Welcome to How to Keep Writing Wednesdays, where you'll find a boost of encouragement to help you keep the words flowing.
Discover Yourself With Writing
Why do people write? Stories, letters, memoirs, grocery lists. A note to the babysitter, a teacher, the water company. A check versus paying cash or credit. What is it that makes us pick up a pen and put it to paper?
Maybe there’s a grave injustice, a street that needs a stop sign, a long overdue thank you note you can’t put off writing any longer. Maybe it’s a Christmas card, an essay for school, a letter informing your boss that you’re finally quitting your job. Maybe it’s a love letter. Maybe you woke up in the middle of the night with an idea that just won’t go away. Maybe you have goals. Maybe you want to inspire someone.
Maybe you have a story to tell.
It doesn’t have to be the Great American Novel. It doesn’t have to be a memoir; it doesn’t even have to be true—it just has to be true for you. It doesn’t have to be something you show anyone, unless of course you want to. It doesn’t have to be intimidating, overwhelming, hard or confusing. It doesn’t even have to be long. It just has to be something you want to write about because it feels important to you.
Why does this even matter?
It matters because you matter—you’re important. How you feel, what you think, what you want to do with your life all comes back to your ability to express yourself, not so much to others but to yourself. Writing helps you discover what you really want. I’m not talking about writing down a list of goals or affirmations (though that can certainly be helpful). I’m talking about listening to that inner voice, to your creativity, and then following it wherever it wants to go. Honor yourself enough to pay attention.
Don’t know where to begin? Feel something but you’re not sure what it is? Start with a writing prompt. Start writing and don’t worry if you go off topic or veer into unexpected territory. Go with it. Consider the prompt a warm-up, like an athlete stretching before a big race. It might take a while to loosen things up, but once you do, be ready. You never know what you’ll discover.