Finding What is True

In the beginning of my ICM writing course we were asked to create an identity for ourselves. We can pick a pseudo name or use the one inscribed upon our birth certificate. I chose to stick with my actual name in order to help create a presence for myself on the internet. It didn’t really matter what I wrote about, what mattered was my name can be searched showing an active twitter and blog. In my head, that’s what prospective jobs look for these days right? Now I am thinking I went about it all wrong, should I not have used my real name?

Professor Kalm, instructor of my ICM 506 writing course, wrote a very interesting module about Mark Twain and how this was chosen to be this writer’s pseudo name. This name corresponded with his occupation and the stories he wrote. He did not need his birth name to be a legitimate and praised writer, his technique and words did it for him. “When it came to the two words with which he closed much of what he wrote, he chose the words Mark and Twain to declare: here, in my words, and in the journey that you will take across them, is safe passage. Here is the truth.” Mark Twain obsessed and prided himself around writing what is true. His novels share what is true to him and this is the path which should be followed. He did not write to be recognized by his real name but to share the many thoughts and truths he experienced.

This is where I have gone wrong. I stuck with my birth name to connect my name to ideas I think other people want to hear and what will make me look good to the outside world. So far I have written pieces explaining myself in a general sense but now I need to look beyond the hobbies and academics to find what is true to me. Unlike Mark Twain I have not had real-world experience with love and passion for a career. I am a few steps behind and need to start slow to find exactly what is true.

Mark Twain had many words to share but one of the first things he learned while writing is to write them down then edit. Writing is a process. It cannot be scribbled onto a page and immediately in perfect form. It needs to be edited, filtered in a sense, to keep only what is crucial in getting your message out to the audience. Editing over and over again helps to sculpt a masterpiece of clear concise ideas.

This is where I need to begin my search for truth. Rewriting my pieces over duration of time will help me eliminate ideas that stray from what is true. It will help me submit only my best work and in the long run help me find the voice I want to share on the internet. Heather Bacci’s voice.

I have a long way to go in my search but here is what I already know. I like music, movies and food. I can be a bit stubborn when something doesn’t go as planned. I am a fast learner and love to think strategically and solve problems. I know I can do anything I put my mind to. Where do any of these truths fit? I hope to find out though my writing, editing, and rewriting of ideas and interests this semester!