Can We Talk?

I’m a Logician – What Does that Even Mean?

This all started with me wondering why I was mimicking two YouTubers I watch from time-to-time. The first one is Dani Calleiro – the youngest sister from the Cimorelli group (which she has since left, but you can find out more about the why behind the decision on Dani’s channel). And the second is Colleen Ballinger.

Dani has a tic – it’s a thing she does with her mouth. If you watch her videos, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

And Colleen recently cut her hair and now has bangs, which she constantly touches. I also have bangs.

I found myself mimicking Dani’s mouth tic and touching my bangs like Colleen and when I realized I was doing that, I immediately stopped. I had to consciously make myself stop because I was subconsciously doing it, which was weird and hard, but I broke the habit.

My question is, why in the world did I even start doing that??

This led to me jumping down the rabbit hole of Googling why I was mimicking these people, which lead to mirroring people and reading the body language behind it and how it shows empathy for the other person. This lead to watching videos about what it meant to be an empath and realizing, this was not me, I don’t struggle with that, thankfully, because it sounds exhausting and then me thinking, “I’m not an empath, I’m empathetic.” And what does THAT mean, exactly?

And then after I started questioning what it means to be an empathetic person. I stumbled onto yet more videos of the different types of Myers Briggs test and how I wasn’t about to pay for the Myers Briggs test but went ahead and took the 16personalities.com test and now we’re here learning more about my results.

This is how my brain works – daily.

And my result shows I’m a Logician.

The Logician personality type is fairly rare, making up only three percent of the population, which is definitely a good thing for them, as there’s nothing they’d be more unhappy about than being “common”. Logicians pride themselves on their inventiveness and creativity, their unique perspective and vigorous intellect. Usually known as the philosopher, the architect, or the dreamy professor, Logicians have been responsible for many scientific discoveries throughout history.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I mean … I’m not sure about the “vigorous intellect” part and I’m CERTAINLY no Einstein when it comes to scientific discoveries, (just ask Kevin), but I I do think I’m a fairly creative person when it comes to language and stories and I do feel like I have a unique perspective when it comes to people and situations so I guess I sort of, kind of, buy this?

Let’s read on …

They may appear to drift about in an unending daydream, but Logicians’ thought process is unceasing, and their minds buzz with ideas from the moment they wake up. This constant thinking can have the effect of making them look pensive and detached, as they are often conducting full-fledged debates in their own heads, but really Logicians are quite relaxed and friendly when they are with people they know, or who share their interests. However, this can be replaced by overwhelming shyness when Logician personalities are among unfamiliar faces, and friendly banter can quickly become combative if they believe their logical conclusions or theories are being criticized.

I buy this. I’m often told at work to pay attention or my eyes glaze over when someone is talking to me because I’m already analyzing what they’re saying and how I can respond to it or offer an alternative viewpoint. And I’m very shy around new people but I can disguise it very well by appearing engaging and present. Inside I’m thinking, “get me out of here!” I’m not argumentative, per se, it depends on the topic and the person, I pick my battles; I like to conserve my energy for things that are important, to me. Geez, that makes me sound cold but … I guess I sort of am.

Further, Logicians are unlikely to understand emotional complaints at all, and their friends won’t find a bedrock of emotional support in them. People with the Logician personality type would much rather make a series of logical suggestions for how to resolve the underlying issue, a perspective that is not always welcomed by their more sensitive companions. This will likely extend to most social conventions and goals as well, like planning dinners and getting married, as Logicians are far more concerned with originality and efficient results.
The one thing that really holds Logicians back is their restless and pervasive fear of failure. Logician personalities are so prone to reassessing their own thoughts and theories, worrying that they’ve missed some critical piece of the puzzle, that they can stagnate, lost in an intangible world where their thoughts are never truly applied. Overcoming this self-doubt stands as the greatest challenge Logicians are likely to face, but the intellectual gifts – big and small – bestowed on the world when they do makes it worth the fight.

