La la la LA! Walking on air, ego enormously boosted.....

I don't know if you, Dear Reader, have ever read ELLE magazine, but you've probably seen it at the newsstands. It's your typical fashion rag, with some very interesting articles and columns thrown in. I make a habit of picking it up regularly .
Anyhoo, there's this witty, whip-smart advice columnist featured there. Her name is E. Jean, and she's just a riot, not to mention completely go-girl positive. I love her stuff, and make a point of reading her regularly.
So, when I saw that she was looking for paid interns, I jumped at the chance to apply. The assignment was to go the ELLE website and answer 3 different questions out of the catagories listed. ( Apparently, she gets beseiged with letters and turns some of them over to her forum of online "advice vixens" and lets them have at it. The public is allowed to comment as well.)
I did so. I waited. And I thought, "oh well, it was a new adventure, and fun, and who knows if she ever even saw it personally? I shall press on...."

Then today I got THIS in my email box from HER private email:
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My dear Miss ,

Your talent is immense. Your picture is gorgeous---YOU have stunning hair! And your advice to Benson about his college friend visiting and living a “Grown-Up life” was brilliant. You made it into the top thirty (out of HUNDREDS of applicants). I nearly filleted my poor brains trying to pull the finalists out of the top thirty. You are brilliant, but unfortunately, the places have been assigned for the Spring Ask E. Jean Internships.
I urge you to apply for one of the Summer Internships. The Summer interns will work 10 hours a week and be paid $7.20 an hour. The responsibilities will be varied, but mainly I want good writers. Please apply for the Summer Internships the last week of May. You can reach me at this e-mail address.

Ravishing Regards,
E.Jean

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Needless to say I about choked my drink. E. Jean thinks I'M fabulous?? Well, shut my mouth wide open!!!

I realize that in part it IS a form letter. And that I didn't make the cut this time. But it was such a boost to hear that one of my beloved magazine writers thinks I have what it takes to maybe, just MAYBE, write a little. ( And she loves my hair!!). WOO HOO! I'm on Cloud Nine, no matter WHAT happens or how it pans out. Which I really don't know yet, obviously....

I kind of just answered the ad on an impulse, thinking, "well, Christ, I could give snappy, sassy advice to poor saps just as well as anyone. And it's for E. Jean!" I have never really thought of myself as a Writer, capital "W". I didn't go to school for it, ( although god knows I spent enough time in school writing all sorts of crap, and I mean that really. Poetry, papers, research, abstracts summing up art work, proposals, PR releases, blah blah blah. ) , and anyone who reads this blog can tell my grammar is severely in need of some polish. But I HAVE entertained the notion, from time to time, to write an article or two, freelance. I'm certainly opinionated enough, fairly erudite when it's called for, etc. I CAN write. I just never really thought I was entirely qualified-- not a "real Writer"-- so never mind, I'm so busy anyway, no one would buy it, and so on and so forth.

But maybe.....just a little, on ocassion, when it seems right? Maybe I might try? The encourgement goes a long way to letting me entertain it more seriously when I do so...

Oh, I would never try to make a living at it-- it's really hard to keep that sort of thing going, and there's plenty of other Actual Writers out there who are competing for the work. And I don't think I have what it takes to Write All The Time. But you know what? I think on occasion it might be a fun side-project to pursue. And it's nice to hear that that idea isn't completely delusional!

Like I said, it's just an idea, and who knows where it will go? But I'm open for positive adventure right now, and other avenues of creative expression....and it's great once in awhile to hear, "Hey, kid, you have something! Keep at it!" Especially living here, where there's so very, very little of thatgoing around, in general, and in my life ( about the creative end of things).

So. I'll let those compliments sink in and enjoy them while they last, for what they're worth.

It's nice. I rock, I rock, yes I do. La LA!!! :)