I seem to have a dual personality. Maybe it’s in the stars. After all I’m a Gemini. Do the gods mock me with this internal striving of tastes and desire?. I find that I go into a self-imposed exile and spend 7 months by myself to write and illustrate. “Working on a new project.” Making my own decisions, and staying out of contact. But then the other personal nature wrestles me over and pins me so that my social nature can arise.
Being a creative spirit is a painful course of life. You rarely find anything others who understand the gift. You are living with others in isolation of soul. There is this clawing and scratching to find a place of connection with other humans. A place to ride the same vibe.
The closest I’ve gotten to this type of rapport is to play music with others, though that is not a true soulful connection. But we all can catch the groove of a great song, and that seems to patch human spirits together, ever so transiently. We get great community connected through both music and food. Though you eat the same dishes and dance to the same beat, we really have trouble keeping the thread taut. It reminds me of the two cans with the cord we used to have as kids. Never worked really well, did it.
Being a writer can come from desiring this connection so strongly that you’ll do about anything to get the communication process started. Some of us have torn souls, ripped by the indiscretions of family or an evil neighbor who soiled our childhood innocence.
We spit out words and though to make a connection. We tried this as children and were often abused for trying to bother adults with our demands for shared moments. They slapped us and belittled us when we stepped forward with our fledgling efforts to make music, write stories or color a picture. But the more we (our feelings) are trounced upon by heavy sarcasm and mean-spirited comments, we grow in hunger to connect.
It’s like living as an alien in an alien world. A Stranger in a Strange Land. Jo Walton writes this review.
We then turn intelligently defensive, and withhold out thoughts and ideas from others. Or we build unclimbable walls. We then create in isolation. But that same powerful desire to connect keeps throwing us into the painful fray in our efforts to make that singular connection. Aren’t we all still looking for approval.
I’m at a place in my personal life that I’ve gotten some balance, and my soul is stronger now. It’s time to venture out into the world of humankind again. But this time, I’ll seek the company of artists and writers, poets and screenwriters, sculptures and musicians & of course, comedians.
My First Step
I’m considering joining a writer’s group. What do you think? I live in Orange County, California, so I know there are writer’s groups here.
My first search results:
If you are like me, living in your isolation? Are you sensing it’s time to step out and meet someone? Are you a writer or illustrator, poet or painter? Have you joined a community-based group? You may want to if you would like some companionship on this road to achieving success in your passion. You may want to try out www.meeting.com. On Google Plus I searched for “Writer’s Group” and got connected. But I live in OC not LA.
The LA Writer’s Group page
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