Sunday night, and I've been staring at the computer screen for well over an hour. I've been hoping for just a tiny creative spark to help me finish the ten pages that I need to submit by the eight o'clock deadline on Tuesday. Alas, not a single one has found its way into my pretty little head all night.
Instead, it seems to have turned into a night of Hulu in the background and a notebook page full of thoughts. Anyone who knows me has seen how quickly my head tends to move from one idea to the next, and today is no exception. The one at the top of the list? One simple question that has always bothered me; Why do we put so much energy into creating the perfect written "picture" of who we are?
Every platform that we go on has an About me or Bio section, work, social, even dating. There are all these articles out there about how to "write the perfect bio" for whatever you want and however you want the world to see you. "You have to put something," but it can't be too long or they might lose interest and it can't be too short or they might think you're boring. It's very easy to tell someone just what you want them to know, but I'm not sure you can really be authentic in that small little blurb.
Sure, I can tell you that I love going on "adventures" but will you really know what that means until you ask? I could tell you that my favorite book is Remember Me by Christopher Pike, but that book is so much more than just that to me. My all-time favorite movie is Stardust (kudos if you actually know the movie, and double kudos if the sky pirates accepting their captain is your favorite scene too) although I never tell people that. Photography, writing, and music are where I really find my voice. I have a little of every single type of music on my playlist from country and rap to hardcore. I love the rain, thunderstorms, and playing in the snow. I can walk up to a complete stranger and flirt, get on a stage with no issue at all, and be the loud annoying friend when we go out, but I'm a total introvert at the same time.
The thing is, those are all just facts. None of this tells you who I am at my core. It tells you nothing about how I handle ups and downs of everyday life, how I fall in love, handle pain, or even just get to know someone. With this in mind, I think I need to start ignoring all the "facts" people keep putting out there. Not completely, because some of it can be helpful getting to know someone, but I don't think you can really know them unless you actually take the time to hang out and pay attention to the details. I want to make sure that I notice the things they don't say, like the little things that make them smile, the difference between a fake laugh and a real one, and every other characteristic that you can only learn about with time and attentiveness.
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