I started writing seriously a few years ago, but just for myself. I began by writing in a journal as a means of expressive therapy. Sitting with a blank page before me, not knowing what to write, how to write, or even why I was writing was too daunting a set-up. It took a lot of time to find what worked for me.
Do you ever feel like you can give great advice to someone else, but not to yourself? What if you could look at your own writing as if it were someone else’s and give advice to that person? I wanted to give it a shot.
At first, I set out to write reflectively. I attempted to write in a manner of looking from the outside in. By writing expressively about what I was experiencing, I was able to come back later and get an external perspective on my thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. This ability to step outside of myself was crucial.
In the act of journaling, I generally seek a handful of outcomes. Catharsis, simply letting off steam, is a great outcome. Once your thoughts are out on paper, you own them and you have some clarity and some closure. Another valuable outcome is decentering. When you have negative thinking patterns, bringing them to the light through writing helps. First, by helping you identify them, and secondarily, by distancing yourself from them. You can be aware of thoughts and thinking patterns without attaching or reacting to them.
I saw incredible progress. More than I had hoped for. The practice of writing ended up being really good for me and I started writing more about everything and anything. I haven’t really shared a whole lot, but that had not been the point for me.
The greatest value I’ve found in writing comes from the increased clarity it gives me. I write for the sake of recording, I re-read for the sake of understanding, and I re-write for the sake of further clarifying. Using this heuristic has helped me better understand myself, but it’s also helped me better understand complex topics I’m interested in learning more about.
In writing, I stumbled upon an engine of change and found some meaning. I think this is where it leads next. I’m excited you’re here and along for the journey.