Looking back over this year, I see many changes in how and what I write. One of the biggest differences is why I write. I have learned so much this pass year, not only about myself, but about others. Or at least my perception of them. All I can offer is my opinions, I have no scientific results to share with you, but just observations.
When I first started writing it was out of need. I had to release the stories from my mind. Most of the time it was for my own enjoyment. I loved creative writing classes in school as well as my art classes, solely because I loved to express myself in that way. The freedom to let it out. Although my family and friends always seemed to enjoy my imaginations, it was when I received a "grade" on a story that it hit me. I could do something that other people enjoyed. I had a talent of sorts!
The arts are my first love on any level. I sing (cough), play piano and violin, and draw. Writing is what runs through my veins, however. I have come a long way since the writings of my childhood. I tucked my writing away for many years while I focused on having children. Not to say I didn't spin stories for their enjoyment. We had an on going story about "Johnny People". Unfortunately the Johnny People were very dumb. They would sit in the dark and wonder if they were blind because they were too dumb to turn on the lights, and other equally ridiculous things. Using these stories, I would teach my children common sense, and problem solving skills. They never had a clue they were learning things. They also had to pick a word they didn't know from the dictionary at breakfast, and at dinner time they had to use it in a sentence. We all learned a lot from that!