I disagree with the first sentence, I’m not a robot. I DO understand, and empathize, with the people I like and care about when it comes to their problems. (Not so much with people I dislike or don’t know). And I do tend to analyze situations sans emotions to try and come up with best possible solutions because damn it people, you can’t run your life on emotions. I mean, you CAN, but it won’t get you very far and will cause a lot of unnecessary grief. I know removing emotions from a situation is hard, of course it is, but if you really want to solve said problem and move to greener pastures, it’s necessary.

The sentence that says, “the one thing that really holds Logicians back is their restless and pervasive fear of failure” is 100% true for me. That is the BIGGEST reason I haven’t tried to publish a book, or even finish a book. Why bother if it fails? The logical part of my brain KNOWS this is a stupid, irrational fear because who will you succeed if you don’t try, but the emotional part of me is scared to death of putting all of that work, blood and tears into something only for it to be a colossal failure. It’s something I’ve known about myself for years but I just can’t seem to conquer so my solution? Just write for fun and don’t stress about it.

Strengths:

Abstract Thinkers – Sort of
Imaginative and Original – Mostly
Open-minded – Somewhat – depends on the topic
Enthusiastic – again, depends on the topic
Objective – Most definitely
Honest and Straightforward – Erhm – most of the time – depends on who and what it is

Weaknesses:

Very private and withdrawn – 100% – YES
Insensitive – I can be, but don’t feel I am most of the time
Absent-minded – Disagree with this one
Condescending – I can be. I can be very cold at times
Loathe Rules and Guidelines – Meh – depends on what those rules are – do they make sense for the situation?
Second-Guess Themselves – Yes – when it comes to things I care about

Logician friendships are knowledge-based, defined by the exchange of ideas, theories, and concepts, and those who aren’t able to keep up with this, or who have sharply differing tastes (don’t talk to Logicians about celebrities) will find stony faces that border on rude. To Logicians, communication is often more of a nuisance than a pleasure, and conversation is reserved for topics that they find meaningful, or for people they already like enough to stick it out.

YES! I 100% agree with this. I am impatient 3/4 of the time with other people’s dramas. I don’t DO drama. I refuse. Life is too short. I have trouble understanding people who either like drama or who refuse to make changes to stop the drama. It makes no sense. If a person LIKES the drama, fine, enjoy, but don’t bitch about it.

In parenting roles, as with many social roles, Logicians find themselves facing a robust but healthy challenge. Not a naturally sensitive type, Logician personalities struggle to identify with the raw emotions and irrationality that are often the standard with young children, who have yet to develop the sort of self-control and logical thinking that Logicians take for granted.
People with the Logician personality type are nevertheless incredibly devoted – perhaps not in the traditional, emotionally supportive sense, but they are parents who are committed to encouraging their growing children to think and act independently, seek out new knowledge, and voice and defend their own opinions.

Oh, 100%. All I want for our boys is to grow up health, happy and secure in whatever decisions they make throughout life. I also hope we taught them to be empathetic to others because everyone has their own story and background, understanding that will only help them understand themselves.

Where Logicians do not thrive is in workplaces that require them to provide a high degree of emotional satisfaction – cruise ship masseuses they are not. Logician personalities struggle to understand emotional exchanges, and service-oriented positions will prove baffling and exhausting for them. Though Logicians are talented analysts who are perfectly capable of understanding the theoretical importance of customer service, the day-to-day application of such a scheme is simply better left to more people-oriented personality types.

Again, 100%. I like my job but I’m EXHAUSTED by the end of the day. My job sucks all of my emotional stamina and I MUST have some alone time to recharge. Being a medical assistant has been challenging and very rewarding in many ways, but I’m not exactly attached to it. Meaning, I could quit and move on to something else with nary a backward glance. For example, I would LOVE being a paralegal in a law firm, someone who gets to research all day and put information together to contribute to a larger cause. That would be dope. However, I’m old (ish) and I’m not sure I want to start over again when I plan on retiring soon (ish). I’m not sure it would make sense to put so much time and effort into a job I only plan on keeping for less than ten years. I’m not sure it would be fair to the employer, either.

