MY LIFE AS ART

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BY PETER SOLIS NERY
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40 shades of Peter

NOVEMBER is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in the US, and the idea of writing a novel of at least 50,000 words within the 30 days of November has spread around the globe rather fast. I undertook the challenge, and slayed it, in 2014. I sort of liked it, and the idea of forcing and disciplining myself to commit at least 1,667 words on paper (or word file) every day is pretty simple and amazing.
Right now, I’m beginning to feel the pressure of writing for the newspaper six days a week. I mean, I have no problem churning out 1,667 words every day; I’ve doing more than that for years now. It’s the topic to write that I’m most worried about. I don’t want to bore you; but more importantly, I don’t want to bore myself. Also, I feel that column writing kind of takes me away from my original calling of writing creatively and producing great literature.
Writing a column once a week, or even three times a week, can be fun. I like the idea of reaching out to a different kind of readers. I love newspaper readers! But when your passion is writing great literature, you sometimes have to starve your writing self to create that hunger for words that becomes great artistic fuel.
Writing a column is an entirely different art form. I like the adrenaline rush of being on a deadline, too. But six days a week is a little too much, even if most of my writings for the newspapers are pretty self-indulgent.
I consider myself lucky that I am able to do what I do in the Ilonggo newspapers. I am approaching everything as a celebrity writer; and thankfully, I have been allowed to do so by my editors and publishers. I don’t think anyone is as lucky as I. And honestly, what I do is not so different from my practice of journaling since my seminary days. Only this time, I reflect on my life and analyze it in front of a readership. And that’s pretty awesome in feeding all the myths and legends about me.
If only there is a way of fusing my need to write in a literary way and my commitment to my column readers. And what if there is? What form will it take? Will it serve and satisfy my need for a true expression of the creative self?
For years now, I’ve been thinking of starting my autobiography. And I want to write it in a novel fashion, and I mean ‘novel’ as in novelty. I’m thinking of a number like 40 and calling it “40 Portraits” or “40 Shades of Peter”. Or perhaps, “40 Shapes” because I actually wear so many hats, and take on so many forms.
I mean, there’s a Peter Solis Nery that’s a literary sensation. There’s a Peter that’s a newspaper prankster and humorist. There’s the avant garde artist Peter. There’s a Peter filmmaker. There’s a social media whore Peter, and just plain whore Peter. The last one, of course, is pretty much a lie perpetuated by bitter critics who have nothing else to do.
There’s a Nurse Pee, and a Brod Pete who was an erstwhile religious missionary, and teacher of Christian Living Education and Introduction to Philosophy, among many other things.
1,667 words is about twice the length of my average column. But since I come out M-W-F for Panay News, and T-Th-S/Sn in Panay Balita, I can just deliver two-parts series if I keep it under 2,000 words. Or, I can work up to 3,000 words every day (at least in November), and just break it down into three installments a week. That will actually give me free time and a writing break over the Christmas holiday season. I really think such scheme would work, and could actually be pretty amazing.
I like the idea of “40 Ways of Looking at the Great Peter Solis Nery”. It’s simple and direct, and could actually look at (and hopefully resolve) the contradictions most people don’t get about me. For samplers, a question can be like this: Why does Peter Solis Nery upstage every Ilonggo writer doing a poetry reading?
To answer such question, people need to understand that there’s probably a shy, insecure poet there; but he is trapped in a body of a great and consummate actor/performer who is shameless and talented enough to evoke eroticism, passion, ardor, romance, pity, laughter, and the whole gamut of human emotions.
Or the question can be this: Why does Peter Solis Nery dress up like a fashionista at the Palanca Awards? Which can then be answered this way: If the Palanca is the Oscars of Philippine literature, a Hall of Famer is like an A-list actor who needs to be seen on the red carpet in dazzling suits/gowns. I mean, if you’re a winner, shouldn’t you look like a winner?
And what about me being a real fashionista? I mean, just because other writers look like shit doesn’t mean I have to subscribe to their fashion. I’m a trendsetter not only in my writing style, but in my fashion sense, too.
And yes, I am an actor (I often appear in my own indie movies) so why shouldn’t I outperform and outdress non-celebrity writers who probably rent tuxedos or Inday Dabi gowns for the first time ever? But, you have to examine all these angles about the great Peter Solis Nery to understand, ahem, as my column ID says – my life as art. I think there is enough reason to write “40 Shades of Peter.”/PN
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