As I was reading Sandra Magsamen's Living Artfully this morning I was struck by her account of being labeled the artist in the family while her twin sister was considered the writer. She recalls how they both loved each of these things but because her parents considered her the artist in the family her sister stopped painting. Likewise because her sister was considered the writer Sandra stopped writing. I wondered how labels effect us and if you had been known for something that you did well as a child. How was it encouraged or not encouraged? Did you secretly long to be considered good at something else?
"While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die, whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness."
~Gilda Radner (comedian)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
discussion question (3)
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I come from a long line of writers. My grandfather, my father and my older sister...all deemed "writers". For me that meant I was not "the" writer in the family. She would spend hours hunched over the old manual typewriter and write stories for everyone for Christmas presents. How can someone compete with that? Don't even bother! So I didn't! I never knew what I was missing until I did start to write in college and realized it was the process that was so engaging. It was a place where I belonged, regardless of who else in the family had been crowned as writers! It took me a very long time to call myself a writer...until I boiled it down to the essence that a writer is someone who writes! I write, therefore I am a writer!
This is making me wonder about my own kids...what labels do they live under and have we done that without knowing it?
Always such good questions Laura! And of course this is allowing me to use this as a warm up because I am meeting with Louise tomorrow morning to exchange some writing and I have NOTHING done! Such procrastination. But alas, it is also a part of my process.
Cheers.
i think this is such an interesting topic. i don't think i have felt confines of being deemed better at one thing or the other, especially in terms of others in my family. but that has me wondering if it's because i have a brother who is 5 years younger than i am. with the age and gender differences i wonder if this gave us more freedom in who we are. i also wonder if he feels differently than i do ~ being the youngest and having someone who kind of paved the way. my family has always been really supportive of us both, encouraging our interests.
i remember my uncle giving me a nerf football when i was younger ~ maybe 8. at that time i think barbie dolls and books were on my christmas list. i thought the gift was accidentally mislabled and haaaad to be for my cousin jimmy. but, no, it was for me. and while i may have been a little befuddled and wondering what in the world i would do with a football, i thank my uncle for changing my perception of who i was and who i could be at such a young age.
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