Overall, I think this personality accurately describes me though I think I’m not as robotic in nature as this implies. I’m actually quite empathetic to people I like – and I can be to people I dislike but … why?

At any rate, this was fun (for me, at least, not sure how you feel about this – if you even made this far), and I feel like I understand myself a bit better now.

Hi. My name is Karen and I’m an INTP-A personality which breaks down to: Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving – Assertive. I should hand out business cards – or issue a warning, in some cases.

I don’t know how much stock you put into the whole Myers-Briggs test, but it’s interesting to read about various personality traits and I think it does help in understanding the people around us.

It’s also a great tool to develop characters, too.

Patreon

Introducing: Write From Karen – Patreon Version!

Guess what I’ve been working on!

Ta-Da! I have a Patreon account!

The URL is: https://www.patreon.com/writefromkaren

Pretty easy to remember, right??

Here’s a screenshot of the home page:

Don’t ask me why I chose dogs wearing glasses as the pictures for each tier – I thought they were cute and funny – there’s really no other reason. Ha!

So, let me explain.

In case you don’t know what Patreon is – it’s a platform built to provide a way for fans to support their favorite content creators. It’s a “club” of sorts – a private place to hang out, get to know one another, have private access and conversations about various topics with your favorite creator and other like-minded people, but more importantly, it’s just a place to have fun.

I know for me, personally, I’m a member of several Patreon accounts because I truly appreciate all of the hard work the creators I support have done and I want to show my appreciation. For me, personally, I just wanted a place to talk “shop” with other writers out there who are looking for a place to belong – for a place you can find support, and inspiration for your own writing.

I used to host a writing site back in the day and I LOVED it. And I miss it. It really inspired me to write more and I didn’t feel as alone, because let’s face it, writing is a solitary activity and you can often think you’re the only one out there struggling. Let me assure you, you are not.

That’s where my Patreon comes in. I want to encourage the writers out there who are looking for guidance, support and inspiration, to join and share your thoughts, triumphs and failures with other people who know EXACTLY what you’re going through.

I have a Discord server. Don’t let the word server scare you off. It’s not hard to navigate and it’s completely private. The only people in my server are those that have been invited and its only purpose is to support you. That’s it.

(If you would like to know more about Discord – check out this beginner’s guide video. )

If you choose the WFK Visionaries tier, you will be given a key to the club. Here you can join conversations about various writing topics, writing tips and tricks , polls and so much more.

If you’re a member of my silver/VIP tiers, you are not only given a key to the club, you will be extended an invitation to my Discord server where I will host weekly chats to catch up and share our current writing projects. There is also space to participate in writing sprints, (SUPER helpful when you need to increase your word count), writing challenges and writing collabs.

If you choose the VIP tier, I open the floor for a monthly book club where we can compare notes and thoughts about the writing mechanics and how we could learn from the author’s technique/style and apply it to our own writing. In addition, the VIP tier has been limited to a smaller number of participants as I thought it would be fun to build a writing critique group where we can exchange our own work and offer feedback on our works-in-progress. (Maybe start a Beta reader group?)

I plan on posting every Tuesday and Thursday on my Patreon. I will post a schedule for Discord chats soon.

Honestly, there are endless possibilities with this Patreon group and we’re just getting started!

I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read my blog, listen to my Podcast and hopefully join my Patreon. My only goal is to share my thoughts, my work and my space with you and hopefully offer you some interesting material to learn from and think about.

I don’t pretend to be an expert when it comes to writing, however, I do have a degree in Technical Writing and a Minor in Creative Writing so it’s a topic that is near and dear to my heart.

Don’t be shy! Start small. Join the first tier, look around, see if this is something for you and then if you’re interested in upgrading and joining my server, you’re welcome to do so. There is absolutely no pressure, you can cancel your membership at any time.

