Curious Minds

The brain. A complex organ necessary for every part of our lives, and while it is structurally the same from one person to the next, the way it processes information is not.

Which brings me to a question: how do you read?

For instance, when I read a book, I am not reading it; within two or three sentences, I am watching it. The more descriptive the first sentence, the easier it is for me to form the picture and watch it all unfold. And while a piece of me is aware that I am seeing the words, that's not how my brain is working.

This is one of the reasons I feel so drawn to writing as well. Because I don't think in words, I think in pictures. So when I'm writing, I'm not seeing the sentence and transcribing it, I'm watching a scene and writing what I see.

Secondary question: how do you write?

Are you a 'see the words, put them down' kind of person? Do you see what's happening and try your best to write it down? Or maybe you're some mixture of the two? Either way, I was struck by curiosity and wanted to pose the question.

A third question I have that seems unrelated, but may not be: Do you dream?

To put it bluntly, I have a theory that the people who dream often and vividly are the same people who have more creativity.

On a generalize spectrum, we have someone like me; my two most used sentences in life are "I had this weird dream" and "I have a new story idea". You see, I dream vividly Every. Single. Night. and I remember them, for years, even if it's just pieces. I also constantly have a story or two or five circulating through my brain. There is no stopping the scenes and stories in my head.

In the middle is my husband, who infrequently gets to tell me about the weird dream he had. You see, he enjoys reading and can see it, but not quite like a full fledged movie. He dreams but doesn't usually remember them. So when he gets to tell me about one, it's usually interesting.

At the other end of the spectrum is my mom. She does not dream. She does not read. A book is just a bunch of words that she can't form into an image, and, to be fair, I wouldn't want to read if it was like that either. Having to slog through something without it coming to life sounds horrible. (When I tell her about my stories or a new idea, she listens and then tells me how grateful she is that I love reading and writing the way I do. It's something she wished she enjoyed.)

This theory doesn't encapsulate everyone; I have a friend who hates reading because she can't see the images, but she is a Hell of a sketcher. She crochets and draws and enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons, but reading just isn't her thing.

Again, it makes me curious. So if you have a moment, please let me know how you read, write, and dream. Thank you!