Being a Writer

     Well-known author, Toni Morrison once stated, "I was afraid to use the word 'I am a writer,' and in fact didn't until somebody suggested to me that this might be what I was doing." Morrison is famous for her novels such as Beloved, Song of Solomon, and Paradise, and for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. From an outsider perspective, only seeing the famous person as an image rather than the actual human as a person just like anyone else, it would seem strange that someone so well-known and successful in what she does would be hesitant to call herself what she is-- a writer. As she explains, however, she was working and raising children while writing at the same time. She was doing things many people would call necessities while also attempting something those same people would call a hobby. Writing is an art no matter what is being written, and like most arts, it is considered nothing more than a hobby or interest and holds no importance to society unless it is academic. Society tells people its okay to follow your dreams, but only as long as those dreams are attainable within the boundaries they create. Taking all this into consideration, it is understandable that Toni Morrison would feel this way about her career and passion. You don't make it until other people say you do.

    What might this mean for everyone else? Students go to school and learn how to write, but their skill in writing is determined by a predetermined set of rules they must abide by. For some, following the rules makes things easier, but for others, it stifles their true ability and creativity. For those students, they are told their writing is not good enough to be considered academic, leading them to believe they were never really good to begin with. However, the truth is that writing is not limited to a set of rules, and many students who were told their writing was not good enough for one set of rules are sill writers. Their words still have meaning and purpose, so why should it be limited to specific rules?

    For myself, Toni Morrison's statement has great impact on me. I love to write and create, and I hope to make a career of it someday. I still feel shy about telling other people, however, because I still have that seed of doubt planted in the back of my mind. Whenever I do share my goal of becoming a writer, many people tell me that is exciting and they look forward to reading what I may publish, but there are some where I can see the judgement in their eyes, asking why I didn't choose a sensible career to follow like a lawyer or a teacher. When that is the first thing people think, it is understandable to be hesitant to call oneself a writer, or an artist, or a musician. So why should I follow my dream when to other people it doesn't make sense? Simply, it is because it is not about them. It is about myself, and others like me who want to create and share our creations. I don't have to be successful, I just have to do what I like and like what I do. To me, that is what it means to be a writer.

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