So, here I am. I've been pondering a blog for ages, and I'm finally putting myself out there. Only a few short years ago, I complained that MySpace and Facebook were too individualistic for me. Yet here I am adding one more voice to the cacaphony.
My hold out has been purpose. Am I here for personal or professional reasons? About what will I post? The answer is, both. I can't separate the pieces of my identity because they all comprise my voice.
I hated grad school. I didn't feel smart enough, and I didn't even know if I wanted to be a college professor. I wanted to drop out and move to Mexico. Thankfully, parents and my masters advisor prevailed because shortly thereafter, I found my purpose, my reason for being a scholar of communication.
I believe in the power of voice--expressing your own as well as listening to others'--and teaching communication has given me a powerful platform for both. Now, as I embark on a new journey, voice takes on another meaning. In writing, voice is the intangible quality that makes fiction unique, that gives emotion, meaning, and life to plots and characters.
Though multifaceted and contradictory, I no longer struggle with my personal voice. I feel as comfortable as a dance mom as I do teaching feminist theory. It's about embracing all of me, about understanding how they come together, how all our pieces fit together. Finding my voice in fiction, that's still a challenge. I think, though, that it comes from the same place as my other voice. It's confidence in character. It's knowing yourself and your purpose. At least, I hope so.
Here's what a few others have to say on the subject:
Bookmarked and so looking forward to watching this evolve!
ReplyDeleteDee