I have a card that proves it. And yes, I've renewed;) "I am an archer."
Freakin' cool thing to be able to declare, yes? So, do you?
When I first did archery (at Hart House when I was going to U of T), it seems to me I was thinking, "Man, it would be so cool to say I'm an archer." I would have said, "I'm in an archery club." Or probably not even that. I probably would've said "I've done some archery." Anyway, I think it's a great entry point for an interest: I want to say, "I'm THAT."
If you asked me today, I would totally call myself an archer. I think it's really interesting what makes someone feel like they can rightfully own an identity like that. Like, would you make a distinction between someone who likes to dance/paint/skate/write and a dancer/painter/skater/writer? Would you be more picky about the distinction if you were applying it to yourself rather than someone else? Some identities - say, your nationality - are sewn up from the get-go. Some - like, what you do for a living - aren't permanent but people will tag you with them big time. Some are certified - you know for sure if you're a graduate or not. Some seem easy to lay claim to - I'm a foodie, or an introvert. Heck, I think some people seem to profess those ones a bit willy-nilly.
If there were a magic formula for whether your interests form a status, maybe it would be like
'____er = significant time spent + level of proficiency achieved + …'
Maybe you'd put in terms like 'owns equipment'. (What else would you put in there, actually?) But it's not like there's an identifiable moment when a pursuit crosses the line into an identity. If someone said to you, "Hey, are you an archer?", would you think, "Welllll, you could call me that, I guess."
I just want to say, "Take it." If you aren't sure whether you are an archer, I'm telling you: Call yourself an archer. I mean, at least try it and see if it makes you think or feel differently about archery or how you do it. See if it gets a different reaction from people. It's keen to play with stuff like this.
(The advanced level is like, whether it's an identity that bubbles to the top when people talk about you. Like, Bard the Bowman. Hey?)
Freakin' cool thing to be able to declare, yes? So, do you?
When I first did archery (at Hart House when I was going to U of T), it seems to me I was thinking, "Man, it would be so cool to say I'm an archer." I would have said, "I'm in an archery club." Or probably not even that. I probably would've said "I've done some archery." Anyway, I think it's a great entry point for an interest: I want to say, "I'm THAT."
If you asked me today, I would totally call myself an archer. I think it's really interesting what makes someone feel like they can rightfully own an identity like that. Like, would you make a distinction between someone who likes to dance/paint/skate/write and a dancer/painter/skater/writer? Would you be more picky about the distinction if you were applying it to yourself rather than someone else? Some identities - say, your nationality - are sewn up from the get-go. Some - like, what you do for a living - aren't permanent but people will tag you with them big time. Some are certified - you know for sure if you're a graduate or not. Some seem easy to lay claim to - I'm a foodie, or an introvert. Heck, I think some people seem to profess those ones a bit willy-nilly.
If there were a magic formula for whether your interests form a status, maybe it would be like
'____er = significant time spent + level of proficiency achieved + …'
Maybe you'd put in terms like 'owns equipment'. (What else would you put in there, actually?) But it's not like there's an identifiable moment when a pursuit crosses the line into an identity. If someone said to you, "Hey, are you an archer?", would you think, "Welllll, you could call me that, I guess."
I just want to say, "Take it." If you aren't sure whether you are an archer, I'm telling you: Call yourself an archer. I mean, at least try it and see if it makes you think or feel differently about archery or how you do it. See if it gets a different reaction from people. It's keen to play with stuff like this.
(The advanced level is like, whether it's an identity that bubbles to the top when people talk about you. Like, Bard the Bowman. Hey?)
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