Rethinking your bio
Honestly, do this regularly
Write the bio or “about” section you wish you could publish somewhere but feel like you shouldn’t. Like, really let it rip and go for it. Be dramatic! Swear! Tell big truths! Reveal secrets! Fuck it. It’s only for you.
Now, read back over what you’ve written and compare it with the public bio you do use. You don’t have to change anything, but just notice the gap. List the reasons you believe you can’t close that gap if you want to, and split the list into “actual considerations” and “stories I tell myself” and see what’s what.
To be clear:
“Having "‘I’m the incarnate of a feral demon!” is maybe not what you want in your bio if you’re, say, going for tenure or whatever. FAIR.
But, “people might think I’m weird” is a story you tell yourself, friend. Also you are weird and we love ya for it and need your weirdness in the world. (Personally, I’m counting on people thinking I’m weird and assuming they already do, not trying to avoid it.)
Point being: this exercise ultimately helps you weed out bullshit we tell ourselves that keeps us from fully showing up as our big, fabulous selves, and it helps clarify your creative signature/presence, which can be a useful tool for building your body of work and reputation.
And, if after considering all of this, you want to nudge yourself forward just a teensy bit more, return to your feral bio and note even one sentence that could be used publicly.
