novaturient

Once upon a time, I was curious about vocabulary. I was exploring my craft and found it thrilling to use words my classmates had never heard of. It made me feel fancy to use big or cool or interesting words in my creative writing. Mostly because I was writing for myself.

And then, you know … I got into a rut. I stopped writing for myself and, therefore, stopped enjoying the process as much.

My creativity hit a wall as I started writing advertising to pay the bills. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a pretty nice gig if you know what you’re doing. But advertisers want words everyone can understand. They don’t want readers to stop reading their ad so they can thumb through a dictionary to figure out what you mean. They need instant gratification. They want you to tell their story in the simplest way possible.

As a result, my quest to expand my vocabulary petered out.

Pffft. Gone.

But, as I’ve gotten back to my creative writing roots, I’ve rediscovered my love of big or cool or interesting words and what they can add to a story. So, I thought I’d start sharing a few with you, in a semi-regular feature.

And I thought I’d start with the most appropriate word I could imagine, novaturient.

It’s an adjective. It means: desiring or seeking powerful change in one’s life, behavior, or situation.

Well, that certainly describes what I’m trying to embrace right now.

This has been a time of great upheaval, but also of immense growth. There is an old Irish proverb that says the longest road out is the shortest road home. And isn’t it interesting that after being so far away, physically and emotionally, I find myself returning to my physical and emotional roots at age 50? I’m trying to live the life I’ve imagined, and yet I’m imagining it all as I go. It’s taken a lot of courage, and a little luck, but it’s happening. If that’s not a powerful change, I don’t know what is.

So, here’s to a novaturient lifestyle. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and look forward to expanding my vocabulary, as well as my creative horizons.

Are you a logophile? (Are you a lover of words?)