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WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
Back in the day, 33 years ago being 'the day,' I was a high school junior intent on...nothing, really. I was a solidly B-ish student with a penchant for light trouble making and smoking pot. This was 1981 pot, not the boutique stuff you kids smoke today. Anywhoo, one night I had a story running around in my head. I wasn't high, I wasn't drunk, I was just...thinking. Anyway, I decided to write this story I made up about my best friend, a girl we knew, a brackish moor and a Volkswagen Beetle.
It was my first experiment in writing. It just came from nowhere and flowed out of me and it was FUN. I had never known "creativity" before, at least that didn't come from some curriculum or the good intentions of our (mostly) hippie teachers. I showed it to my friend who showed it to a friend who said : "can I show this to Mr. D.? He's a writer!" So he did. Later that week, Mr. D., the school's very own writer guy/English teacher tracked me down and said "This is wonderful. I know two other kids in this school who are trying to write fiction. I want to get the three of you together this year for a fiction writing class. I'll give you all A's from the get-go so we don't have to worry about grades. Okay?"
Well, hell yeah okay.
Short story short, within three weeks I was done with Mr. D's class. I had been introduced to the world of 'workshopping' and analyzing and blue-skying and talking and talking and talking about writing. I took my A and lost my joy of writing.
32 years later, I picked up my digital pen and began again. My FP is that it's hard to find my joy in writing, after Mr. D's class, college and graduate advisors who toughen you up with their red pens. I may or may not find that kid again who loved the writing and had FUN with it.
So that's my FP.
Who crushed your creativity lo these many years ago, or last week? And do you think you'll get it back?
OR whatever's on your mind...