Shapiro Article
Growing up in the public school system, I learned to be quite good at following direct instruction. That is to say, I appreciated Susan Shapiro's many numbered lists for tips and tricks to writing a personal essay. Shapiro assigned her students to write about a humiliating time in their life, and this prompt proved successful (a handful went on to be published). Shaprio points out that no one wants to hear about how great your life is; they will get bored after the first paragraph and give up, or have hostile reactions to your seemingly perfect life. This leads me to wonder, can happiness sell? Do people want to hear about the good in life if it is not accompanied with struggle, loss, or heartache?
Shapiro spends a lot of time discussing topics to consider or throw out, seeming to land on these humiliation stories, or these moments of absurdity, are what sell. Life is full of cliches that are easy and compelling to fall into; it often seems like the safest option, but it is also the most boring and mundane for readers. What Shaprio is getting at is that we must become a sort of investigative journalist into ourselves to find what is worth writing about. Like Shapiro said, “You’ll bring a theatrical freshness to what fascinates you” (18). It takes deeply knowing and reflecting on one’s self to be able to write a compelling personal narrative. For me, the terrifying reality is that to write personal narratives you have to be open to your personal life; your coworkers, friends, and families, seeing your deepest reflections about events and their roles in your life. As writers, how do we grapple with the personal made public? Owning our work with our name is important in connecting with our readers, but the draw to anonymity is tempting. Can any person be effective in this mode of expression, or does it take a boldness in personality and performance to succeed in this space?
I am also a huge fan of how this guide was set up. Direct instructions are a huge help for me, as I tend to get frustrated over not fully being able to comprehend what is being asked, especially if I am far too tired to dive deeper in my thinking of what I am doing, which with my job happens far too often! To me, I think a lot of people do not want to hear about someone's life who may be better than theirs, which is an awful thing to think about but it seems to be the truth. People do not care for the happiness of others also because to them, that may not be as interesting. They may not be able to sympathize with someone who is not going through any major life problems or do not have interesting stories they may be able to resonate with. A lot of people crave the excitement and the drama that comes with negative experiences, we can see that in so many popular things in any form. It is very scary to have to fully open up about our lives in order to tell these stories. For me, I get scared about opening up, but I also love to talk about myself which is a very strange thing to go back and forth on. Sometimes I can't shut up about my stories and experiences, and sometimes I wish people would pretend I don't exist, very strange indeed. I think the personal can be so interesting, and so many people can resonate with the personal, so more people are going to gravitate towards you if you are an open person. I think anyone can be successful given the right circumstances, but it takes a special kind of person, and a special kind of writing, to really outshine the others and to make their presence known simply by living their lives and telling their stories. There are certainly ways to get around all of it though, and that is the great part about writing isn't it? Not everything is going to be as we assume it to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you that Shapiro offers very practical and mostly sound advice. Shapiro’s observation that “multiculturalism is hot” prompted me to write my first pitch about parenting my biracial son. Additionally, her suggestion to “[b]e counterintuitive” and “play devil’s advocate” led to my second pitch, which touches on the potential benefits of opioids when properly prescribed. Had I not read Shapiro’s advice, I would have selected different topics for my pitches.
ReplyDeleteThe first post asks the very important question, “can happiness sell?” Victoria, I believe you answer this question when you write, “people do not care for the happiness of others.” (I know you do not feel this way yourself; you are simply making an observation.) This observation is definitely consistent with Shapiro’s advice to avoid writing about “what makes you successful and lovable.” And I agree that tales of loss, failure, and humiliation can, at times, make for interesting reading. However, as a reader, I do not desire to forever wallow in the writer’s misery. I also seek out uplifting stories of personal growth and accomplishment. Thus, I believe that Shapiro may be overstating the case for humiliation and misery. Perhaps there is a regional difference at play. From her online profile, I see that Shapiro teaches at The New School in New York. As a native Midwesterner, I was raised to always accentuate the positive, to see the glass as half-full, and to take no glee in the travails of others. Therefore, reading about another’s humiliation packs a certain amount of guilt. (By the way, I don’t mean to stereotype all New Yorkers or Midwesterners. Or do I?)
