Inspiration Spotlight: Jane Austen
For this week's reflection where I talk about finding the balance of working full time and making time for your art, I thought I'd also honor International Women's Day by talking about a huge inspiration of mine, Jane Austen.
Being the son of a mother and a brother to four sisters, Jane Austen has probably been one of the most significant author figures in my life.
At first, her significance in my life was by osmosis - just being nearby when an adaptation of hers was on TV. Then it was through resistance - with my pre-teen wittle masculinity groaning when it was "period romance night" and leaving the room. Then, it was faux-resistance, where I groaned but would say, "Ugh, I mean I guess I'll watch it too" - especially if the adaptation had an actress I had a crush on in it.
But over time, that resistance faded. The 2005 Pride and Prejudice was genuinely an inspiration in my love of movies and in wanting to go to film school. Fast forward nearly twenty years later and I've read every book Jane Austen has ever written, some more than once, and was told by an English professor that I "write about Austen with verve" - which is still some of my favorite feedback I've ever received.
There is so much that can be said and has already been said about Austen's timeless humor, brilliant characterizations, and tantalizing story arcs. But so many have no idea about how much of a radical she was.
If you're already a fan of her writing, I invite you to pick up an annotated version (I recommend the Norton Critical Editions) of one of her books, where you'll see footnotes explaining context on just how often she was criticizing class and gender dynamics, and how often she was making fun of real public figures, other authors of the time, or even subverting common writing tropes in extremely clever ways.
Whenever I read Austen's prose, I get excited about my own writing. And in the end, participating in art is one of the easiest ways we can get excited about our own art, especially when we're exhausted after a long week of work. So thanks for reading my first reflection where I spotlight an inspiring figure in art, I'll do more of these in the future, and not just with authors, but with filmmakers, artists, and musicians.
Keep working on your art, you outlaws. And always remember to live your life in such a way that Jane Austen would never have reason to invent a character based off you that was either a buffoon or a villain.