Daring to be seen

(image by Freepik, www.freepik.com)

by Claire Bell (aka Claire Belberg)

Most of my current writing practice is keeping up my Facebook and Instagram author posts. Preparing them challenges me with constant deadlines and finding worthwhile content that reflects something of myself as a writer. I’m not a scroller (other than to find out news about friends) so there aren’t many repost opportunities that come spontaneously. I end up sharing quite a bit of my current life, from speaking opportunities to moving house to mental health tips learned by experience, to my growing experience of community.

When I first began to write for publication, I was nervous about being seen and interpreted by strangers. Writing with authenticity will inevitably reveal aspects of our character and attitudes. Authenticity requires a measure of vulnerability. This enables connection with readers and gives opportunity for the Christian writer to be light to the world. I have heard that authenticity is a primary value in today’s world. It’s something we crave in a world of fake that the internet unfortunately enables. 

Being seen by strangers also brings risk. Not every reader is non-judgemental, careful with their words, and willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. We’re all aware of ‘trolls’, social media responders that seem to delight in casting aspersions and tearing people down. Even worse, genuine readers might see attitudes in me that I don’t see in myself, or that I had hoped no one else would see. Further, readers are interpreters. What if they interpret me through lenses that distort the truth about me?

So here I am 15 years later, writing about my life and my struggles in public posts. How did I come to this, and without angst? I’m not really sure! But I see the work of God in it, and marvel. I think it began as a gentle learning curve with the first two published novels and the promotional work that came with them. The curve became steeper when I decided to put my poetry about my experience of my parents’ dementias into public hands. Since Unravelling: Loving my Parents through Dementia was published nearly two years ago, I have shared more of my personal story in a number of public talks and workshops. The telling of these stories has become part of my sense of who I am. I have discovered more connection with strangers (‘friends I haven’t met yet,’ as someone described them) because I’m more willing to write and talk about my ups and downs openly.

(image credit: rawpixel.com at www.freepik.com)

There are a lot of kind and gracious readers out there. I’m grateful that I can dare to be seen. My life is the richer in community and connection because of it. 

Claire Bell writes from the Adelaide Hills where she lives with her husband. She writes poetry, creative nonfiction, devotional articles and short stories, and has published two speculative YA novels and a collection of poems wrangling her parents' dementias. She also edits Stories of Life. Her Facebook and Instagram handle is 'Claire Belberg author' and her occasional blog is The Character Forge, www.clairebelberg.wordpress.com