I really like the remark in the first post that each of us needs to become an “investigative journalist into ourselves.” That deep probing of ourselves can certainly lead to very productive writing. Victoria, you similarly note the need to “fully open up about our lives.” As you also state, that opening up can be a scary process, and I wholeheartedly agree. Here, too, I would like to push back a bit on Shapiro. We all have stories of personal loss, grief, and humiliation that would make for interesting reading. However, I am not convinced that it is always wise to put these emotions on paper. I fear that some of our hardships are just too raw and that writing about them may induce a PTSD-like response. For example, writing about my deceased mother in my second pitch dredged up still painful emotions, and I am not sure that I can (or should) write a full-length essay on this topic.
Can happiness sell? According to Susan Shapiro, no, not really. “What makes you successful and lovable in real life might make you unlovable and unknowable on the pages of a short essay.” (Shapiro, 14). A piece that begins happy and ends happy isn’t interesting at all. It’s stagnant and I think that’s Shapiro’s whole point. When we begin our essays at moral low points, humiliating secrets or personal tragedy, our essays gain the room to stretch their metaphorical arms to reach for some sort of higher crevice where we may pull ourselves out of desperation and turmoil. Writing pieces in this style creates a lot of emotional movement that keeps readers from getting bored and allows us (the writers) to discover who we are and what we’ve learned.
ReplyDeleteScott in your post you made the comment, “However, as a reader, I do not desire to forever wallow in the writer’s misery.” I think that this is an excellent idea that is both the opposite and the same as what Shapiro is saying. Stories that are only sad/negative can have the same effect on readers as stories that are only happy/positive. There’s no growth and the stakes never change throughout the piece. For example, someone who starts a story as an alcoholic, then keeps boozing until now they’re a week away from dying and mad because they’re in the hospital and can’t have a drink just created a rather bruising and depressing story for their readers to read. Where are we in relation to the beginning of the piece, and did you only tell us one thing?
Disclaimer. I think when we’re creating our own essay’s it’s very important to keep in mind that the excerpt from Shapiro was essentially a “tips and a guide” to getting an essay published quick. To “break on through to the other side” per say. Sometimes a story about the road to destruction hits the spot just like a story about feeling happy because the sky is always blue could cure your blues. I think the biggest thing about any sort of writing is to take a feeling you have and honestly express it, and when we do that we get a “product” that is tangible and relates directly to the human condition.
To respond to the first question: Do people want to hear about the good in life if it is not accompanied with struggle, loss, or heartache? I would say no, any piece that is without conflict or struggle whether it be fiction or non-fiction would not be worth reading. An update on Facebook about how well your life is going is appropriate, but a writing piece that is without any form of conflict would dull every reader. Stories about triumphing over obstacles to reach happiness are some of our favorite stories and always seem to pull at readers or viewers heart strings.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of writing about something deeply personal and making it public I have a small anecdote about doing this last year in a writing class. I workshopped a piece about one of the hardest moments of my life involving a family member. I was nervous to turn it in and have it be read by the entire class, but I'm happy I did. I believe it to be one of the best things I've ever written and the responses by classmates lifted me up. Not only did it feel a success as a written piece, but it also felt cathartic to write about the trauma and make it into art. As I wrote the piece I felt myself remembering more and more of what happened, so it was truly difficult to do, but by the end of it I felt more clarity about the whole thing and I think it helped me navigate through the trauma in a healthy way. I would encourage anyone to be bold and write about past experiences that deeply hurt them, because we're all human and we can all relate to some form of loss or heartache or struggle.
After reading Shapiro I was drawn into the idea of writing about a humiliating time. It's often the easiest place to start and can be easier to put your name to. Many people have had embarrassing moments in their lives and when someone's example is published the reader can usually relate to the humiliation. I think starting somewhere small to be open and honest will make placing your name on the piece easier and less terrifying when one starts publishing more personal pieces. The realness of the stories is what captures the reader's interest and that is why the humiliation essays often get published because everyone likes a good, honest personal bash. On the flip side of that it's hard for a reader to what to read a piece if it displays the writer as a image of perfection. Many reader despise people who have had easy lives with little to no struggle or heartache, and that is because there are very few if any people that don't struggle in life. We all like to read pieces that we can relate to and learn a thing or two from.
ReplyDeleteI like that Shapiro sectioned the piece into important tips and need to knows when writing non-fiction. I learned a few things from this reading that I didn't quite grasp yet, like it's better to enter details later when it feels right instead of cramming them in the beginning when you start. It took me until now to learn because I also thought best to add the details when you are starting with the material than forget and have to put it in somewhere else where it might not belong. I think my main take away from this was that no matter how advanced you are in writing you are always going to learn new rules, tips, and tricks to become better and more successful in the field.
