Blissed # 48: Finding love in Writing while others seek Success
My 'untold' love story
Thank God someone wrote about it before I started to judge my fetish and love for writing, and who other than . After reading her essay, I no more feel guilty or apologetic. In fact, I decided to write this ‘love letter’ to the love of my life. Read on to know my untold love story.
Writers like me, who are relatively new and are still testing the waters call ourselves amateur (writers). We are those who often wonder to ourselves whether someone is even reading what we write! We try and improve on our craft by writing whatever comes to our mind, reading the legends and the not-so-legends, listening to people who have written extensively, attending writer’s club, dreaming about writing (basically engaging in all activities which come back to the heart of the matter).
What we also do is, constantly re-examine ourselves from the perspectives of readers and endeavor to transition from ‘amateur writers’ into ‘professional authors’, with the hope that someday millions of people will read what we type out on a blank piece of paper.
in her essay, gives out the etymology of the word amateur and puts it into the context of a writer. She says, “ It comes from its Latin root amare: to love. An amateur is someone who continues to create, not necessarily for money or promotion or trinkets of fame etc, but primarily because of love”. Curious to dwell deeper, I happened to find other etymologies of the word which include “one who has a taste for some art, study, or pursuit, but does not practice it” or “someone who is unqualified or insufficiently skillful”.All the above definitions indicate that one can fall in love with a craft regardless of formal education, skill, or learning, and still pursue it; however, in doing so, they would be considered an amateur.
So why to be an amateur when you can be a professional?
Alike some brilliant authors which Elif discusses, I pursue my love for writing while juggling multiple roles which may be my priority or duty, but are not necessarily my love. I would not be ashamed to admit that at times I do sideline my priorities as I feel the strong urge to write. It’s akin to the lover who would go to any extent to catch even a glimpse of their partner, or perhaps share a few moments that would become eternal memories to be cherished in lonely times. Such is my relationship with writing.
My (unapologetic) confessions
It does make me feel guilty to be a writer at times, when I prioritize my happiness over commitments, when I look for pleasure from writing over professional responsibilities, when I devote time to the stories for my next post than tend to the broken tap in the kitchen, when I romanticize blank pages more than my partner, when I slip into the depth of storytelling rather than listen to my child’s tales of agony, when I get mesmerized by the dancing of the words than appreciating a blockbuster movie; but I think that’s how I perceive life to be now.
This relationship only got deeper when I realized there is nothing about the process that I dislike. There might be moments , when I naggingly complete a task (as I have to) but I don’t think there has been a moment (ever) when I nag while writing. On the contrary it has been my source of daily dopamine, liberating me from life’s unending vagaries. It gives me solace even to document a sad event. I think of it as a venting partner, which wipes away my tears, comforts & caresses my soul and heals my fresh scars.
It is only when I look onto the works of the ‘professional authors’, that I turn inwards to question myself:
“Can I ever be a professional author, as I would always (maybe) want to be a lover of the writing process? Or does it mean my work would fail to reach the bookshelves of those who think a writer cannot be an author until they devote themselves into the process fully, where they disengage from commitments, schedules, meetings, human connections, and any sort of distractions and surrender to the art."
To show my unending love for the craft, I would argue that in order for me to step into the shoes of a writer, it becomes imperative to immerse myself in the daily process. My muse are the small details of daily life, whom I meet, observe or just research upon. They become so close to me, that it becomes utmost important for me to document their story so that it resonates with someone on the other side of this planet, who feels the same and is waiting for someone to tell them the story they want to read.
My muse is anyone, in no particular order, and might also not appeal to many, but then I still write, as I have to. I might sound eccentric when I say I don’t have a niche in which I write, as one day I wish to write about my parenting worries, the next day I might want to write a romantic poetry, and the next day I might wish to discuss politics or urban issues maybe.
At the heart of it all, I love everything about writing, as it helps me liberate myself from the hardships of daily life and allows me even to celebrate the miseries. So if you wish to call me an ‘amateur writer’ and not a ‘professional author’, I do not mind as I am busy finding my lover in it.
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Thank you for stopping by.
Till the next time - Stay Blissed ✨
Parul Kapoor
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Keep writing! Only love 💞
I have been writing again after ages and reconnecting with myself