In high school, my teacher left a note on the first draft of my essay. It said “This reads like a lengthy poem rather than an essay.. too much flowery language.” My brain said TF YOU MEAN? WHO DOESN’T LOVE FLOWERS & POEMS HEFFA!?! But instead, I just said “sure” and rewrote the essay. Recently, a peer gave me the same comment on an essay. They said I was too wordy and used uncommon language. My brain said “TF YOU MEAN I’M TOO WORDY? I’VE NEVER GOTTEN LESS THAN AN A GRADE ON A PAPER, HEFFA!” But instead, I calmly asked them to provide examples of where I was wordy and which words were too advanced. I had to reign in my petty!

I know I’m wordy! No denying it. I use the words in my storehouse like arsenal for a weapon. But I also use them as if I’m playing Russian Roulette and I’m always worried they just might not land. I can over-explain just as well as I can under whelm when I’m being lazy with my words. I take a little pride in that. But my concern about being understood correctly or misunderstood causes me to use more words than some might deem necessary (like the HEFFA in my class whose only responsibility was to give feedback). I call her a lazy reader! 

It has been noted that folks with ADHA have a habit of providing additional context via examples or parentheses for fear of being misunderstood. There’s nothing more insulting to me than a person who misinterprets what I said! So I find myself saying “Does that make sense?” often or providing the definition of words to people who confuse them. Or I search endlessly for the perfect word by going down a google synonym rabbit hole.

I reject the idea that being too wordy is a fault. Or that flowery language is too uncommon. I praise it!

As Jamaal Mays once told me, you can dumb yourself down to make it easy for others or you can stay where you are and make people rise to your level.

So you’re invited to the Flowery Language Writing Workshop. Let’s explore it together.

Register Here

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