Hi, all. Dana Mentink here. Though I REALLY wanted to be an Olympic ice skater at one point in my life, it just wasn't going to happen. I mean, it turns out that you really do need to know how to skate. Furthermore, people who don't like the cold just aren't suited to hang out at ice rinks all day. Nope. The Olympic ice skater thing just wasn't going to cut it because it didn't follow the grain in my wood. I am so glad I found a nutty, wacky, crazy profession that suits me...writing! It's the perfect fit for me for three reasons.
1. I am a constant daydreamer. Not good in a corporate staff meeting, but really awesome for a writer!
2. I need to be creative. If I don't have an outlet for this quality, I begin to behave badly, drawing on things, wiggling in my chair, eating large quantities of junk food. Not pretty.
3. I am hyperactive. I need things to do, lots of things, or I get antsy. It's not a quality that I'm proud of, but there it is, the grain in my wood. Writing provides a plethora of ideas and projects that can all be whirling around at the same time. I love that!
Here's a little motivational about following the grain in your wood.
Follow the Grain in Your Wood
So what's your grain like? Are you shy? Outgoing? Calm? Inquisitive? Personable? How have you found ways to follow your grain in your work and home life?
Posts
I talk to people in my head! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, how funny. I'm reading your post and thinking, "Hey, this is me."
ReplyDeleteI actually went to the Air Force recruiting office thinking about joining the Air Force. But, I don't fly. Really. I'm afraid of heights.
I'm gonna watch the video.
Okay, Debby, years ago I would've thought you nuts. Now I know better.
ReplyDeleteIt took year for me to find my grain. After teaching and kids, my grain found me. Talking to those characters in my head saved my sanity.
Do I dare admit that sometimes I don't just talk to people in my head I actually talk out loud to the imaginary people in my head? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm an introverted extrovert. A people pleaser with a stubborn streak. HA! I talk to myself all the time and daydream constantly. Growing up i was told to stop living in my head. Well, that's where the stories are! I'm happy to be able to get the characters out of my head and onto the page. Dana, I wanted to be an Olympic gymnast. I was the league champ my senior year of high school but that is as far as my competition days went. I did coach for many years. It was fun watching the Rio games.
ReplyDeleteI love being being around people and trying to help them. I have found my place to do that through working as secretary in my church office.
ReplyDeleteI have a weird grain. Tiger oak, maybe. I am an introvert who has to have my quiet time but I can be a social butterfly when I'm with people I love and enjoy. If I'm uncomfortable, I don't talk much. (Hard to believe, I know.) So I'm a bit extroverted or maybe I'm just inverted!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a slow-paced grain. I don't like to be rushed. I can sit and do nothing and be tired from it. I not only talk to myself and answer myself but I talk to my characters and get into heavy discussions with them. I dream What if???
I'm loyal but I don't mind a good confrontation, either. Oh, dear. Now I'm confused!!!
But you CAN be an Olympian when you write about them. That's the coolest thing. I've been a former Olympic hopeful, a kindergarten teacher on the run, a Revolutionary War spy, a Connecticut Cafe owner, a Broadway singer (The one thing I wanted in real life. Alas, I can't hit a note.) I've faced serial killers and drug dealers, fallen in love with a U.S. Marshal and a small town police chief.
ReplyDeleteOr as Debby said, I talk to the people in my head. :)
I'm a classic introvert. I can happily spend hours home alone with my characters for company. I do enjoy being with people, but I'm more of a small group person than a crowd gal.
ReplyDeleteClassic introvert here, with an inner longing for adventure that gets fulfilled on the written page. As others said, writing is a great way to live out dreams. That childhood dream of being a singer fell flat right along with my singing voice, but it can live on through story.
ReplyDeleteSo funny how much of us are introverts. I think a lot of times, the people in my head make far better company!
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