Hello reader. and welcome to my very first blog post!
Many years ago, when I was an impressionable 20-something, full of zest for life and a desire to be adventurous, I discovered a deep fascination for the city of Venice. It strikes me as such a beautifully unique city, with its remarkable architecture and Renaissance palaces, moonlit waterways lined with gondolas paddled by swarthy Italian men in their distinctive black & white-striped shirts, and the mysterious allure of its old world charm. Everything about it appeals to the romantic in me and perhaps that is why it seems to be the sort of place where my creative energies would spring to life.
In all honesty, as naturally drawn as I am to Venice’s rich culture and historical beauty, I think the image I have of myself sitting in the Piazza San Marco drinking a rich cup of coffee may have been influenced by a Woody Allen movie I saw a long time ago. I can’t recall the name of it and for the purpose of this story, I suppose it doesn’t really matter, but what I remember of it, Woody’s character is an aspiring writer who lives in a simply furnished loft in Venice with a window that overlooks a beautiful view of the city. The best feature of the room is a wooden desk with an old-timey typewriter, his character being one who, much like me, despises modern technology. He expresses his contempt for computers when he is criticized for using a typewriter, and although I’m not typically a fan of Woody Allen’s stammering, neurotic rants, that one instantly resonated with me . In fact, everything about that environment struck me as completely idyllic. I remember little else about that movie except that one particular scene, but it has been vividly burnt into my memory ever since.
For me, Venice represents creative awakening, a resurgence of prolific energies that I know are still buried deep inside my psyche somewhere, but have just been obscured by years of carelessness and neglect. As long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write, and I’ve had a sincere fascination with the English language (even the boring bits, like grammar and punctuation). I was just never confident enough in myself to make an earnest go of it, opting instead for safe, steady jobs instead of pursuing my creative ambitions. I always told myself that “one day” I would be a writer, but for one reason or another, I kept putting it off. I expect it was partly because I was scared to put myself out into the world in a way that would expose my vulnerabilities and potentially set me up for failure, but it was also largely due to the simple fact that I didn’t know where to start.
My friend Ed Harcourt once said to me, “If you want to be a writer, write”. Although at the time I felt his advice was overly simplistic and not taking into consideration the many potential pitfalls of being a writer, I’ve since realized that’s really the only way to go about it. Whether you decide to take a creative writing course, join a writing club, start a blog or just scribble your thoughts down in a journal, whatever you decide to do, just write. And if you’re anything like me, writing pretty much anything will reignite your passion for it and feed your soul.
As for Venice, it’s still just a fantasy, but one that I think about every day. My sister-in-law Debbie visited Venice last year, and she brought me back this snow globe. It sits on my dresser where I see it at least half a dozen times each day. It helps keep me going, when real life starts to feel a bit too mundane and ordinary.
Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be sipping a Bellini in my loft while my ink-stained fingers pound on the keys of my creaky old typewriter, or I’ll be strolling across a cobblestone path, on my way to see an Italian opera at the prestigious Teatro la Fenice. But for the time being, I’m happy just to write. Venice is after all, just a place to write. The act of writing is something you can do anytime for any reason, no matter who you are, where you live or how you feel.
I wish you the best of luck on your own writing journey and I encourage you to “just write”! I welcome your feedback, so should you have any topics in particular you may wish me to research or discuss, please let me know!
Quote of the Day: “Whether or not you write well, write bravely.” — Bill Stout
(*For more information on Venice, go to: http://www.venice-tourism.com/en/visit-venice.html)