The Personal Nature of Writing
Posted by Moses on Oct 27, 2008
Writing is a very personal activity. When you write you are opening yourself up to others. Yes, writing is an art. But it’s more than just art, it’s about what’s in between your ears and in your chest. It’s your perception of the world written for all to see and share. The very nature of writing intimidates and overwhelms many people. To often people are concerned with being rejected or having enough ability. So instead of enriching the world with a new take on our every changing world and possibly enriching the life of someone else, they procrastinate and deny the world their voice.
Not only is the world denied, but they too lose something very valuable. I’m not sure how to describe it. Writing is about creating. There is a rush and power that comes from creating. I’m sure that it must be true for other artists like painters and sculptors. To take a blank canvas, stone or page (screen) and to shape it or fill it with your own views is heady stuff. Now that I think about it, I’m sure that craftsman and others that work with their hands in some productive way must experience the same feeling.
I think that the act of creating requires you to involve your soul in your actions. I mean that the activity, whether it’s writing, painting, gardening, etc. touches the core of your being. At least this has been my experience.
I have found that when I write, particularly for this blog, but in general as well, that afterward I have a sense of calmness and relaxation that is hard to recreate with other means (e.g. working out). It’s this sense of euphoria that is so amazing. I used to run competitively when I was younger and often I would experience the infamous runner’s high”, which occurred after a tough run (usually referred to as a good run). Although, I would be exhausted, I felt like I could run forever.
Writing is similar. When I’m writing, I often think much faster than I type, so even with my hands flying over the keyboard, I still miss words in some sentences because my hands can’t keep up with the speed of my thoughts. I’ll be so charged that I won’t be able to contain my excitement. Definitely, a danger if I get on a roll too late in the evening. As I am doing now 
I think that any activity the allows your to express yourself in a way that engages the complete you (e.g head, heart and soul) in a genuine way becomes very personal. I believe that the arts (e.g writing, painting, sculpting etc) fit this model, I’m not sure about the performing arts. I wonder if the act of performing because of the immediate feedback from the audience doesn’t spark a different, but perhaps similar feeling.
I’m sure that other activities such as tweaking or tuning machines, gardening etc are close enough in result to creating that you would obtain a similar sense of relaxation and euphoria.
Back to the title of the article. Writing is a personal activity. When writing is about creating something that you care about the work become spiritual. It becomes an extension of you. So go write, create put yourself out there in a meaningful way, I guarantee you’ll be better for it.
Tags: creation, personal, writing
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Changes to Postings
Posted by Moses on Feb 8, 2007
Since the relaunch of the site most of my postings have been full fledged articles that have taken a while to write. Although writing these articles is fun and fulfilling, I also want to have a more consistent and regular dialog with the readers of this site. So I’ve decided starting today to write at least one posting a day independent of whether or not I have an article ready for publication.
I thought I would start today by letting everyone know the articles that I am currently working on:
- The Challenges of Writing for a Secular and Christian Audience
- My Ministry: Part 3
- Joining the Open Source Tidal Wave: Part 2
- The Changing Nature of Work
Those 4 are just a few of many articles that are sketched out, but aren’t quite ready to be written yet. Starting this blog and working to make it popular has been a lot of fun. I’m anxious to see what the future holds.
Tags: articles, blogging, postings, site news, writing
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