Habitus

1. For me, habitus is the way you see and enjoy the world, as influenced by the culture you have been surrounded with. This can be clear in literary texts, as the authors habits can provide context for the piece. The way I see the world is from the point of view of someone who has grown up comfortably in Melbourne. I don’t think this is the most interesting point of view for fiction, which I write, so reading about experiences very different from mine help me to think outside my own habitus. 
2.  I tend to write in a pretty light hearted style and I can’t resist putting in jokes even when I started out with an intention to write a serious piece. This is strange because I often consider good writing as having to be really heavy and intellectual. This is because other people tend to describe those styles of work as being ‘good’ and it has made me think the same way. I prefer reading and viewing work that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and as I’ve gotten more confident in my own writing I’ve been able to ignore what the majority believes to be ‘good’ writing and focus on what I like. 
3.  I think that by travelling and being put out of my comfort zone with different cultures would help me to expand my point of view. I used to think that just reading about other cultures and places made me aware of them and able to write stories set their, but after starting to travel I realised that these could not give me the same experience that travelling can. It also gives me a good excuse to go away.