My name is Sarah J. McNassar Thiagarajan, and I am a freelance dilettante.
I do not call myself a freelance dilettante because I am shallow or don’t take things seriously, but because I am a dabbler in many things. One can’t devour and digest all the wonderful things in the world, but that’s no excuse not to take a taste of every cake offered. My art teacher in High School used to call me her “Renaissance Girl,” and it took me a while, but I savor that description.
I am a writer, a poet, a teacher, a photographer, a painter, a collage/decoupage artist, a collector of paper, a spiritual seeker, a dramaturg, a singer, a fine art aficionado, and much more. Am I a master of all things? No. Most of these things I do simply for my own pleasure.
My main focus in life is the written word. I have been writing since I was four, and while it took many years to develop my craft, I feel as if I have done pretty well. I have worked as a theatre critic and staff writer for a newspaper and I am also a published poet, although I have not submitted as much as I should, no doubt. I have written articles, stories, pieces of sacred poetry, two unfinished plays, a travel blog for children (my former students), and many other blurbs and bits and bobs. I have also taught others how to write, and encouraged them to become the most outstanding writers they can be.
I have developed this site to showcase my work and also to offer my services to others who could use my skills to refine theirs.
This blog will include topics related to the art of writing, as well as opinion pieces; all samples of my own writing style. I hope you enjoy this blog, and feel free to comment at any time. I, in turn, will feel free to delete any comments that are offensive, attacking, or downright ignorant. I try my best to be an open-minded and reasonable person, so disagreement in itself is not offensive. Nor is constructive criticism of my writing. Attacks, however, are, and that includes attacks on other posters.
Thank you for understanding, as well as for reading.
Next on the Daily Dilettante: The Book Hoarder
Writer * Educator * Artist * Adventurer 
This is great! I can so relate to the hoarding issues. I come from a long family history of this problem and continue to fight my own tendencies. One of my favorite mottos is “eliminate, eliminate, eliminate.”
Me too. If something comes in, something else must go out.
I ask myself all the time, “Is it useful, is it beautiful, is it meaningful?” If I don’t use it, it’s being wasted, and someone else could love it more than I do. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Jane.