During the past three weeks, I’ve spent much of my free time binge-watching “Jane the Virgin” on Netflix, and it’s helped me strengthen the relationship between me and my career goal. As an aspiring journalist, I’m always writing — whether it be an essay for class, a column for the Daily Wildcat, or just for myself. Writing has always been my passion, and I love expressing myself through this medium.
“Jane the Virgin” refers to Jane Villanueva, a woman who was accidentally artificially inseminated during a routine pap smear. The story follows her relationships and the ongoing drama with the many people in her life, from her mom, dad, grandmother, and on-again-off-again boyfriend to her son, her son’s dad and his wife-turned ex-wife. The show is a whirlwind of craziness in the style of a telenovela.
After Jane gives birth to her son, Mateo, she realizes that she wants to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Viewers watch her pursue that goal through her journey toward a master’s degree in creative writing. The show portrays Jane’s struggle to write romance novels while being pushed by advisors to strengthen her work to better capture readers’ attention.
Even after Jane’s dream of becoming a writer comes true as she lands a book deal to publish her first novel, she remains humble and focuses on her main priority: Family.
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Watching this TV show felt like watching a hyperbolic version of my life. As a junior at the UA pursuing a degree in journalism, I’m being challenged every semester by amazing professors who have years of experience. And I’ve had great opportunities to gain experience, such as writing at the Daily Wildcat and interning at the Arizona Daily Star.
I’m being pushed to learn more in my chosen field and to strengthen the skills that I need — just like Jane.
Though I wasn’t artificially inseminated like her, I am a mom to a two-year-old little girl. I’m always trying to balance the craziness of my life, making sure that I have time for my daughter, my schoolwork, my writing jobs and my classes.
After having her son, Jane had a hard time letting others watch him while she worked on her writing. However, she realized that she really wanted to focus on her dreams, and that doing so wasn’t going to be easy. She would need to couple her motivation with help from those closest to her.
When I had my daughter, I felt the exact same way. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to let others watch my daughter as I went off to my classes, but I pushed through the “mommy guilt” and continued on my chosen path. I’m glad I did. I’m loving everything I’ve been learning about journalism — and I’ve learned just how much support I have from those closest to me.
Jane struggles with writer’s block throughout the show. Viewers sometimes see her sitting at her dining room table typing sentences on her laptop, only to delete them in frustration.
During these moments, Jane talks with others about it, soaking up their words of encouragement. When she emerges from her writer’s block, it’s usually due to a sudden “eureka” moment in which an idea just clicks.
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My life is not a TV show, but I long for those inspired moments. From watching Jane’s method of defeating writer’s block, I’ve learned a new strategy for escaping that awful feeling of being stuck. I’m going to start talking to the people in my life about the stories that I’m writing, and I’m going to be more open-minded about their opinions and critiques.
Overall, Jane has taught me that it is possible to be a mom while pursuing your dream.
I’ve struggled with figuring out what I want to write about, but after watching this show, I’ve realized that events are not always going to happen the way you envision. Your dream will take time and dedication, but it can be realized.
Jane, to me, represents who I want to be when I’m 28 years old. I want to be successful but humble. I want to be able to overcome challenges and be a good person. Although saying so may be cliché, as long as you’re having fun doing what you love, it will all work out in the end.
Follow Aurora Begay on Twitter.
