Throughout my life, I’ve defined writing in
several different ways. At certain points, I felt that writing was exhausting, too time-consuming, or too challenging. I’ve struggled to formulate my thoughts into words and felt that I could never clearly illustrate what I wanted to say. Later on, influential people in my life introduced me to a different side of writing — one that was simple. Writing isn’t math (thankfully!) and there is no specific formula to follow to get it right. It is a form of interpretation that isn’t always black and white, and I believe that is what makes it so special.
Now, my thoughts on writing are clearer than ever. English 101 reiterated the idea that writing doesn’t have to be hard. It is a unique, creative, and individualistic way to express one’s feelings, emotions, thoughts, or anything else! If I find writing is hard for me now, I recognize immediately that I must not be approaching it the right way. Writing is a depiction of art that everyone is capable of doing, even if it takes some time to achieve an individual style.
Just as Stephen King defines them, words are a form of “Telepathy, of course”. Writing is a way to transport readers to new dimensions, allowing a creative escape from reality. Writing can extend beyond words, too. There are countless ways to illustrate the messages you are trying to convey (just look at this blog!). Pictures, videos, and other forms of multimodality allow readers to engage with the material in so many exciting ways that reinstill important motifs and themes.
It is evident that although my relationship with writing is forever evolving, I am so happy I finally recognize the true value of it. Most of my current writing is academic, but I hope to find time in the near future to expand my personal writing portfolio — one piece at a time!
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