Why we Desperately Need Creative Writing in 2020

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of creative writing in 2020 as a means to process collective grief, foster community, and respond to global events.

Abstract

The author of the article expresses a heightened appreciation for their Medium membership during recent months, seeking content that resonates with their personal experiences amidst global turmoil. They argue that creative writing is crucial during times of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as it helps individuals navigate their emotions and the changing world. The act of writing is seen as a way to establish new communities and engage in meaningful conversations about important topics, offering solace and understanding when faced with personal or societal challenges. The article draws a parallel to the Modernist movement post-World War I, highlighting how writing can help society redefine values and cope with a sense of loss. The author encourages readers to contribute their voices through various forms of writing, asserting that such expressions are valuable for both the writer and the audience during these times.

Opinions

Creative writing is vital for processing the collective grief experienced during the pandemic, which the author likens to mourning the loss of a familiar way of life.
Writing and reading poetry and literature provide a sense of connection and community, filling the void left by physical isolation.
The author finds personal resonance and guidance in classic texts like "To the Lighthouse" and "Jane Eyre," suggesting that literature can offer insights into complex issues such as gender, ageing, and social structures.
The article posits that writing is a form of revolutionary response to current events, similar to the Modernist movement that emerged after World War I, which sought to redefine meaning in a changed world.
The author believes that writing helps people understand and articulate their thoughts on the present state of the world, paving the way for a brighter future.
The article encourages readers to share their experiences through writing, affirming that there is an audience ready to engage with their work.

Why We Desperately Need Creative Writing in 2020

Photo by Patrick Tomas on Unsplash

I don’t know about you, but the last few months I have truly made the most of my Medium membership. I have found myself reading and reading and still longing for content that I can relate to — content that can help me understand the correlation between world events and my own personal fears and emotions that seem amplified.

But why? Art is important, art is vital.

In the podcast ‘Unlocking Us with Brene Brown’, the death and grieving expert David Kessler is interviewed and he describes:

“We are all grieving life as we know it”

These are confusing and fearful times. It may appear that we may have past the biggest peak of the pandemic. However, it is our perspective of the future that is triggering worry and evoking fear. The future suddenly feels unknown and therefore we are experiencing grief on that sense of security that we used to hold on to when life was normal. Right now, I do not know when I can safely travel to stay with my friends, or since I am fresh out of university — if I will get a job in the career plan that I was previously following. I am grieving the future that I was so excited to begin.

And this pandemic is one example of a time when I feel a sudden need to read and to write. I experience this same sensation following receiving sad news, when feeling anxious or when I just do not know what to do.

The act of writing establishes new communities:

We are social creatures. This pandemic has literally isolated us — stripped us to stay in our homes with just those we already live with. Reading poetry feels like an insightful conversation that does not hold back. There is no small talk but big discussions of important topics presented through poetic structures, imagery, metaphors, etc. Additionally, whenever we feel emotionally isolated, poetry is always a great tool.

By exploring our self through words — our opinions and perspectives — through various writing mediums, we gift our company to individuals. There are books such as To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte that I find myself being drawn back into at different stages of my life. These two texts have specifically helped me navigate my understanding of gender, ageing, relationships and class structures in Britain. They have helped me understand my own mundane problems and have helped me make decisions.

Reading can help us greatly, and by writing we are helping others. Conversations are started from your own thoughts on a page, suddenly the words you string together become memorised quotations. There is something so valuable in being related to when you are experiencing something that feels so personal and confusing. You find someone has been through the same thing and has come out the other side. Take your life experiences and play with them by writing.

Medium is literal community. The comments and feedback I get on my writing, particularly my poetry, encourages me to keep striving forward and engage in conversation with these people who are from all around the world.

Revolutionary art movements have been created by people responding to current events by taking to the page:

Following the First World War, a huge movement took place under the name of Modernism. This movement called for a reconsideration of value and meaning in a world that was ruptured by the catastrophe of war. Things felt uncertain, particularly the future, which is comparable to 2020. It broke free from traditional norms of writing which can be seen by the subject of Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons (1912) being mundane objects. Psychology, history and philosophy all intertwined with literature to explore this new post-war society. This writing helped the grieving families and the scared individuals when attempting to navigate a ruptured world. The importance of writing can be summarised by Modernist poet Hilda Doolittle:

“…if you do not even understand what words say, how can you expect to pass judgement on what words conceal?”

Art, specifically writing, forces us to reflect from a new perspective. We are able to see a brighter future if we truly grasp what is happening worldwide in the present. Writing identifies the spirit of the present time.

“Contemporariness is, then, a singular relationship with one’s time and, at the same time, keeps a distance from it” — Giorgio Agamben, What is the Contemporary?

Your voice truly matters and therefore your writing greatly matters. Whether you prefer to articulate your thoughts and emotions through poetry, essays, short stories, plays or novels — now is the time to write for people are waiting and are ready to listen. I would love to hear your reasons for choosing to write and why you read!