, she's not a stripper. I'm glad to get that out of the way.) ... Anyway, Cinnamon coined the phrase,"Oh, they're 'Tribal.'" It was easier to ask "Do you think John is Tribal?" Than asking if a person was cool? Are they AWAKE? Are they perceptive? Will they understand what we are talking about?
So ... when I refer to you all, Dear Readers, as "members of The Tribe," I am already assuming you are all Tribal. You get it. You are seekers. You are perceptive, artistic, and inquisitive. Otherwise, you'd only be checking out cooking blogs. (Hey, I'm totally NOT disrespecting cooking/food blogs - I actually have a cooking obsession -- I am just saying that's not ALL I check out.)
Let's manage to tie this explanation back to writing, shall we? I have to assume that if you are a writer, you almost have to be Tribal, by nature. You have to have the imagination to explore deeper than the surface of our everyday lives. (Some people never explore the big picture, or the meaning of it all, until the end of their lives - if ever.)
You have to have great imagination to make that journey. It takes courage and imagination to explore both those bright and dark paths. You have the courage to put your hands to the keyboard or to pick up that pen and explore the answers to your questions. Do you write down the questions? Do you have the urge to create worlds and then explore them? Most of all, do you have an unending need -- like an itch located in your brain -- to write it all out? The urge is only eased when you write it down. If you have those urges, then you are most certainly a writer. Now, whether you are a good or a bad writer makes not one bit of difference. You still can call yourself a writer.
The ones who do not write ... you probably have other ways in which you express that imagination. I know that you do. You know that you do. If you are AWAKE ... if you are Tribal ... then you know what I am saying or you wouldn't be here and you wouldn't keep coming back to me. Here is where you'll get to spend some time with someone who understands.
Are you awake?
Let's put some imagination out there ... write, paint, cook, decorate, read, sing, explore ....
Have a great day. Hugs are on the house.
Until next time,
LA
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