So, in a nutshell – my blog is a place for a little bit of everything: my personal/professional life, politics, religion, opinions, etc. My podcast is the same type of thing, only you can hear my voice and take me on the go, if you so choose. My Patreon is a place reserved for all things writing and a safe place for writers to gather.

That’s it! Again, I hope you will consider joining my Patreon. I appreciate each and every one of you and I’ll see you around the Internet!

ADDED: Change of plans – I dumbed it down and made it simple – there is now only one tier. Easy to choose, easy to join!

Bullet Journal

April Bullet Journal Cover

Not exactly earth shattering – bunnies = Easter, but I thought it was cute and different and I liked the colors, which I sort of kept to, you’ll see in April’s spreads. I wish I could draw bunnies, but alas, I don’t wish to offend any bunnies out there by trying.

I didn’t journal very much this month. I didn’t have a whole lot to say. *GASP* Quick! Mark that down in your calendars, but really, this month just sort of glided along. We’re still crazy short handed at work but somehow, we’re all making it work because WE’RE THE BOSS, and that’s all I’ve had energy for this month, just surviving work.

Weather has been good. Lots of sunshine and 60-degree days. The winds are coming though, which means tornado season will be upon us soon, but so far, so good.

Our youngest son, Brandon, turned 26 this month. Our BABY is 26 years old. *SIGH* It’s so weird to have children in their m-d to-late twenties. That means, we’re OLD. But I don’t FEEL old, until, I look closely in a mirror and then I’m reminded that I’m no longer a spring chicken.

Just wait, you young whippersnappers out there, you’ll see what I mean when you get to be my age. I look my age but I FEEL like I’m still in my 30’s.

Sort of sucks when reality doesn’t match your inner self.

Anyway …

Here are pictures of my March spreads – prepare to be AMAZED. *snort*

The cover page and my steps. I like the green and black – really pops. Don’t ask me why I put a arrow-thing design on the bottom of the page. I did that with my April steps page, too. All I know is that I have a packet of cool design templates and I’m dying to use them.

So there.

Didn’t do as good on my steps this month. You can really tell when I was off work and/or it was the weekend. I literally sit around all day on my days off. I’m staring at my Kindle or staring at my computer monitor. I do a lot of staring. If I stared a little less I would probably be a lot more productive. But some days, my brain is just, “NOPE.”

Another Earth shattering weather and sleep spread. Again – I don’t know WHY I like keeping track of the weather. It’s just something my brain refuses to give up. I’m old. Aren’t old people supposed to be obsessed with the weather?

Don’t answer that.

And if I were to guess what my average sleep hours? About 7 … ish. I could add up all of those sleep hours up and figure it out but I’m tired and my brain is all “NOPE.”

My habit trackers and my mood tracker.

Let’s all address the elephant in the room, shall we? I didn’t write a damn word or walk a damn step (outside of work) all month.

Yep, I’m a loser.

I also didn’t post anything on my Instagram but who am I kidding? I don’t even like Instagram all that much and I’m changing habits next month to something I might actually accomplish.

As you can see on my mini calendar, (because let’s face it, I’m not busy enough to warrant a FULL size calendar), I was off for a few days, (why does it feel like that happened months ago instead of weeks ago? That can’t be a good sign), Brandon turned 26 and Blake had all of his wisdom teeth cut out this month.

He spent the night with us the night he had them done because you just never know how people will react when put under anesthesia. (We could hardly get him to go home the next day because he was enjoying being babied so much. Ha!)

And my moods … cute turtles, right? However, I hated not having more than four emotions to choose from because let’s face it, I’m a complicated woman and I feel a minimum of 60 different emotions throughout my day and it annoyed me, (see?? Another emotion), that I didn’t have emotions to color in. I mean, sure, I had a lot of “meh” days, and thankfully, not very many sad days and probably too many mad days, but I was also productive, giddy, annoyed, irritated, and every other emotion you can name. So, I’ll be changing that up this next month but I had fun coloring in the turtles.

