A Perfectly Unique Novel

We can try to define ourselves with a few words, a few sentences, or a few paragraphs; but, in reality, all of us are defined by a series of books. Our lives are riddled with different twists and turns. And, every experience molds us into who we are today. These events make up our own perfectly unique novel. While I was writing my author bio, one simple question plagued me-- Who is Jaclyn Bartz?

I have spent hours, days, weeks, and months trying to answer this one silly question. The truth is I am many different people. No, I do not mean I have a multiple personality disorder; but I serve, and have served, many different roles in  my life. On one side, I am a loving mother and wife whose purpose is to provide the best life for my family as I can.  While on another side, I am a writer and illustrator. I am also a friend, a sister, and a student. In my past, I was a dental hygienist (not licensed, but I will explain that in a future blog), a factory worker, and a graphic design intern. All of these roles combine to help explain who I am.

Then there are my past experiences, my interests, and my aspirations. I cannot explain to anyone who I am without mentioning where I have been, what I like, and where I hope my journey leads.  Every moment in my life-- including the terrible ones-- has helped me to be who I am right now in this moment. Every step and choice I made helped shape the person I am. It is easy to write about my dreams of being an author, and being an author explains who I am working to be. It does not explain anything about me though. The reasons why I write, the moments that combined to bring me here, and the things I did to prepare myself for this are better representations of who I am.

My life is defined by many different experiences and knowing me is knowing more than a few descriptive phrases. Who knew that a simple question could be so difficult to answer.