Why Write?

I used to think the point of writing was to explain what I thought. To persuade. To come up with an idea and then show it to someone else in it’s fully formed version.  This of course is largely a product of the education system where we are being taught to a degree what Paulo Freire would call banking education.  Where you as the student are meant to return the information back to the teacher like waves banking on a shore.  The steps would be:  
Think of your idea, write them down, present to the teacher.  

Now of course I realize that we write in order to find out what we think-with a cursory google search can be traced to Joan Didion and Stephen King (and I’m sure others.)

We write to uncover something, not in order to show something.  We write to unearth from within us what our thoughts on a topic are.  In this case I am writing about writing about writing which is a meta-mind fuck, but I think we’ll survive. 

A wasted a lot of time in school trying to fill pages with words, which if you’ve been to school is of course an arduous and annoying way to try and finish a project so you can go play outside.  Playing with margins, font sizes, repeating paragraphs-I’m sure the teachers out there grown weary of this.  

I’ve got no solution for the education part of this situation.  I do think though that writing is valuable in that it can give you clarity. Clarity of thought on a topic, on a problem, on a solution.  

Putting at the top of the page your topic “What do I do about my career?” Then free writing can be extremely helpful-perhaps on some level therapeutic.  

Looking back

This is invaluable. To be able to look back and see “Oh wow, that’s how I thought about writing.”  Or “ah yes, I do remember I learned that process, and now I can see it ever more clearly.”  I can’t overstate how valuable this is!

Publishing

What about the scary, vulnerable thought of publishing your thoughts, your babies your feelings on the internet?  This could be crazy!  Well, to a degree, it is exposing, but at the end of the day, just like anything you decide what to post, you decide what to write, and how detailed to be.  Putting together a process of revisions and edits can help, but I’ve decided on certain topics that I have no problem sharing about -creativity among them. Vs. other topics that I’m not interested in sharing about.  It’s a little obvious but for some of you it’s worth setting up some rules for this in advance so you can get out of your own way.  

So why publish?  To be seen, and to see and for community.  Not necessarily to be understood because the internet is full of trolls who won’t understand, but to be seen by others is an important step and to see others through writing is an important piece as well. 


So, what do I think about writing?  I think it helps with clarity, to untangle our thoughts from within our minds, I think it also helps to know that you may read this and it may help you with something your figuring out--that’s plenty enough reason for me.

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