Weather Helmed

I’ve been reading a book called “The Right to Write” by Julia Cameron.  It’s a FABULOUS book for those, like me, who have been, can be and are undeniably driven to write.  The book is not about writing for money or publishing or fame or anything material – it simply talks about writing for the fun of it, because you simply need to, or just writing for writing’s sake.  In that way, it can be a little “artsy-fartsy” if you will, but for me, who assesses my world via pen and paper (or keyboard/computer), so much of it truly resonates with me.

Anyway, at the end of each chapter, she gives a little assignment.  It’s generally something to encourage you to write, to think about your approach to writing, your understanding of what being a “writer” means, etc.  I haven’t actually done any of the exercises yet, but the one I read this afternoon struck me as particularly appropriate seeing as how all I did today was read resumes for people looking to take over my position.

The intention of the exercise is to strengthen your sense of self.  Why? “[I]n order to do self-expression, we need to have a self to express.”  A little esoteric, perhaps, but play along for a second…  She suggests that you set aside a couple of hours and make a list numbered 1-100.  Once you’ve finished numbering, go back and write down 100 things you are proud of.  From the smallest, silliest thing, to the biggest, grandiose honor.

She comments, “Think of this tool as a private resume.”

And that’s when I paused and wondered:

What would my PERSONAL resume look like?  What qualities would I highlight? What personality features and character strengths would I advertise for myself?  What personal accomplishments would I focus on? Would I still have the same categories as my professional resume – education, experience, skills? What would I put under them?  Would I have different categories?  What would they be?

How would I break down my personal life – the *real* me – if I only had one page on which to summarize, and “sell” myself?