I found my writing self in one word.
Continuing from this blog post last week, I needed to find myself after losing my domain name. I needed to redefine myself.
I found myself in one word: funky.
Since you’re visiting this site, you’re smart enough to realize that through the name.
Now, I don’t mean “funky” in that dank, musty way. I’m talkin’ funky in that cool, hip and trendy “play that funky music” way.
I don’t know when I first used that word to describe me, but it’s been a part of my identity for years and years. Dare I say decades? Yes, I dare: the word funky has been a part of me for years. It became obvious to me when I wrote for the now-defunct Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine. In 2014, I used it freely to describe the art techniques and projects I wrote about:
“Don’t worry about minutiae; the date, time and location are saved in the funky ePostmark with customizable postage stamps.”
I found it again in the next issue:
“[Scrapbookers] are already journaling in your daily life. It’s this funky little thing called social media.”
At that point, I boldly challenged myself to insert the word “funky” into every 750-word article I wrote. My topics included Zentangle, scrapbook journaling, art supplies and creating mini albums from paper bags and empty toilet paper rolls. Given that variety, I found ways.
“After adding photos and journaling, you can keep these multi-day events as individual albums or bind them together as one funky, vacation-themed album.”
“Use [paint swatches] to create fun and funky mini-albums.” This 2015 example appeared as the article’s subtitle.
Did anyone else notice my Hitchcock-esque signature word? It was my signature word, to me anyway.
Which brings me back to conclude my domain dilemma. What do I call my new self? Reinvent. Refocus. Refresh. Renew. It must be relevant yet quirky. Professional yet whimsical. Identifying yet mysterious. Enticing yet polished. Obvious but unknown.
That word is funky. Not that word itself is funky, but the word itself is “funky.”
Can you relate? Do you have a word like that? I hope so, because it’s fun and funky to have one.
