An open letter to all of my blogging and writing friends out there…
Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
Who do you write for?
The great question. One which every blogger asks him/herself from time to time, I’m sure.
If you’re fortunate enough to have an audience who loves your voice enough that it doesn’t matter what you say, you’ve hit paydirt and good for you.
Otherwise? Who are you really writing for?
As I told you in the past, I’ve been spending less time here because I’m working on a book. I’m also lucky enough to be working on a freelance job which takes up quite a bit of my time.
Because I need to write.
Be it here or in a Word document or as a ghostwriter talking about all sorts of random nonsense I would never have known anything about otherwise.
I might not always be saying what I want to say, but the stuff I have to write keeps me sharp for the stuff I want to write. Either way, I know I’m blessed to be writing at all.
And even if I never get paid to do it again, I’ll still write. Because it’s one of the few constant compulsions which has spanned the breadth of my life. It wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t supposed to be there.
Same goes for you.
The guiding force in our universe didn’t give you a way with words, my beautiful friend, if you weren’t intended to use that gift.
And it’s likely that you feel the need to use this talent. Because it’s inside you, wanting to get out. That’s the whole point. Your job on this planet is to express this gift for the good of others.
And there are others. No matter your message, no matter your story, if there is one other person who can relate…your job is done.
But you’re never finished. Because there are more stories inside you – a whole wealth of them, waiting to float gracefully or perhaps struggle to the surface.
And there will be other people out there, waiting to hear your voice even if neither of you knows it yet.
And if no one ever reads it but your family and friends, you’ll still be the winner in the end. Because one more person in the world made use of their talents instead of keeping them hidden away, and that kind of energy heals the world in time.
So do the world a favor. Write. Be it on your blog, in a bestselling book, in a journal.
Share your beautiful self, even if it’s not all beautiful. Because even though we’re all so different, at heart we’re fundamentally the same. We all get scared, we all feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes, we all feel goofy or horrible or funny or clever.
Let it out, and remind someone else that they’re not alone after all.
Get it all out there. Let writing be your therapy. Let it heal you.
Let it fire you up and give you a reason to bounce out of bed in the morning and a reason to smile with self-satisfaction when your head hits the pillow. So many people never get the chance to feel that way – don’t let your chance pass you by.
Just write. For you. Because you need to.
I’m sharing this with the lovely Shell at Things I Can’t Say – because don’t we all need to pour our hearts out from time to time?
As I read this, I wonder where my fire to write went. Why my desire is rarely there anymore. How I can get it back. But yes, overall I need to remember this for all time. For the times that I question myself. For the times that I wonder if it’s worth it. Because it is worth it. For me.
Exactly. It’s part of who you are. It’s part of what makes you you. And the more you do it, the happier you’ll be, and the sharper you’ll be as well. But the happiness part counts most of all.
What a great post on writing; I write for myself but have struggled some times to figure out which direction I want to go and what I “should” spend my energy doing. So many writing projects, so little time. I identify a lot with what you are saying here. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! And I totally understand – between my book which I hope to someday complete, the freelancing I’m actually getting paid to do, this blog definitely takes the fall every time. I’m trying to find a balance now, but balance is never easy in any area of life, is it?
I know exactly what you mean!
I HAVE to write… it’s like thinking for me… processing something.
For a long long time, I didn’t write, just little jots here and there in so many notebooks scattered throughtout the house that they followed no real cohesion… the early years of my parenting…. taking a few moments to write down a thought while a child napped or I stirred dinnner… I kept meaning to collect all the bits and make sense of them, but the collected fragments are all still all in shoe-boxes gathering dust… and I’ve probably moved on… a season that has passed.
One day, I just sat down at my computer and started a blog – BAM!
Isn’t it awesome how putting your thoughts into words, just for YOU, and hopefully for others too, can clear your headspace, and make life simpler, lighter.
I’ve really enjoyed your blog too, and FB page. That’s the other benefit – all those connections you make and the redemption of your sanity – some people DO actually think like me too, haha!
Please find me on FB if any of you would like to connect there – FennyPenny. I’ve started to write shorter bits there on a more frequent basis. Doctoring and mothering and writing is a juggle – but the writing has to stay – as you say, it IS essential!
