When did writing become such a hard thing to do?
For thousands of years, people have been writing down their thoughts, feelings, observations, stories, and interpretations of the world around them. Yet somehow in recent history we’ve come to believe that writing is something special, reserved for those with extraordinary talent. Somewhere along the line society began to tell us that not everybody could write. There became a separation between ‘authors’ and the rest of us.
But writing is such a fundamental basic human element. It has been a part of us long before there were publishers and book advances and best-seller lists.
In The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin discusses the relatively new phenomenon of writer’s block. What is there to block? Writing use to be such a natural art form for us that we would be able to sit down with a pen and paper and just write, without thinking about it, without pressure or hesitation or worry about appealing to a certain audience’s preferences.
We need to return to that mindset. We need to stop allowing the invisible barrier between authors and the common people to influence us into feeling like we don’t have a right to write.
We need to take back the pen.
Write for yourself. Write for your family and friends. Write for those that matter to you. Don’t be afraid to say something foolish or something that you may regret later. If it is what you’re feeling now, write it down. You don’t have to share it with the world, you don’t have to share it with anyone. But write it down. If it scares you, write it down. It makes you feel embarrassed, write it down. If you’re not even sure if you believe what your thinking, write it down; this will help you figure it out.
I find that when I write consistently, my thinking becomes clearer. I am able to express myself in a more fluid way without stumbling, without being at a loss for words.
Never relinquish your powers to some ominous force that seems to tell you what you can and can’t do. If you want to write, write.