It got me thinking “tell me about your verbs” is also valuable and much overlooked these days. What are you doing? Is a good question for us. Not what do you think about or how do you see yourself but what are you actually making or destroying? And also not just “doing” in your leisure time, but in terms of daily life. Just a thought and it leads towards questioning the idea that we are “doing something” when we live for an identity. This is a bit like “don’t tell me what you think you are, tell me what you do”. Or as the old GSA motto said “by their work shall ye know them”. In art school it was – this expression – a way to sort out those who talked a good game from those who were actually good artists.
It's been very interesting seeing the responses to my Fruitmarket survey which asks "describe your identity" - some answer with their profession, some with protected characteristics, some with a fairly existential musing.
Well written and thought provoking piece. I never really thought of myself, at least consciously, in the nouns with which I identify, except that of mother. I do photography. I work as a therapist. My list goes on. But what happens when one of my nouns changes? Is it chipped away from my identity? I'm moving towards closing my therapy practice. Where does that noun, that part of me, go?
My asocial-ness went through a pretty obstinate phase where I'd write "Job title. Pastimes. Descriptive and engaging sign off" which turned out to be highly intriguing to the wrong sort of person.
Excellent.
It got me thinking “tell me about your verbs” is also valuable and much overlooked these days. What are you doing? Is a good question for us. Not what do you think about or how do you see yourself but what are you actually making or destroying? And also not just “doing” in your leisure time, but in terms of daily life. Just a thought and it leads towards questioning the idea that we are “doing something” when we live for an identity. This is a bit like “don’t tell me what you think you are, tell me what you do”. Or as the old GSA motto said “by their work shall ye know them”. In art school it was – this expression – a way to sort out those who talked a good game from those who were actually good artists.
It's been very interesting seeing the responses to my Fruitmarket survey which asks "describe your identity" - some answer with their profession, some with protected characteristics, some with a fairly existential musing.
Well written and thought provoking piece. I never really thought of myself, at least consciously, in the nouns with which I identify, except that of mother. I do photography. I work as a therapist. My list goes on. But what happens when one of my nouns changes? Is it chipped away from my identity? I'm moving towards closing my therapy practice. Where does that noun, that part of me, go?
My asocial-ness went through a pretty obstinate phase where I'd write "Job title. Pastimes. Descriptive and engaging sign off" which turned out to be highly intriguing to the wrong sort of person.