So I just watched the DVD of my studio's dance recital, in which I performed my first ever ballet and tap routines. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, but all in all it wasn't nearly as clumsy a performance as I'd feared. I'm better now, anyway, and I'll do better in the June recital. I'd better--I have an eight count chene and arabesque all to myself so I'd better not make myself look like a fool. My instructor says my arabesque is the highest she's ever seen.

Bet no one knew I could do that!

I didn't even realize until just now that it is in fact my DAnniversary. I fought really hard to remember the first day I was on this site. I have the feeling this is not where I thought I would be this many years later. I think I had a feeling that I would be logging into DA from a new apartment, put together and lovely...

...not a twitching, shuddering wreck on a sofa in someone else's house, mainlining caffeine and completely whacked out from playing too many hours of Portal.

DREAM BIG!

See, I'm not the only one:

"Putting 50,000 words in nonrandom order in 30 days makes you a 'writer' in exactly the same sense that changing a hundred lightbulbs makes you an electrician."

- Sean Lindsay

[link]

Don't forget to check out the Demotivators.

And CHEER UP, EMO KIDS!

My cat died, and I quickly poured myself some gin.
Did she die from old age or was it for my sins?
God I loved her oh so much, miss her little kitty touch.
Does she miss me? Does she care? Oh I miss her kitty stare.

(Ding-Dong, Nellie McKay)

I can not believe that it actually says on the website for something called "National Novel Writer's Month" that it's "all about quantity, not quality". That's awful. Awful.

How can anyone who considers themself a writer or artist honestly subscribe to something that "forces you to lower your expectations"? That celebrates "abandon" instead of care? Writing is a gift, a talent--you have to practice to make it perfect, and there is always room to learn, but don't just go treating it like everyone can do it. Because everyone can't do it. And that isn't me being elitist or bitchy. It is just a fact.

Writing, like art, like dance, like analytical skill with numbers, is a type of magic. It's a person's own personal alchemy. It's the purest form of them that there is. It's something that comes from inside of them. And when people go around cheapening someone else's magic, that hurts. That's not just insulting to the thaumaturgist. It's impolite to the entire universe.

I'm just plain sick of this "everybody gets a trophy day" mentality. You know what, kiddies? Not everyone is good at everything. Sometimes you have to hone your talent. You have to practice it! You have to work at it! Not just vomit fifty thousand words onto Microsoft Office in thirty days so you can call yourself some kind of Internet hero. Why don't you just sit your ass right down in line behind that kid who defended Britney Spears and the Numa-Numa guy?

Straight from the website in bold:

"Make no mistake. You will be writing a lot of crap."

Yes. Yes, you will.

"And that's a good thing."

No. No, it's not.

The reason the universe is in the sorry state it's in is because human beings have made it their primary directive to celebrate mediocrity. This isn't being creative. This is a joke. It's a travesty.

No effing thanks. I'll be over here, with the small contigency of people left in the universe who still care enough to do things well. To do them to the very best of our ability.

/endrant