Is this Madness or Creative Process?
The Many Voices of My Creative Soul - Another Writing Experiment
In my previous post Discover Your Multi-Voice I explored the idea that instead of ‘finding our voice’, we should develop our full vocal range through developing a range of authentic voices, aka a multi-voice. This set me to wondering what my own multi-voice might be like. I’m currently challenging myself to experiment with different writing voices & styles, so I got playful and wrote this piece of craziness:
What can I say about myself?
Well, my mind is an amusement park of weirdos and wise gals who love to play tug of war with my heart and hijack my words when I try to write. (Gotta love them!) They battle it out to grab my attention, have their say and out-shout each other. Generally, I let them at it, because when they all make their points and counterpoints, their petty poutings and paradoxical pronouncements, somehow a deeper sense of truth rises from the complexity and chaos. That's my creative process. It's messy, but on a good day things come together, and shazam, I'm spinning with the thrill of discovery... ahh, the addictive joy of creativity and wonder.
Let me introduce... my many voices
First, there's Super-Sirius who wants to mend everyone's heart, solve global crises and usher in world peace. If only she could kiss everything better. Super-Sirius is the good girl, the goody good gal. But she's so heavy, without the others.
Super-Sillyus is next, and she's always plotting shenanigans. Ever play-fool, she lives for fun and doesn't care what anyone thinks (or does she?) In her silliness, she's often the wisest of all.
There are the twins, Dystopi, 'Oh no, oh woe, the world's plummeting toward diabolical disaster', and Utopi, 'Everything's coming up roses and heaven on earth is just round the corner.' (As you can see the twins are cliche ridden!) There's also a resident atheist, and her more spiritual cousin, the believer and the disbeliever.
Wonder Woman is in there too. No, not the voluptuous beauty in red and gold corset, mini-skirt and cape. But the gal who loves to wonder about everything, to Wow! and Why? her way through life. She's a definite favourite of mine. Then there's Ms Vulnerable and Lil' Miss Sensitive, ever shrinking away from that dreaded shape-shifter, FEAR. But Ms Brave is growing up and flexing her muscles too. And there's others you'll meet along the way like Saffi, Piper, Wild Annie and Hugo.
They all come and go, masked and unmasked, depending on the issue and depending on their mood. They're all me and they're all not me, my own multi-voice of wondering and questioning and pursuing what matters, or what doesn't. Perhaps you'll recognize yourself too, somewhere in the mix.
So, what do you think? Am I a bit crazy, or can you relate to any of this in your own creative process?
Childhood Crazy?
As a child I was invited to a fancy dress party and Mum could not figure out how to dress me. So, she came up with the idea of turning me into a crazy mixed-up kid. One side of my head was a black plaited half-wig (where did Mum even get that from?), the other side my normal blonde. My clothes were completely mismatched, along with odd shoes and socks. I think there was some crazy make-up involved as well. Around my neck I wore a sign, hand-written by my mother:
Tried to think what I could be
Couldn’t for the life of me
Not even for a thousand quid
I’m just a crazy mixed-up kid
(I actually remember that!)
Unfortunately, there is no photo evidence, but the memory is etched deep. I sometimes wonder if the power of those words scarred me, turned me into a crazy mixed-up adult. (I don’t really think that, but there has to be some explanation.)
Incase you’re seriously worried about the confusion in my head, though, I should clarify that some of the voices I’ve described above are me from the past, while others are more resonant with who I am today. A few move with my mood. I don’t really think I am those characters, but taking on the various personas does help me to weave multiple perspectives and tones into my creative work. Each voice has something to add to the conversation, so I let them speak. But in the end I look to my deeper, wiser, divinely connected Self to sort it all out. She (mostly) keeps me sane and centred.
What is your creative process like? Anything unusual (a bit crazy even)? Please let me know in the comments.
This is such a fun way to describe all the elements of your Creative Soul. I would have similar elements in me without the clever names. Although … there is Mean Girl Regina.
I also refer to my “Creative Soul”.
I have a strong memory of my mother dressing up as a stick of licorice!
Thank you for sharing, Phoebe. I so much recognize myself in your posts! I have always had a lot of people in my head, there's a 6 year old girl, a romantic teenager, a goofy and joyful young adult, a man called Roger who is very blunt but sweet, a very flamboyant drag queen and lots of others.
I have Fear as well: she is a dolly faced girl with a blue backpack on her back as though she were coming back from school. She used to be very talkative but she's become more quiet these past few years.
Quite a while ago, I watched a series that was called "The United State of Tara" which told humorously the story of a schizophrenic woman who let all the characters in her head inhabit alternatively in her daily life. I so much recognize myself in that show. Lots of love.