Hush, it was therapeutic.

Here is my reading tracker, (read 5 books this month, not bad), did three podcasts and worked/finished my Patreon. My writing tracker is pathetic but hopefully that gets better with time.

The rest of my pages are my actual journal pages and of course, I’m not sharing those pages. (Especially now that my co-workers have found my blog and have discovered that I’m an INTERNATIONAL SUPER BLOGGER.)

I try and stay humble but it’s not always easy.

Here’s one of my favorite bullet journal videos from April. I have such a fascination for watching people paint and just be artistic. I envy their talent. I mean, I have to use templates, for Pete’s sake, and I don’t even do that well.

Anyway, enjoy! And please consider supporting your favorite creators by joining their Patreon! It’s only a few dollars per month but to the creator, it’s priceless.

Podcast

20: Are We Living in a Permanent Pandemic?

leaves2
 
So are we? Living in a permanent pandemic? What does your gut tell you? I think the government is going to try its hardest to inject as much fear, as often as it can, for as long as it can. The question is, will we be warriors or sheeple? Have you been paying attention to the situation at the border? It’s disgusting that we’ve served those poor people to human traffickers. Also, Biden’s mental capacity seems to be getting worse. I think it’s elder abuse! Book review this week is Andrew Mayne’s “Looking Glass.” And my Patreon is open! Come join us!

Mentioned in podcast:
 
 

Intermission music:
 
Where Did The Time Go? by Pyrosion | https://soundcloud.com/pyrosion
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
 

Take me on the go! You can hear my podcast on the following platforms:

Anchor.fm

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Overcast

Google Podcasts

Breaker

Pocket Casts

Radio Public

RSS Feed

I upload a new podcast every week. Thanks for listening!

*TALK” to you soon!

BONUS! Here is our Right From Us Podcast, if you’re interested in watching it. Our podcast is also on the above platforms called “Right From Us.”

Camp NaNoWriMo

Laptop, Check, Flashlight, Check, Bug Spray, Check – Packing for April Camp NaNoWriMo 2021

*blows whistle* Listen up, campers!

It’s time to line up for Camp NaNoWriMo! Come on, don’t be shy! Grab your gear and follow me.

Watch your step, stick to the path. We don’t want anyone to get lost!

I hear some excited chatter back there! I know how you feel! It’s time to chuck the real world aside for a moment and dive back into our creative worlds. Here at Camp WritefromKaren, our goal is to provide you with a safe, comfortable place to allow your creative muse room to stretch, grow and dance, if he/she feels so inclined.

I know it feels a bit cool now, but once we build the campfire and snuggle up with a hot beverage or two, you’ll be all set to begin your writing adventure.

Step lively! We want to get there before dark!

*fifteen minutes of traipsing through the woods later*

And, we’re here! *blows whistle* You can place your stuff in your assigned cabins, there is a number on the back of the keychains you were given earlier, and then meet me back out here with your preferred writing utensil of choice and let’s get started!

*ten minutes later*

Welcome back! We’re all gathered here today to prepare for Camp NaNoWriMo. Anything goes. The rule is, there are no rules. You can approach Camp any way you choose. You can set your own word count, you can choose to use this time to edit an existing project and work on any project you so choose. Camp NaNoWriMo is not as stringent as the traditional NaNoWriMo held every November. The weather is warm (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the goal is to get out of the house (because the pandemic is almost over, right??), breathe in some fresh air, clean out the brain cobwebs, dust off your creative muse and have some fun!

Just a reminder, Camp NaNoWriMo is held every April and July so if you miss this camp, there is always another one just around the corner. I hope we can establish a writing group by next Camp so we can exchange ideas and offer support to one another.

For those of you curious as to my project – I plan on writing four stories about 6,500(ish) words long. Wait, what is a novella length … *Googles it* 10,000 to 40,000 words whereas a novelette, (which I didn’t even know existed before just now), is 7,500 to 10,000 words long.

