If you don't know what slef indulgence is, you're not Catholic. Sorry, that reads much funnier to me than it does when I say it out loud. I asked my Catholic friend why that is (rather I just e-mailed the like "if you don't know what self indulgence is, you're not catholic" to him) and he says it's because the term I'm thinking of is Plenary Indulgence which was a completely different thing, though when I look it up it looks rather similar. But I digress. Self indulgence, in terms of writing, painting, other forms of artistic skulldrugery, Is that stuff people do not for money, not for artistic brilliance, not because they think it's important, but just because they bloody well feel like doing it. Writing a story on why Hitler was evil can be inspiring. Writing a story on how great I am is just self indulgence. But it has a purpose! I like being a writer because I can start sentences with but when any english teacher would freak and rip his or her hair out. Again, digression. The purpose of indulgence is simple. It clears the head. When I'm writing a long novel and I have writers block (insert picture here) I can spin off one of these little indulgent pieces of feccal matter and go right back to the page. Also they're fun. If I may digress for a minute (and if you don't want me to then I suggest you re-write this article at home and cut it out), you're probably wondering why I suddenly think of myself as a writer. Or rather, if you're one of my friends, you're shaking your head, rolling your eyes and saying things like "I wonder what he will call himself next". Well jokes on you! I've been writing since grade 7. Just didn't know that's what I was doing. When I was littler it was short stories. Then I started doing little scripts (which would have worked wonderously on radio had radio not been dead) that were published on my stupid dinky webpage. Then I moved on to essays and for a year wrote nothing but essays. I also stopped writing poetry (much to my friends releif I'm sure) and now I'm on to novels. Emily, bless her heart, knows that I've been working on a heck of a one for a year now and have so far re-writen the intro seven times. Nocels are hard, especially when you have a full time job, a full time school and a full time life. But it is who I am. So I think I'll just about wrap this up, because it was supposed to just be an intro page to my indulgence section. I seem to have turned it into my first real good rant in a while. So, enjoy my indulgences and I'll see you next time my mind is on the fritz. Love, Doctor |