Art, or something like it
I have to dig deep to consider myself creative. I admire art. I wonder at it. I'm moved by it. But it doesn't seem like something I could actually do, not something that I could access. So I'm very hesitant to call myself a writer, poet, artist. It doesn't exactly sit right with me, which I recognize is ironic.
I read a line in a poem today. From "Immigrant Haibun" by Ocean Vuong:
If you must know anything, know that you were born because no one else was coming.
I, like most Americans, was raised in a culture that prizes accomplishments. It's difficult to even conceive of your own identity outside of status markers. I never know how to introduce myself to new people. Do we really want to get to know each other if the only questions we're willing to ask have to do with our employment?
As time goes on, I feel less and less guilty about not having a career or some other prestigious pursuit. We get made to feel like we're behind schedule, but that's a ridiculously narrow lens with which to view your life. Nobody knows what the future will bring.
More and more too, I realize that I have to make room for myself out here in the world. That there are people who are better writers/artists/mothers/intellectuals/activists is not be an impediment to my work. I'm not seeking any prizes other than my own truth.
I read a line in a poem today. From "Immigrant Haibun" by Ocean Vuong:
If you must know anything, know that you were born because no one else was coming.
I, like most Americans, was raised in a culture that prizes accomplishments. It's difficult to even conceive of your own identity outside of status markers. I never know how to introduce myself to new people. Do we really want to get to know each other if the only questions we're willing to ask have to do with our employment?
As time goes on, I feel less and less guilty about not having a career or some other prestigious pursuit. We get made to feel like we're behind schedule, but that's a ridiculously narrow lens with which to view your life. Nobody knows what the future will bring.
More and more too, I realize that I have to make room for myself out here in the world. That there are people who are better writers/artists/mothers/intellectuals/activists is not be an impediment to my work. I'm not seeking any prizes other than my own truth.
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