I certainly agree with Chloe and Victoria about the use of lists in Shapiro's book. When it comes to creative writing, a singular structure or “procedure” is quite hard to narrow down, given the individualistic nature of the subject (that is, we need to write our own stories in our own words), so it can be really helpful to have a checklist or a broad sense of what needs to happen to make a piece “finished.” Especially in narrative/creative nonfiction, in which I have quite limited experience, I think Shapiro’s lists in The Byline Bible will turn out to be lifesavers for me. That said, they’re still only guidelines, so it’s up to me to write what I need (or am meant) to write.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of happiness v. humiliation, I’m quite divided. Personally, I struggle to find inspiration in my happy stories and brighter moods (misery may love company, but it loves composition even more). But it can be difficult to decide which of my less-fortunate experiences should be shared—which ones are too embarrassing? too depressing? too wallow-y? There’s that Tolstoy quote about happy and unhappy families, but where do we draw the line? I imagine there’s a limit to the amount of bad experience we can put in a story/essay/blog post before people start losing interest, like a parabolic graph (x-axis being sadness/humiliation, y-axis being interest). Instead, to recapture that interest, Shapiro notes that we must find meaning in the misery—that is, we must give our reader some incentive to wallow with us, a reason to root for us, or at least a reason to finish reading. But Shapiro doesn’t delve into this as much as I wish she would have. I still have a fair few questions, which I hope will be answered in this class or with practice:
How can we as writers determine what lessons/morals are too corny?
If we’re still close to the situation, how do we know there’s a lesson at all?
How small or personal can a lesson be without leaving the reader feeling cheated?
Also, she mentions several times avoiding legal trouble—how often do narrative nonfiction writers get sued for their work???
I loved everything Shapiro had to say in this article, and I agreed with all of it. I definitely think you have to get extremely vulnerable to reach audiences and keep attention. I think her “humiliation” assignment is a great way for her students to dig deep and be completely vulnerable. While I think this is a great skill, I also think it’s way easier said than done. Of course, Shapiro talked about not writing and publishing things you can’t put your name on and that you aren’t ready for others to see, but what if your best stories are the ones you’re not ready to share? I sometimes feel like that is the case for me, and it makes me feel incredibly stuck. I have already written things for classes that I don’t want to show my family and have declined showing them in the past.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the part about showing, then telling. Throughout my whole career as a Creative Writing major, I have been told to “show NOT tell”, so that is what I have done. But Shapiro’s explanation of “showing THEN telling” was super interesting and I definitely want to bring it into my non-fiction writing. I’m glad that Shapiro was straight to the point with the titles of the steps and her explanation because I could clearly decipher what she mean’t.
I found Shaprio's article very interesting and full of great tips to encourage and inspire writers to break out from their comfort zone and be successful in writing nonfiction. I have to agree with Chloe’s discussion about lists and how helpful they are, especially for Shapiro (and with writing) the rules are not set in stone, but it’s nice to have some guidelines when you’re not sure what to write about and are looking for guidance.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of humiliation that makes the best story can be hard to come to terms with as young writers who feel too exposed to attempt or feel comfrotable with getting down in the nitty-gritty and writing about what really makes you vulnerable. Pushing writers to expose themselves can bring great results, but at the same time, it can be incredibly difficult if you aren’t ready to give up a story or secret that isn’t ready to be uncovered. Personally, there are several instances that would work well in stories I would tell, but I feel are too personal or embarrassing that I’m unwilling to let others see yet, even if it’s been a while since it happened. Humiliation does make for a great story, but personally, I find that a story that makes me laugh or stories based on funny mishaps or incidents as well as stories that are about overcoming and that inspire others could also be just as enticing a story to readers.
Personally, as a writer, I’m very protective and shy about sharing my work with others (though I find workshopping and receiving feedback on my work from a fresh point of view very helpful) and I find it very difficult to share my work even with my own family (even when they badger me about it). I admit, I do find the idea of writing under anonymous or with a pseudonym enticing because you don’t have to receive critical judgment from your family or other people you know (You wrote this? It sucks, where did you come up with this garbage?) and allows you to write without penalty of revealing your identity unless you choose and keeps the stress of writing not something perfect and being a failure at bay. What if they hate it? Constantly echoes through my mind when I write and consider submitting a piece to be published or just to be shown to someone for critique, but if we want to be true to ourselves as humans and successful writers, isn’t that the risk we take when writing?
