I loved reading this, thank you for sharing it. I'm sorry you were shamed for your love of words - their collection, their voicing. I often think of my word choices too - though I must say they seem to arrive, melt-in to my existing lexicon, and evolve - without much of a conscious process. Words of others just seep in - some get tried on and stay, some get rejected. But all of it without me realising, as I reflect on it. I love the way you make an intention of this though. It feels like the practice of gathering words is very honouring of the words themselves, the preciousness of language, and the speakers themselves. It feels very respectful, and this seems to chime with the Japanese spirit of reverence too. I am reflecting as I write this on the way that different interest groups evolve a sort of language together and it becomes identifiable - I think of the language of my thread of therapy, or of nature writing. It develops in conjunction with others and you see trends arising. A way of turning a phrase that becomes popular. I see this in eco circles. I see it in myself. And then I suppose the natural evolution is that these patterns change again. And so we find ourselves in each other's words, and they in ours. We find a place to belong, and then grow confidence into our own voices. I'm excited for you and your new notebook. I hope it's where you will welcome your own voice once and for all.... xx
I loved reading this, thank you for sharing it. I'm sorry you were shamed for your love of words - their collection, their voicing. I often think of my word choices too - though I must say they seem to arrive, melt-in to my existing lexicon, and evolve - without much of a conscious process. Words of others just seep in - some get tried on and stay, some get rejected. But all of it without me realising, as I reflect on it. I love the way you make an intention of this though. It feels like the practice of gathering words is very honouring of the words themselves, the preciousness of language, and the speakers themselves. It feels very respectful, and this seems to chime with the Japanese spirit of reverence too. I am reflecting as I write this on the way that different interest groups evolve a sort of language together and it becomes identifiable - I think of the language of my thread of therapy, or of nature writing. It develops in conjunction with others and you see trends arising. A way of turning a phrase that becomes popular. I see this in eco circles. I see it in myself. And then I suppose the natural evolution is that these patterns change again. And so we find ourselves in each other's words, and they in ours. We find a place to belong, and then grow confidence into our own voices. I'm excited for you and your new notebook. I hope it's where you will welcome your own voice once and for all.... xx