"Did you write today?"
"Yes."
"Then you're a writer today."
Julia Cameron. The Right to Write
I'm in the middle of reading Mindset by Carol Dweck which contrasts the fixed mindset ("you can't teach an old dog new tricks") with a growth mindset, where we can change and develop if we put forth the effort to learn new skills. It reminds me of an observation that one of my book club friends made a couple of years ago - that she had already done all of the things that she has natural aptitude for, so now is the time to explore hobbies that take a bit more effort. To me this also says that we are defined more by what we do than by how we think of ourselves - actions speak louder than words.
I don't think of myself as a writer. I was never one of those kids who spent hours creating stories or one of the earnest high school journalists working on the Garfield Messenger. But I did write in a journal (one of my earliest entries reads "Mom says I'm a lucky duck because I have blonde leg hair". Sadly that did not last). Now I write a little nearly every day, so by this definition, I'm a writer - at least for today.
I hope today to also be a runner and a weight lifter - maybe even a sketcher/artist. What identities will you claim today?
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