I really enjoyed reading this as it was basically a step by step guide with seemingly easy instructions on how to hopefully get published in 5 weeks, although it's easier said than done. I think happiness can sell but not quite as much as the juicy turmoil or crazy experiences that might be sad since that's what I think a reader will remember about a story. I also think that if a whole story is just about good stuff that happened in your life with no down parts or struggle then your story would be pretty boring since there is no conflict and no resolve to the conflict that you're going through. If you write a story about living in the woods and how great it is, cool. But if along the way a bear with 2 cubs came near your cabin or your tent then now you have an action packed and thrilling story since a mama bear could kill you in just about a heartbeat in order to protect her cubs. I think with terms of anonymity it can really go both ways as if your anonymous in your writing you can say what you want without it being connected to your actual name but with todays technology it will only be a matter of time until your real name is likely put out there as an author and if you decide to use your real identity it could be tough especially if you talk about subjects that can be seen as controversial and it will always be connected to your actual name so it can be tough to really open up but I think it would be better to probably use a fake name as and author especially if you're just starting out so that way if a story absolutely flops with a fake name then you can learn from your mistakes with the writing you published then go back and publish a better piece with your real name.
ReplyDeleteAs a response to the questions asked above, “As writers, how do we grapple with the personal made public?. . . Can any person be effective in this mode of expression, or does it take a boldness in personality and performance to succeed?” I think those are great questions to ask considering that as writers we have to be vulnerable with our writing all the time. I think bringing a deep piece of ourselves to our writing is what connects us on such a level that draws readers in. Just like what Shapiro said in her writing, “Writing usually becomes much richer when you focus on your vulnerability and explore your regrets and struggles” (13). I think the richness and realness of who we truly are is that connecting agents to the people and world around us.
ReplyDeleteI like to people watch, especially when I’m at cafe’s and what I’m usually thinking about is what are their stories? What is something they are dealing with right now that could be an interesting story to know?
I believe each and every person struggles with something and to understand that we all have deep, emotional stories to share. I think that is what Shapiro grapples with when she writes about what we should be sharing as writers. As hard as it is to write about something so emotional, or soul gripping- I think that’s when you receive the biggest reward not only for yourself for being vulnerable but for the readers that read something so personable.
I’m also a psych major so I think people sharing such intimate stories about their lives are what helps them heal, so writing in general is effective in every area of life. I think the quote added by Joan Didion in the text is a great reminder of that, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking” (19). Thinking is a great pathway into the mind of the unconscious and whatever we’re thinking might be a result of past experiences we’ve gone through, so again working out those thoughts onto a page might bring out a piece of our unconscious we didn’t know was there.
Chloe, I agree that the way this reading was set up (with numbered lists and tasks) was a great guide to the subject. I could see myself in the future checking through this list when evaluating a piece that I've written. Yet, I don't think that you need to follow all of these "rules" strictly in order to have a publishable piece. Like the discussion about if happiness can sell, I think that the overall guidance that you have to write about gritty, humiliating stuff all of the time is a little too harsh. Maybe if you're looking to grab an editor's attention as an unknown author, yes, but exclusively having to read other people's hardships all of the time sounds exhausting. There needs to be good with the bad. And I don't think writing about happy subjects will automatically make your reader hate you, but if you frame yourself as a perfect person with the perfect life, then what are you even writing about? It's all about balance, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI think the hardest part of writing the humiliating or traumatizing parts of your life is putting it out into the world with confidence. Having your name on something like that can be hard, not only for you but your family and close friends too. Last year, in a poetry workshop, we were tasked with writing a poem about something personal, and I wrote it about my brother's death. But it was the first time I had approached writing about the topic knowing that other's would read it and discuss it in front of me. This made me nervous, and when I was done writing the poem, I went back and edited out some lines that explicitly explained the situation. I was scared to share such a sore subject with others, but also I was scared I would make other's uncomfortable with this vulnerability. Because of this, I tip-toed around the hard subject matter in the poem, making vague statements about my brother and my father and though my class appreciated some of the lines for their poeticism, overall the consensus was that it was too vague, slightly confusing, and didn't grip them. I think when writing about these hard topics, you have to have confidence in yourself and your audience. Also, maybe there are things that you aren't ready to write about publicly yet, and that's okay.
