Keeping & Finding Yourself through Writing

Summary

The author of the article emphasizes the therapeutic power of writing as a means to process and release emotions, find hope, and maintain one's sense of self.

Abstract

The article "Keeping & Finding Yourself through Writing" delves into the personal significance of writing as a tool for emotional catharsis. The author reveals that writing about life's challenges, rather than being a sign of distress, is a method of coping and finding solace. It is through the act of expressing oneself, whether in a journal, a blog, or a conversation, that one can achieve a sense of liberation and understanding. The author suggests that holding onto troubles makes them more difficult to bear, while sharing them can lead to a transformative sense of freedom. The piece concludes with a quote from John Edgar Wideman, reinforcing the idea that writing about fears and personal struggles is a way to prevent them from overwhelming one's life.

Opinions

Writing is a form of self-care that helps the author deal with life's ups and downs.
The act of sharing personal experiences through writing can lead to emotional release and a sense of hope.
Keeping emotions and experiences bottled up can be detrimental, while expressing them can be liberating.
Writing is not just a cry for help but a powerful means of self-expression and self-preservation.
Good writing often stems from personal significance, confronting fears, and dealing with important issues.

On writing

When I write, sometimes people will ask, “Are you okay?” “Is this really a cry for help?”

And I respond, “Oh no, I feel great!”

It’s in the writing, in the sharing that I often find the release. Find the hope through the struggle. Find reason through the pain.

Yes, life can be hard. And I like to write about all facets of life. But it’s often in the expression, that you also find release.

Holding on to something is what makes it unbearable. Sharing it, whether on a pen and page, a computer and keyboard, or a heart to heart is what starts to bring freedom.

Whether the highs or whether the lows, finding a way to share, finding a way to express yourself will also be the way to keeping and finding yourself.

“Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up. But the writing is a way of not allowing those things to destroy you.” — John Edgar Wideman