The beauty in both

I am the right brain.

I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion.

Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter.

I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.

I am movement. Vivid colors.

I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas.

I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.

I am everything I wanted to be.

-Mercedes Benz

Have you ever looked at the ocean? I mean really looked? Did the different shades of blue, green and gray bleed into one solid color or did you manage to pick out the sparkling hues? Did you notice how the water reflects the sky, making it clear and turquoise on bright sunny days while clouds and rain gives it a darker slate color? Standing on the sand as waves lap the shore, one might wonder what it would be like to instead be perched on the ocean floor with thousands of pounds of water pressing in at you from all sides. Frightening? Or calming? What about the bodies of land that plunge into the depths for miles, have you ever imagined their upside down peaks creating a whole new world? It would be not unlike our own, except instead of sky and clouds there would be seaweed and brightly colored fish. Or a sandy ceiling. Wouldn't that be interesting? This is what goes on in a writer's head while standing on a cliff overlooking the Pacific.

Being a writer does not make you a different species, it simply means that you constantly use your imagination in new and exciting ways. Instead of watching someone go by and judging their clothes, hair, makeup etc, different stories are being made up around this person. Maybe the older woman shopping for baby clothes with tears in her red eyes is thinking about her granddaughter. And the fact that her daughter will never be there to watch the infant grow into adulthood. Or perhaps that young man fussing over his hair in the wall mirror is waiting to meet his future wife, struggling to tame his unruly locks before the proposal. It's all about vision.

As most of you know, the word on the street is that creativity uses the right side of the brain. Painting, drawing, playing music, writing and any other right-brained skill promotes a certain type of wiring that connects to your imagination, letting it flow instead of walling it up behind stereotypes and boxed-in thinking. It is a very freeing ability, to create things and have control over the words you use and the meanings they contain. One could come up with a name, Ria for example, and make up an entire plot based on this one character. She could be a comedian from Australia, come all  the way to New York to grace the stage with her humorous presence. That's just the short version, but so many things could happen along the way, she could meet a shark while swimming for instance, and it could pass her by without so much as a second glance. Or it could eat her. You see, the first would be the beginning of a very interesting story, while the second more suits the end. (I would choose the first, personally).

Now don't fool yourself into thinking that Non fiction writers do not require the use of their imaginations as well, they do. Their job is to make something that is (possibly) utterly boring and turn it into an article that is enjoyable and entertaining to read, a piece that would catch your eye in the Friday paper. This is hard! I've had to do such writing before, not often by choice, and I find it much more difficult than fiction writing. Although, if one engages in both types, they will realize that the two go hand in hand. Even if your forte is Non-fiction, practicing writing plots and creating characters can only help enhance your skill, and vice versa. There is a beauty in both. This is one reason why I chose to start a blog, to see if I COULD write both. I know I'm not great at it and fantasy/fiction writing will always be my style of choice but I can see it helping and so will continue to incorporate it into my "practice".

On a different note, if you, aspiring author or not, ever find yourself struggling with your thoughts or unable to come up with an idea that needs to come to life, go for a walk. Whether it be raining, snowing, sunny or stormy (not too stormy though, you don't want to get blown away...although that would make for an interesting story, assuming you survive) walking amongst nature is the best way to clear your mind and allow the things you want to think about to come to the forefront, recieving your full attention. There is just something so invigorating about strolling through the forest or along the beach, and you'll realize that there are so many possibilities! Everyone and everything has a story, whether it be real or fictional, all you have to do is discover it. And write it down. Yes it may be pouring rain outside but that gives me an idea for a story right there, or at least an opening paragraph. So if you find yourself stuck, writer's block, headache, whatever it is, take a walk. It can only bring relief...and a flow of creativity.