We Are Women, See Us Write

Earlier this month, in answer to the topic, I wrote that I am a writer.  But that's only a part of me, as it is for every person on this blog and those who read it and those who comment on it.

While those of us who blog here are writers, that isn't all we are.  We are mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, daughters-in-law and wives.  We're single, divorced, widowed and married.  We work both outside the home and inside the home.  But the one thing we share is writing, and that's what's brought us together.

Take a picture of us all together, and you'll see the many differences.  Young, middle-aged, and older.  Blonde hair, brown hair, red hair and gray.  Tall, short, round and slim.  Yes, we're different, but we share one thing.  We are writers.

We're hard on ourselves.  Even after being published for 12 years, I still have difficulty telling strangers I'm a writer.  Forget about telling them I'm a published author.  Sure, in a group it's easy, even on the blog.  But on my own?  Live and in person?  Uh, no. ☺  Why?  Most people don't believe it.  Some people smirk in a "sure, you are" kind of way.  Others, like our own Penny Rader, encourage us to join WARA. (Thank you, Penny!)  And even others are excited and ask questions.  All of that has an affect on us, on our perceptions of ourselves.

We are who we are, each little part of us.

We look in a mirror and see what we believe is what others see, and even that is skewed by our own perceptions of ourselves.  Others see us in different ways.  There was a recent video posted to Facebook that was made in conjunction with Dove® soap/beauty products.  MSN carried it on their website.  Below is the introduction and a link to the video.  It's amazing!
Thanks, Dove, for this inspiring social experiment. In the video, various women show up separately to be drawn by a forensic artist who never sees them — the artist sketches them based on each woman's description of herself, then does another sketch based on how strangers describe each woman. Watching these ladies confront their less-attractive views of themselves before glimpsing the very different image of what a stranger sees is enough to bring on the tears. If you've never wished you had a different nose, brighter eyes or a better chin, you belong to an elite group of women who think they're beautiful — a measly 4 percent globally, according to Dove. So watch closely and stop giving yourself such a hard time.
 http://now.msn.com/dove-real-beauty-video-shows-women-they-are-beautiful

We see what we want to see: the blemishes, the dark circles, the wrinkles, the extra pounds.  We see our weaknesses, not only physical but internal, our fears.  What we don't see, and what others seem to glimpse, is our strength, humor, passion and love.  As writers, those are the things we convey in our words and stories.  We give our characters what we see in ourselves and our experiences in life and also the weaknesses we deal with or have dealt with in the past.  And then we strive to give our readers the happily-ever-afters that we all hope will be ours.

We are writers, and we've all come to it in different ways at different times for different reasons.

We are women.  We are strong, smart, funny and wise.

5 comments:

Reese Mobley said...

Sometimes it's still hard to be comfortable in our own skin. Whether it's because someone said something or it's just in our head, we all have body issues. Thanks for the reminder that we are all united in our passion for the written word--ours or someone else's.

Pat Davids said...

After a depressing search for a new dress yesterday, I can attest to not liking what I see in the mirror today. Maybe that's why I'm comfortable telling everyone I meet I'm a published romance author. Writing a book is an accomplishment that has nothing to do with how I look.
Feedback from readers and others isn't always positive. That stings, no doubt about it, but I live by the old adage that says if you get bucked off, you need to get right back on the horse. I write because I'm a story teller. I want to entertain.

I loved the Dove Facebook video. I had my daughter and granddaughter watch it.

Rox Delaney said...

Reese, for me, it isn't just body issues. I'm still overcoming things my mother said to me. Getting better, but not close to 100%. Yet. :)

It takes growing tough skin and understanding that not everyone likes the same things.

Rox Delaney said...

Pat, my #3 daughter is getting married in October, meaning a new dress for me. I dread looking for one.

I'm learning to get right back on that horse. :) The good outweigh the bad. If we can survive rejections and live to write again, we can survive anything.

Penny Rader said...

Thank for the video link, Rox. I need to watch it a few more times. So often I look in the mirror and am startled by who looks back at me? When did this or that or the other happen? And I just dread seeing myself in pictures. Off to watch that video again. Thanks.