At the risk of sounding repetitive as a parrot, what I
really need in my writing arsenal is a recordist of some kind that will capture
the alluring waterfall of my thoughts, in its utmost natural flow, in some
physical space. Because the minute I sit to write my thoughts down, the water
from the waterfall either muddies up or dries up.
I moved into a new apartment and borrowed the erstwhile
tenant's sewing needle. A couple of them actually. And fabulous needles they
are. I have done a large part of my hand quilting with said needles. The
needles have achieved their purpose of a countless pokes into cloth. For some
reason, this thought fascinates me. A simple, humble, thin, abandoned needle
has quietly achieved its life purpose.
The best favor you could do to your writing self is to be
just you. Doesn't matter if you are boring, inarticulate, and/or have nothing
interesting to say. What matters is having your own voice. Croak hoarsely or
speak with a lilt, but never mimic another's voice. That is only good for
mimicry artists, not for someone who wishes to write. Well, let's get honest
here. It is not good for someone who wishes their writing to make a mark in
this world that has not read anything of the like before.
Lost my mother in law recently. Death is cruelly final and
it takes special joy in making you realize just how much you loved the person
and that person is not yours anymore, it is theirs.
When I hand quilt small scraps of cloth, I feel like a
millionaire at heart. These scraps teach you so much. How to aesthetically
match colors and patterns, how to adjust with uneven sized scraps, how to
simply make art out of leftovers. And even if you do not put your aesthetic cap
on, the final pastiche still ends up looking good. A causal perusal of most of
my quilts has made me feel some things could have been done differently, but
never did I feel that it’s gone horribly wrong. Even an ostensibly horrid quilt
grows on you. I have decided I am going to look at people as quilts - a
pastiche of mismatched and less optimal qualities but all good in the end.
As I am writing this piece, I had this epiphany that writing
is a very personal thing. Rather, the technique you adopt to write is a very
personal thing. For example, for me, when I feel intensely, the content flows
out better and I do not despise my writing later because there is an honesty to
it. It also unfailingly has resonance with readers. So, I feel, step back in my
mind to study how I feel, and then put it down on paper in simple, feeling,
non-grammatical language. Yes, repeats and broken sentences express way better.
The rules of grammar render prose perfect but sometimes cold and sterile.
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