Exploring and Finding What You Like In The Process

I am going to let you all in on a little secret...

I am finding myself liking to write more and more.

It was not supposed to be this way. I stumbled into writing, more or less, to keep my mind agile and to provide something to do in between job applications and job searches. It still does all of that for me, but now too, it opens a lot of little doors for me and gives me room to try different things.

I always was somewhat of an explorer. After all, I have always wanted to be an archaeologist and teach others about different cultures and global issues. At the same time, I did not want to be confined to one subject area. The interdisciplinary linkages between history and science drew me in, and that's where I found myself, exploring the great divide between subjects, between halves of the mind.

Now, I find myself doing the same thing as a writer. In the past few years, I've blogged, written a book review for an anthropology journal, edited for a science association newsletter, completed some freelance writing on all sorts of topics from math to archaeological sciences (to a diversity of predetermined by the editor topics). I have performed research, learned how embedded hyperlinks work, and how to insert comments and track changes.

In the process, I have explored different academic subjects and genres of writing, and have found not only another way I enjoy exploring, but have explored a little bit of what makes me who I am and do things that I do. I do not like to be confined; I live to be free. I love switching between editing someone else's work and writing my own. I like how I can be reading about the life of a biochemist one minute, then being able to write about algebraic concepts the next. The freedom of writing themes, topics, and styles helps me dabble, as I am not relying exclusively on writing to pay the bills, but maybe someday, I will.

So, now, I think when asked, I'll say that I am not only an anthropologist who is looking for employment, but a novice writer too. That said, this summer's goal is to get started on a book idea I've been sitting on for more than 2 years and watching idly as it evolved in my notebook from an article to something more. It's something a self-proclaimed writer I tutor with encouraged me about doing the other day when he was getting me to open up about what I think about. It only seems fitting to explore this interdisciplinary topic academically, intertwining my academic discipline of anthropology, with something I am finding myself more able to do and did not give thought to before, writing. Not to mention, it has bothered me sitting on this and not doing something about it beyond bookmarking websites and articles on my computer for use as a guide for writing proposal letters or as an academic source to reference.

Anyways, sometimes, a blog post has to be a little introspective I guess. Hope you've had a nice weekend and find some way to explore this week. Thanks for helping me find a new niche for myself over the past year or so. I've learned so much from you all (as I explore more or less uncharted waters myself), and I definitely look forward to learning more!

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