Over the years, I’ve fallen in and out of writing on this blog. I went through phases of trying to post every day, trying to post weekly, writing a bunch of posts on a single day and scheduling them, etc. None of them worked.
What was really going on here was I wasn’t sure why I was writing.
Today, I write for me.
Writing is a salve. I write to clarify my thinking. To take note of themes and patterns I’m seeing in my life. To make sense of it all.
Many posts on this blog are stream of consciousness writing, to some degree, with minor edits and structuring along the way. I write, then format, choose an image to reflect the emotion in the post, then publish. I don’t schedule posts for the future. I focus on writing and then hitting the “Publish” button.
From time to time, I will add to a post after writing. To me, this is confirmation that writing helps to clarify my thinking. I find that writing also helps to keep my mind focused on a single topic for a defined time period. When I’m typing, all I’m thinking about is exactly that- what I’m typing.
I write in public as a way of sharing my thoughts and encouraging conversation. I write on my own blog so I have full ownership and control of my content, the design, and how I present it to the world. If I want to change something, I change it. This amount of ownership is very freeing. When I receive comments, I light up and appreciate that someone has taken the time to read, reflect, and share their perspective on whatever thoughts have been rolling around in my head. Every single comment has the potential to have a significant and timeless impact.
If you’ve not yet got yourself a blog or a journal of some sort, whether private or public, seriously consider what writing can do for your well-being.
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