Thanks for a great post.
xx FennyPenny
Thank you for your awesome comment! You know, I used to save my notebooks at the end of every school year and spend the summer filling them with stories and poems and all sorts of things – it’s what I remember most clearly when I say that writing really has flowed for me from a young age. I totally relate! Writing does make life lighter, it totally does. It allows more room in the brain, I think, when we can get all the junk out that’s rattling around in there.
And yes, the most gratifying feeling in the world is when (a) you find someone you relate to or (b) someone relates to you. Talk about refreshing! So we need to stop being afraid to put our voices out there, because we ALL count.
You sound like a busy lady – I’ll be by to pay a visit for sure!
I would so love that, Mrs B. And ditto – you sound like a busy busy lady too. I will be following you regularly. so glad to have ‘met’ you. Please find me on FB too xx
As a writing major, I absolutely ADORE this post. Thanks for writing it!
Thank YOU!
Great post, and so pertinent. I’m sure we all have days when we feel no one is reading us. Me, I write to maintain my creative balance. In college & beyond, I was a journalist…I wrote movie & music reviews and could give my authorings style & flair & personality. Now I’m a scientist, and my reports are very cut & dry: “Here’s the data, this is how it compares to the target levels, this is what we recommend.” While there is room for creative thought and brainstorming in the recommendations section, it’s very much a dance of “you can’t use these trigger words or say things a certain way, lest you trigger a reaction from the client/regulator/etc.”
My cooking blog allows me to be creative and say what I want and be silly and improvise and boast on friends and loved ones and reminisce. It allows me to exercise that artistic side of my brain that doesn’t get used in my “10 point Tahoma font 1.5 spaced” work environment. Even when no one comments, I’ll admit it–I read & re-read my own posts over & over, and am proud of what I created.
(Best of luck on the book! SQUEE!!!!)
You totally hit the nail on the head when it comes to the difference between what I have to write vs. what I like to write, I can so relate. For me it can become so tedious – a lot of it is SEO-related, and there’s a specific word count, and all sorts of rules. It can be such a drain. But it is what it is, I guess.
I read my posts too! And there is something so gratifying about being able to sit back and think “Wow, I wrote that, good for me!”.
We should all be proud of ourselves. How many people are afraid to create at all? What a shame.
And thanks for the good wishes – this is definitely one of the best things I think I’ve ever worked on. I hope others agree…
Tears.
Because I needed to read this today. I’m struggling a little right now, and this helps.
Oh sweetie. I hope you’re feeling better today. Keep blogging, keep writing – you’re so good at it.
I wrote a post about this very topic not too long ago…”I Do It For Me”.
Michelle
http://normalchaosforamultitaskmom.blogspot.com/2012/07/its-all-about-perspective.html
I found your post, and you say it all so beautifully. Everyone needs something “just for them”, and sadly I think so many people (women especially) fall into the trap of not allowing themselves that special something because they feel as though it’s selfish or weak to admit that they are, in fact, human and have their own needs and wants. And as you say, there’s the whole “I need to be productive, I need to address this and that situation instead” drama as well. But the fact is, the better we take care of ourselves and acknowledge our own desires, the better care we can take of those around us. And you, ma’am, clearly have a lot on your plate! So I’m glad you allow yourself the time to blog, to do something just for you – you deserve it!
I love this, you. Writing is, indeed, something we just need to do, isn’t it? Love the way you own this, and use it to push others forward, too. That’s the good stuff right there!
Thank you, sweet lady!
Amen! Beautifully written~I needed to read this today. Thank you for sharing your love of writing and encouraging others to do the same. Wonderful!
Thank you!
I love it. We can all write whether it’s good or bad, but what matters is that we do it. Write for us or write for others…. just do it!
Exactly – just do it. It doesn’t all have to be sheer poetry. Sometimes the poetry is culled from the garbage – but the garbage needs to get out there in the first place.
Truthfully, I feel like a bipolar writer. I have many rushes of writing where it just flows and it dies as quick as it comes.
Well that’s the thing: Capitalizing on that rush of inspiration when it hits. And sometimes just getting the words out there even when they feel clunky. Good things can still come of that!
I adore this. After everything I’ve been going through I’ve realized that writing is so very helpful to me now.
Also? I write because I’m afraid to talk and be auto-tuned.
I’m so glad you have an outlet right now, dear. Thinking of you every day.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a pill addiction to attend to…
Oh, how I love this! I do think we should all write- whether it’s on our blogs or in a journal.. just write our stories somewhere!