Change Your Genre

Change your genre. 

We all seem to know what we like, and what we are naturally drawn toward. However, never venturing past that may not be the most advantageous way to live our lives. Because if we haven't tried something, we don't know what we don't know. Along with possibly discovering a new favorite, our brains will probably thank us just for the novelty involved. 

Genre does not have to apply just to books. It can also involve our choices in movies, music, food, or even design. It's easy to fall into the comfort of the known, and not venture much past that, however in doing so that's when life gets interesting. 

An example of this for me was sleeveless shirts. Now I know that might sound trivial, but for years I had avoided baring my arms because I didn't feel comfortable showing their imperfections. Except, that when I took the plunge, I found I really loved the look of a sleeveless shirt. My insistence on sleeves had resulted in a pretty frumpy look, and I found myself with a new spring in my step as I explored new fashion options. 

Over the years I've read the same authors over and over again. After a while I began to think that I could have written their latest novel, because it's not unusual for authors to become predictable in their work. I found myself venturing out into YA or young adult fiction, and found a myriad of new authors, and who knew that dystopian novels could be so much fun?

A new food choice for me would be hummus. Whether it's roasted red pepper or eggplant it's the perfect compliment to DIY pita chips and raw veggies. If I had never given it a try I would have missed out on a healthy, tasty treat. Of course, I've also sampled other genres that were just not my cup of tea, but either way I'm glad I did. 

Changing the station, or the aisle at the library might result in a new found favorite. You never know until you do. 

"Never be afraid to try something new because life gets boring if you stay within the limits of what you already know "

Anonymous