my credo

I was cleaning my hard disk when I chanced upon the following drafts. These (together with ON WRITING A TAGALOG ROMANCE) are posts I submitted to a mailing list I subscribe to. If you feel you have the time and have nothing better to do with it, read on...

my credo

First question: What does being a writer entail of me?

True, to some degree, I have been blessed with the gift but I am also burdened with the responsibility of using this gift to incite change, more accurately, growth. Primarily, this growth should occur in me. I must challenge myself to think, to seek my own truth, and ultimately gain a spot of wisdom. By far, a tall order but I have no choice. It is my obligation.

Second question: And then what?

I will deliberately let this wisdom seep through my prose and with luck provoke whoever reads my work to ponder, to contemplate, even better, challenge my position hoping that in the end, they too shall seek their own truth and subsequently gain their own wisdom. If all of us were to remain passive, not challenging, merely accepting then growth ceases to be.

Third question: Hurdles to change (culture, colonialism etc.)& what to do about them

Since I cant even begin to answer this question let alone solve this problem, I made myself a personal credo instead. These may be tagged as baby steps towards change but steps nonetheless
(1) I will infuse as much substance to my prose as I am able to. Not forgetting of course, my two-fold task of sharing whatever wisdom I
have behind the guise of giving pleasure to my readers.
(2) There are different avenues for change. I will explore all of them.
(3) This brings me to the matter of conservatism. Seeing as I am already shackled by the barriers mentioned. I must keep from shackling myself too by being inflexible and fearing change. I shall push, stretch, evolve, and if need be, bend just to...
(4) Put my work out there, again and again and again, each time raising the bar