Like many of you, I also find myself mostly agreeing with and following Shapiro's logic in including, perhaps, the more "real" moments of vulnerability and strife that are universal human experiences. As for the first proposed question, whether happiness can sell, I wouldn't go as far as saying it does not sell at all, but I would wager that it fares better when "accompanied by struggle, loss, or heartache". I say this because I believe one can derive some element of good out of bad, whether it's a life lesson learned from struggle, or simply a direct ascent from a time of struggle. Regardless, I believe that in order to effectively "sell" a non-fiction narrative, one must include the good and bad experiences, while not embellishing either.
ReplyDeleteIf an author publishes something, it is out of their hands at some point. We, as writers, cannot stand behind the shoulders of our readers and explain things or reason with them about why we wrote what we did. The creative process is just as much the reader's as it is the writer's, although the writer sets the whole thing in motion. In a non-fiction setting, however, the writer has the final say or authority, because often the events relayed in the writing are true events the writer directly experienced. This gives the writer a unique position of credibility, simply because what they are writing is deemed to be true by the reader. Because of this, the inclusion of real events, both good and bad, is no less valued or valid than the events of any other human experience, so to embellish or only focus on one emotion in order to "sell" your human experience through writing, you are depriving not only yourself, but the reader also, of a genuine emotional re-telling of an event that actually occurred. In short, I believe including both the times of happiness and the times of sadness are integral when writing a non-fiction piece, but we have to obey the laws of reality too. Sometimes the reality is that we are only happy or only sad or only struggling with little to no understanding of how or why it matters, but the beauty of reality is the fact that we do not have to sell it to others, because odds are, they probably can resonate at some broader level, at the very least, they too have emotional ups and downs in their life, as we all do; human nature, in short. That does not mean, however, that we cannot or should not tailor our writing to have a certain effect on a certain audience.
On another note, upon reading Shapiro's article and the blog post, I found myself recalling the genre of tragedy, and catharsis. I believe negative emotions (struggle, loss, heartache), are very good at drawing an audience in so they can resonate with a character's plight, or human experience. Through the tragedy of the character, the audience can purge themselves of any negative emotion they might have. I would also argue that being vulnerable as writers, and writing about particularly emotionally-charged subject matter in a non-fiction setting can also be cathartic, for both the reader and the writer. I would be interested to talk more about this idea, as it is an incomplete thought.
I really enjoyed reading Shapiro's article and it really opened up my perspectives on how to write efficiently. Prior to this, I had little to no guidance to how i choose to write my pieces and this guide is really helpful and it seems like the rest of the class can agree with me on this.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up a really good question. Can happiness sell? Well to some extent, yes. However, unfortunately the world we live in now is not as pretty as it seems. I think most people would want to look at the negative sides of things more than the positive, especially when it happens to someone else! Why? Because it makes for a good story, and it is something that can be talked about with friends and families over dessert and things like that.
However, that does not mean that stories with happy-endings do not deserve to be out there for readers to read. That also does not mean that people do not focus on the positive side of things. i guess it is all up to each and everyone else's preferences. Some people tend to lean towards happiness and colorful stories, while others do not. That is what makes us all unique after all!
After reading this article i agree that I love Shapiro's take on writing outside of your comfort zone. It is always nice to read something or watch something every once in a while that brings you happiness so in that way I do feel that ahppiness sells. However, look at the predictability that that kind of literature or film can bring. We all know how it ends, boy gets girl, they all live happily ever after ect. These things are relatable to a point. i just feel like looking at lifes imperfections is even more relatable in a way. It's about a human talking to other humans about beieng human. Because we all make mistakes and the more that we begin to accept that the more we can appreciate one another. It also helps others who find shame in something that they may have done and when they realize they aren't the only one it provides releif!
ReplyDeleteWith the second question I think the answer can be both. I think it can be easier for a "bold" person to put themselves out there, but criticism always lurks and everyone has doubts and fears when it comes down to putting yourself out there. I also think that people who don't consider themselves bold can come to learn a comfortability with doing this. It will take time but when you open yourself up to feedback and get positive responses that can really build confidence within sharing any sort of writing with the public.
I also agree that the list format is potentially useful, but I think it should definitely be used more as a guideline than a strict set of rules. As for the first question, I think the article is, at least in part, biased towards a more literary audience, as most personal essays are being published in more literary publications. And I've noticed that within literary circles, there's an extreme bias towards unhappiness, doom and gloom, and downright depressing stories. I think this bias is at least partially connected to the idea that quote unquote "real" art must be about suffering. Of course, I'm not swinging to the opposite extreme and saying that all stories about suffering are bad. However, I do think it's important to talk about the extreme emphasis that literary communities place on suffering and tragedy.
