Blog #9 Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird

"Perfectionism"
After reading two chapters from Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird, I think it is safe to say that she is onto something in her lesson on informing readers how to write. I especially enjoyed her emphasis in saying that striving to be perfect isn't going to get you too far. She even claims that in one's efforts to be perfect it can actually hurt their writing. She notes, "Perfectionism is one way our muscles cramp. In some cases we don't even know that the wounds and the cramping are there, but both limit us" (30). I find this statement to be very true. Writers and students in general are held to such high standards that sometimes we forget that a mistake is acceptable. Not only a mistake, but also sometimes guidelines are so strict that it leaves little room for creativity. I enjoy how she acknowledged, "What people somehow (inadvertently, I'm sure) forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here-and, by extension, what we're supposed to be writing" (32). I particularly enjoyed this chapter.

"Looking Around"
This chapter served as a lesson to be more aware of your surroundings to enhance writing. I like how she acknowledged that in order to be a stronger writer, one must sort of separate themselves from their own bias. She also points out how we are all sort of in our own world, writing, "The conscious mind seems to block that feeling of oneness so we can function efficiently, maneuver in the world a little bit better, get our taxes done on time" (99). If we could all just try a little harder to understand and except each other, it seems the world would be better.