Your Identity As a Writer
The identity of “writer” isn’t conditional. It’s not an action. It’s a state of mind. It’s being a writer, not just doing writing. Can you be a writer and never set words to paper? Yes. Are you an imposter? No. If you have stories swirling in your head, but don’t have time to jot them down, how does that disqualify you? You may not be able to claim “writer” as a profession (then again, how many authors, published or not, can??) But you can claim it as part of who you are and how you see yourself.
I was reminded of this when I told a new friend that I’m a swimmer, not a runner. Only, I actually spend more time running now than I do swimming. My time at the gym lends itself better to hopping on the treadmill than hopping into the pool. Yet, my heart, if not my body, will always leap first into the pool. So even though I’m pounding the pavement more than I’m gliding through water, I feel like a swimmer.
That’s all you need. How you feel. So own that identity. No one can tell you otherwise. If you want evidence to prove to others, well, then, fine, get your ass in chair and write the next great Canadian/American novel. But if you don’t have time in your life right now, or you don’t have a book published, that’s okay. Call yourself a writer because you are a writer.