THE REAL ME ON FACEBOOK Susan Arnout Smith

Susan Arnout Smith is a writer who discovered the dark side of social media. One day, she stumbled onto an obscene Facebook profile with her name, pictures, even links to her legitimate work. It took her months to find the culprits and take down the page. It was a journey that took her to the edge of revenge, and, finally, forgiveness.

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Susan’s interview on Radio Netherlands: The State We’re In

Read More at: Salon.com

I am writing a play and it literally woke me up at 2:30 in the morning, calling to me.

There’s a time in my work, (very near the end of every project—in fact, when I hit this place, I know the draft I’m working on is –at most–a couple of weeks away from being done,) when everything sings.

And those few golden days are what I spend a year or more building toward—doing the slow, careful work of figuring out the throughline, writing “bits” that connect or die, taking great care getting to know my characters and their world.

This morning was one of a series of blessed days. I wrote last time about my beginning a quest this year to live more deeply in a state of grace. And I think for me, a simple thing I’ve discovered, is that the more I commit to doing work that connects to my spirit the easier that joy is to access.

Now I know that in today’s world, it’s easy for us all to feel scared and worried and upset a lot of the time, and really grateful when we have a job to call our own. I know that for some of us, this means taking work we don’t want or don’t feel connected to, or work that makes us feel heavy in our spirit. (This is not me, right now, by the way: I’ve been commissioned to write this play by a director I’ve worked with before and who’s work I love.) But I’ve been there. I think we all have. And there’s never a guarantee I won’t be there again.

I’m not talking about quitting bad jobs. (I’m talking legal bad jobs, here—illegal ones—run my friend, run, run as fast as you can away.) I am talking about crafting our own work—all our work—to give it more meaning. For us.

If you have a less than perfect job, how great that you have one. If you are giving up a dream of yours—as a business associate of mine is, as we speak—to provide better for a young family, how blessed to be a parent who’s making sound choices for the good of the family. If you have no time right now to do deep creative work because of the press of troubles crowding in all own sides—breathe. Breathe. You’re still here. Breathe. And if you’re out there looking for work—God bless you, and stay strong and keep looking. Every no, as brilliant Shelly Mecum says (author of the nonfiction book God’s Photo Album) brings you one step closer to a yes.

Shape days. Moments. Time. And mostly, attitude. That’s the gold in our pockets we carry around, every day. Whatever it is, facing you today, I wish you strength to do the work you’ve been given to do. With gladness. And singleness of heart.

The rest will sort itself out.