What four words would you use to describe yourself?

Q&A With Shay Each Sunday

I think that having an understanding of ourselves helps us to be better writers, and also better people in general. The clearer we can see ourselves the more we will know our limitations, what sort of situations are harmful or counterproductive, and what we want to work to change. I have thought about my core personality traits, things I like and don’t like about myself. It doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll always describe myself this way, but who we are at one point certainly informs who we will become.

Q: What four words would you use to describe yourself?

A: Introspective: As I’ve said many times now, I struggle with shyness, and I was diagnosed selective mute when I was younger. I am not selective mute anymore, but it will always be a part of who I am. Introverts and those who are quiet tend to naturally be more introspective. This is one of my strongest qualities, even if at times I wish I could be more outgoing or have an easier time speaking to people, my introspection is one of the things that makes me a good writer. I listen, observe, and think.

Thoughtful: Somewhat related to introspection, I am a deep thinker. But to expand on that, I also think about others and their feelings and situations to a—sometimes—frustrating degree. I am deeply impacted by cruelty in the world, especially as it relates to animals. I often feel very upset for others, even if I don’t know how they are feeling about the situation. Sometimes I wish I could turn it off and not think about what affects me—as it affects others, but I can’t. And I can only assume this impacts my writing in the same way my introspection does, because I can tap into emotions. When creating characters, their emotions are what make them real.

Fearful: I’ve mentioned I have a lot of anxiety, and specifically social anxiety. I am a pretty careful and even calculated person. This might not be entirely evident, but just as I think and introspect deeply, I become afraid by my OVERthinking. I am afraid of a lot of things, and I don’t mean surface fears (though sometimes very real) like snakes or spiders—though I’m pretty afraid of those, too. I mean deeper fears about myself, those around me, the world, the future.

Tenacious: I rarely give up on things even when I want to. If it’s something I really want enough I will keep pushing to achieve it. I have had to think about this more accurately over the years because at times I had “given up” but it was when I realized the thing I had given up on wasn't serving me in any way, or helping me to be the person I wanted to be. In a sense, I had to be tenacious in recognizing that and acting accordingly. However, if it comes to something I work really hard for, and something I know will be positive for me, then I persist. I think most writers have to have a pretty solid amount of tenacity, because it’s one of those things where you have to keep pushing through negativity (especially in your thoughts of yourself), rejection, and a very long and frustrating process.

I’d love to know what four words you think describe you! Please connect with me to discuss!