Yesterday was full of surprises. My cat, who disappeared a few days ago and I was sure we would never see again, appeared at the front door while my boyfriend and I were unloading groceries. My parents unexpectedly invited my boyfriend and I out to dinner because they had received free fundraising tickets. And my sister L announced at six o’clock, when my boyfriend and I arrived at said dinner, that our belly dance instructor was looking for me. She wanted me to audition with her at the new Hookah bar in town at 9:30 P.M. that night.
Now before I continue, you have to understand that although I’m a belly dancer who travels with a troupe and performs, I am in no way an extroverted person. Performing in front of people without thoroughly preparing for it first, without knowing the songs in the set we are going to do is not how I do anything. So naturally I broke down. I asked my instructor if we were going to do choreographies or Freestyle? I asked her if anyone else was gong to be there and if she really needed me. And finally I tried to come with an excuse not to go.
In the end, after laying down trying to undo the knot that had formed in my stomach, I put on some eye makeup, threw up my hair and went out the door. And you know what, I’m glad I did. Despite my mini freak out and mountain of worries I actually had a decent time. We even got the gig and I earned six dollars. Yay me.
I try to do the same thing with my writing. I experiment with techniques, themes and ideas to see what I come up with, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. As a writing exercise I once wrote a short story with no sentences, only using onametopia. The story was so abstract I thought, no one will ever get this, but to my surprise, one of my crits actually did.
Stepping outside my comfort zone is something that does not come easy, but something I know I must do for individual growth, hence the belly dancing gig. The same thinking applies to my writing. Sometimes I need my ms to entertain someone else in order for me to see the flaws and fix them. It may make me sick and queasy, but my ms will come out better in the end.
Aww darn it. My pencil has slipped away again. Excuse me while I go and find it.
But first, tell me how do you step outside of your comfort zone? How has it improved (or not improved) you own writing? Do you deal well with unexpected, or do tend to fall to pieces like me?
Where's My Pencil 