Coffeebreak: A Play

I am making a new change to this blog. Not only will I not post things I write on my daily writing blog, I will only bother to talk about the posts that have particular significance for me, either because of their good quality or personal value. Posting everyday about my writing process is not only time consuming but likely unnecessary.

Coffeebreak: A Play
So why have I chosen this post to talk about? A number of reasons. After recieving one act plays in STAC, I decided I would make an attempt to write my own. I didn't go into this project with any ideas. I simply started writing, and this was the result.

One thing that's unusual about this play in comparison to the rest of my posts is that it's not particularly funny. Up until this point I had focused on writing humor, but this day, I simply wanted to write without that kind of restraint. That means that this writing is more personal, and thus, more vulnerable.

That's something I often have difficulty with when I make art. True and emotional art makes you very vulnerable. I am a very open person. Perhaps a little too open at times. Here's the thing though. I am perfectly capable of sharing my past traumas and emotional experiences, but I only feel comfortable doing so in hindsight, when I can fully understand the circumstances and forgive myself for my own behavior. In the heat of the moment, I don't like having my feelings shared and criticized.

On the other hand, writing this piece was actually quite cathartic for me. It's one of those pieces of art that you make because you really just have to get something out. I think I needed to release some things I've been feeling lately, and that's why this piece spontaneously appeared.

After I wrote this, I was scared. I knew I would have to post it on my blog. It wasn't like I was going to write a second entry and share that instead. Then I thought, why should I? It's definitely rough, but I think it's pretty decent and it has potential to be better if I ever make the effort to revise it.

The day after I wrote this, I felt very strange. The piece hung over me as both a burdon and a liberation. I had a number of apprehensions, but I was also happy to open the door to expressing deeper emotions, as opposed to thriving on the surface with shallow humor.

I think that much young writing about deep emotional issues often comes out as shallow, like you're trying too hard. This is why I've avoided it. What I see now though is that it only comes out shallow if you go in with the intention of making it emotionally complex. If it happens by accident, it seems much more genuine. It's sort of like acting in that way. If you act like you're sad, it sucks, but if you make yourself feel sad, it's great.

So now, I have brought more flexibility to my writing. I'm hoping that one day I will be able to skillfully combine humor and drama into a wonderful mix to represent the dramady that is our existence.