The Joy of Wordsmithing: Stringing Old Words Together in New Ways
“I get excited about stringing old words together in new ways.”
Tell us something fun or interesting about yourself. That question has haunted me most of my life. It shines the spotlight on the respondent, and as an introvert, it results in instant anxiety. So with sweaty palms and that “deer in the headlights look,” I usually mumble something about work, my children, being from Jamaica, my love for running - any information that my anxious mind can grasp. In the mind of an over-thinker, nothing expressed is either fun or interesting but at least the conversion shifts to the next person, who hopefully is an extrovert.
Last weekend, as I was journaling, an interesting concept popped into my mind and I spent over an hour mulling it over, transitioned to another project, returned to polish it for another hour and leapt for joy when I was able to formulate the thought into a sentence that felt substantive and informative. It was the kind of joy that one would get with life events that the world promotes as exciting - getting roses, bunji-jumping, getting a promotion at work, winning a contest - yet, it wasn’t extravagant; it was quirky and simple and meaningful and joy-filled. Not the thing that you would normally brag about at a party or disclose at a conference table but I think that you should. We are all unique and the spaces that we occupy can benefit from our uniqueness.
Most writers are introverts because it is an art that is often done in solitude. We find joy in quiet moments of discovery. Wordsmithing is often done in those quiet moments but there is no need to keep it a secret. Proudly claim the thing that is fun to you or brings you joy - wordsmithing, birdwatching, collecting pens, visiting every unique coffee shop when traveling. So next time that I am asked to share something interesting about myself, my answer will be - I get excited about stringing old words together in new ways.
Janet is the author of 5 books, inducing Island Mindfulness: How to Use the Transformational Power of Mindfulness to Create an Abundant Life & The Heart and Soul of Black Women. Available on Amazon.