ReplyDeleteAs for the second question, while I do think it's easier for bold people to write very personal work, I think anyone can do it when writing on the right topic. For instance, I don't really feel comfortable writing about other people, particularly in nonfiction, but I'm more than comfortable talking about my own personal struggles with various things! So while I might push myself out of my comfort zone a little, and incorporate a conversation into a piece, I find my work is far better when I don't push myself too far out of said comfort zone! Otherwise, it's very easy to censor yourself, especially if you feel super uncomfortable while writing the piece.
These comments you made really resonated with me, "It takes deeply knowing and reflecting on one’s self to be able to write a compelling personal narrative, and, "As writers, how do we grapple with the personal made public?" I think about these topics a lot and the fact that the reading surrounded these questions and begged them to be considered made me feel seen and heard as a writer. I mean I know I must not be the only one who contemplates these topics as a writer, but just reading it from someone else and knowing others are reading the same content creates a feeling of connectedness and room for openness in my opinion. Connecting with my personal life used to come so naturally, and honestly I thoroughly enjoyed digging deeper into my life and thinking through my experiences and how they have shaped my life. But in recent years the passing of my sister and other personal traumatic experiences have made it difficult for me to think about my personal life or confront pain, difficulties, and etc. So naturally not being willing or feeling equipped to address my personal life has made it even more difficult for me to attempt and share it with the public let alone contemplate it myself.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I absolutely loved how organized and bluntly illustrated the reading was! I am a process of elimination thinker, so when content is spaced out, well organized, and has an obvious flow it facilitates my learning in a very productive way! Shapiro is a great first read! Not only the organization, but the content was very considerate of a plethora of identities which I admired!
Can happiness sell? This question has me thinking deeply. I'm personally not sure how I feel about this. I mean I know that happiness can sell, authors have done it before, but is it most effective? I feel that there always needs to be some "realness" so to say, in order to balance the positive with reality, and the reality is no ones life is perfect. There are always factors, experiences, and struggles that individuals must go through to reach their happiness or to form it. Because of this I would say that it doesn't necessarily have to be painful or negative information that goes along with the happiness, but definitely truthful and sincere content that addresses how the writer got this space of happiness. In my personal experience, I rarely find myself naturally choosing to write about happy moments. This is usually because I use writing as a way to process through my difficulties or negative experiences. I like to make people feel heard, accepted, validated, and seen in their experiences throughout life even if they are harder subjects to confront. Because of this my pieces tend to address conflicts in society, hurts in love, abuse, poverty, and so on. This read has been helpful because it has urged me to consider how I address writing about happiness and also to consider attempting to write about my happiness more. Just as only writing about happiness can be overwhelming on the other hand so can only writing about sad or hurtful content. There is always a balance needed, not only to connect with the reader but also to show that you as the writer are "real" and invested.
After reading this article, I can definitely see Shapiro's tips on writing a good nonfiction piece as being a helpful guide to improving your work. Her remarks on the importance of vulnerability in a non fiction piece were very insightful and are certainly something to keep in mind while writing. As Sawyer already mentioned, I found the section on showing then telling to be very intriguing after always being told to only show in my writing. I can see how a good balance of the two can be helpful for a story, though I can't help but to hold on to my attachment to the belief that showing is the more important of the two.
ReplyDeleteAs for the question about whether or not happiness sells, I think that it may to an extent. Though I do not believe that happiness could sell on its own and probably should be accompanied with struggle, loss, or heartache. I think that without a struggle, the happiness cannot be fully realized. You simply aren't learning or taking away as much from something that doesn't have a conflict to learn from. This is a horrible example, but I can't help but to think of YouTubers who create "inspirational" morning routine videos where they simply show off their own success and happiness. These videos come off as bland, detached, and devoid of any struggle because they are sharing a piece of their life that has none. Again, terrible example and I'm so sorry. But yes, I believe that happiness cannot be sold (at least not very well) alone and must be accompanied by a struggle in order for a reader/viewer to get something out of what they are reading or seeing.
For the next question, I think that grappling with the personal made public really just comes down to having a deep understanding of yourself and being at peace with sharing a slice of the understanding with the world. However, I also feel as though there are some things that you just aren't ready to share with the world and that this is also okay. I definitely think that anyone can use this mode of expression and that the amount of time it takes for a piece using this mode of expression to be shared with the public simply varies depending on each individual person.