So now, I have to challenge myself to write four novelettes this month because, why not??

I’d like to write 25,000 (ish) words in April – we’ll see how close I get.

I’m choosing shorter pieces because I feel like that’s the type of writing that suits me best. Anything longer than 10,000 words and I start getting bored – with or without plotting.

I’d like to host some writing sprints – not live, but via video. I don’t know about you guys, but writing sprints REALLY worked for me in November and I’m pretty sure that’s the reason I won NaNoWriMo in November 2020. You can also find TONS of writing sprints on YouTube – just search writing sprints and you can take your pick.

My Patreon is up and running, (link in the sidebar) but it’s just beginning and will take some time to build a community so in the meantime, I would love if you would consider joining me on the NaNoWriMo site for my “Write Away” group hosted there. NaNoWriMo limits the group size to 20. If you want to leave a comment on this post with your NaNoWriMo username, I can add you to the group. My username is take2max if you want to search for me. (You have to be signed into the NaNoWriMo site for that link to work).

I’m not sure if I will post my stories here or not. It all depends on what I get done and how fast I get it done. But I will post excerpts of my work on my Patreon, tier three, if you’re interested in joining. I would LOVE to see what you’re working on as well! Feel free to leave a link to your WIP in the comment section.

Here are a couple of story ideas – feel free to steal this for your own writing, if you’re looking for ideas:

  1. Hidden room discovered behind a mirror – why is it there? Who is watching her? Who is living there?
  2. Message in a bottle washes ashore. What is the message? Who is it from? Why was it put there?
  3. Bride’s limo catches fire on the way to her wedding. Does the wedding go on as planned? Or does this interruption change the bride’s life path forever?
  4. Flash drive full of disturbing pictures. The hunt is on to find the girl in the pictures and potentially save her life.

I may, or may not, use some of these ideas. 🙂

So, to recap: I plan on writing 7,500 (ish) words per week in April and to offer weekly (??) writing sprint videos.

Gah. I’m starting to sweat when thinking how much work this is going to be. lol

Okay campers, enough about me. What are YOUR plans for the 2021 April Camp NaNoWriMo?

TBR

April To-Be-Read Stack

AprilTBR1-2018

Hello readers!

*SNIFFFFF* Can you smell the fresh air? Oh look! I see some green out there! The world is slowly waking up and I’M READY.

To read some more …

I’m not reading for the rest of the month. I’m “caught” up on my goals, according to Goodreads and I want to take this time to work on my blog and Patreon AND the April Camp NaNoWriMo.

More on that very soon!

___________________________________________________

You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 12 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my April TBR stack:

  1. An Unfinished Story by Boo Walker
  2. The Cipher (Nina Guerrera Book 1) by Isabella Maldonado
  3. DEAR NEIGHBOUR: no boundary to murder by Anna Willett
  4. The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin
  5. In the Dark by Loreth Anne White

One (?) ARC (Advanced Reading Copy from NetGalley)

Happy Reading!
Podcast

19: No Screaming Allowed

relax-just-me
California is close to opening it’s theme parks again – with the stipulations that it can’t operate over 15% capacity and no screaming, singing or shouting allowed. In other words, you may go but you may not have fun! Question: would you stay home if the government paid you more than you could make at your job? Rand Paul spears Dr. Fauci to the wall like a trapped bug and it’s so satisfying to see him squirm for a change. Book review this week is “Winter’s Curse” by Mary Stone. And two strange story ideas that are actually true. Also, my Patreon is VERY close to being completed! Stay tuned!

Mentioned in podcast:

Intermission music:
And Watch The Birds Fly by Sapajou | https://soundcloud.com/sapajoubeats
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Take me on the go! You can hear my podcast on the following platforms:

Anchor.fm

Apple Podcast

Spotify

Overcast

Google Podcasts

Breaker

Pocket Casts

Radio Public

RSS Feed

I upload a new podcast every week. Thanks for listening!

*TALK” to you soon!