Ricky Martin. Cinderella. Kintsugi. Writing as Therapy. Fairytales and Trauma Patients. Plastic Surgery and Self-esteem. Mid-life Crises. Broken Heart Syndrome. What do they all have in common, you may wonder? Where do they all intersect?
Well, that’s easy: with me, of course.
All of the above are different topics that I have researched at length, ad nauseum, for Cinderella, Revised.
And I have learned so much. May I share some interesting tidbits?
- Did you know that Ricky Martin was the Latin American Spanish language voice for Disney’s Hercules (1997)? Sigh.
- Or, did you know that according to an English folklorist’s research from 1893, there are 345 known variations of the Cinderella tale? (And that was over 120 years ago!) Holy cow—that means mine will add to that!
- The Japanese word kintsugi means “golden joinery,” and its reparation of something broken with a gold adhesive is considered artwork.
- Researching how writing can be a credible form of psychotherapy actually led me to fairy tale therapy. I found it fascinating that trauma patients, particularly children, telling their stories as fairy tales allowed them the distance and safety necessary to process what happened to them. It makes so much sense, though.
- And how about this? According to 2015 statistics, I have had two of the top five plastic surgeries done on me! The largest age group having work done these days? Forty to 54-year-olds.
- Women go through mid-life crises much earlier than men, by the way—from the ages of 35-44. I guess it’s too late for me to get my nose pierced then, dangit.
- Broken Heart Syndrome is a real-thing, people. And guess what? Women. Ninety per cent more likely to have it happen than men. Recent reports have even wondered if Debbie Reynolds’ sudden death was because of her daughter’s (Carrie Fisher) the day or so before.
I could go on and on and on, I suppose, but then maybe no one will read my book. I guess there’s always the puzzle of trying to figure out how they all fit into my story, right?
Why don’t you all choose one—yes, do!—and I’ll include a brief excerpt next post from the book about it…deal?
Aimee Ross 