Apparently, I'm a VIB

I have been tagged for the Very Inspiring Blogger award by Carrie Bailey. This has thrown me somewhat because if anything, I'm inspired by her. She's more committed to the craft of writing than anyone I know and goes out of her way to share her enthusiasm in an effort to inspire others to put words on paper. She's a better writer than I am, she's more prolific than I am and she's more than happy to not only support but enable my massive SPAM addiction. She's also a talented artist. Needless to say, I fantasize constantly about running away and marrying her.

This award comes with an obligation to list seven unknown facts about myself. This is also difficult because after over eight uninterrupted years of blogging (nearly 1800 posts), I'm not sure there are seven unknown facts about me. So some of these may be recycled. If you're willing to dig through everything posted here since 2006 for the sake of calling me out on repeating myself, feel free. That would be a well-earned victory. Otherwise, in no particular order...

• It takes a lot to earn my trust and very little to lose it - Yep. Consider it a shortcoming if you like but I rarely get burnt twice.
• I have no patience for self-declared wannabe creatives - "I wish I had the time and the supportive environment and the necessary resources to write". Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up. Write. Or play your guitar or paint or sculpt or whatever it is you do. Nobody I know has everything lined up perfectly to allow them to be creative whenever they want but they find a way to make it happen. You know who else is busy and/or has serious real-life obligations that they can't ignore? Literally everybody. Don't act like you're the only person who faces obstacles and that it's a crime that the universe is being denied the beauty of your gift because of it. That's lazy and frankly, insulting to those who are able to figure it out somehow. Shut up. You're wasting our time and the time you could be using to do something besides bitch. Writers write. Ultimately, it really is that simple. Shut your time-wasting mouth and start writing. Or just shut up. 

  

  This plant laughs at you and your pathetic excuses.

• I like to work alone - I don't mind collaborating but just about every time I do, there's a point where I get impatient or frustrated and wish I'd done everything myself. At least that way, I have nobody to blame but myself if the results are disappointing. I think I like the idea of working with others more than actually doing it.
• I have a deep-seated fear of running out of things to do - The day there isn't a 'next' pile is the day I don't have a reason to wake up. That's the primary reason I say yes to almost everything and take on more projects than I should.
• I observe holidays and birthdays by myself - I don't have a family or a lot of friends who want me around for special occasions. This used to bother me a lot, to the point of being depressed about it. Somewhere along the line, that stopped being the case. I don't know why but it did. Now it doesn't bother me in the least.
• I am extremely self-conscious - I struggle to the point of being almost incapacitated in situations where attention is focused on me, unless I have a fair amount of control over the situation.
• I don't enjoy SPAM nearly as much as Carrie Bailey thinks I do - I mean, it's not the worst thing I've ever eaten but it's not going to be the first thing I order off the menu, and I do frequent the kind of restaurant that would have SPAM on the menu. I'll go along with just about anything Carrie wants, though.

Well, wasn't that fun? Weeee!

Anyway, another part of this award is recognizing other writers, so here are some people doing strange, beautiful, weird, wonderful things:

• Ronny Elliott
• Molly Field
• Jeff Hickmott
• Erin Kane Spock
• Michael Noble
• and of course, Carrie Bailey