Hello and welcome to December! With the holiday season just around the corner maybe you will have a little extra time to do some creative writing, but think on this first…
Why bother with the long hours it takes to write a full-length novel, or a short story or even a poem? Why put up with rejection after rejection for your efforts (that’s assuming you are not self-publishing) that is! Why write anything at all when you could be out enjoying yourself doing something that does not take nearly as much brain power as writing seems to to?
I think about this a lot and this could be the answer – creative writing is good for you! It comes from that part of you that is deep and will remain unexplored if you choose not to write anything. The reflective aspect of creative writing explains why so many writers are naturally introvert and like to take life at a slower pace. That is not to say us writer types are slow, far from it, it’s just that we like to step back to observe and analyse any given situation, which may very well end up in a piece of fiction.
I think us humans are wired to want to make sense of our lives and writing is one way we do this.
So, you are in one of life’s less pleasant experiences like a break-up, a bereavement, unemployment, illness, personal trauma or downright nasty memories. You are in that place of depression, stress, frustration, anger, maybe even looking at the highest building in your area so you can jump off it … this is no joke!
You know one of the most cleansing and cathartic activities you can do when faced with the downside of life is to WRITE about it whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Believe me it helps the healing process tremendously. You see, it’s about communicating on a deeper level and it’s about expressing those issues in a safe environment. But don’t take my word for it. Numerous studies have been conducted on writing as a therapy, check out the book: Expressive Writing, Words that Heal by James W Pennebaker, Ph.D and John F Evans, Ed.D if you want further exploration into the proven healing abilities of writing.
You see, the trouble with life is that it will throw you curve balls which have the ability to mess you up! Big time, in some cases! However, while you cannot necessarily change the negative events of your life you can alter how you feel about them. And in so doing take away the power these events have over you. As the healing commences notice how you begin to feel much stronger and bigger. More able to participate in and appreciate the beautiful things in life…
Remember though, you don’t necessarily have to show your writing to anyone for it to help you. You can write your thoughts and feelings in a journal that remains completely private.
So, express yourself boldly and creatively and watch that rainbow come into view…
Until next time
Happy Writing, S
Sharon's Writers Tidbits 