Ima-gi-naaaation

The thing I absolutely love the most about writing is that you can write whatever you want. Whether it’s good things or bad, you can write about it. Additionally, when you write on pen and paper, typically no body else is going to see it. So when you write about something personal, it stays personal. You have the option of sharing it but you don’t’ have to.

You can write your thoughts into sentences – which can help organize your ideas or memories.

You can create stories however you please.

You can alter those stories at any time.

You can write notes to refer back to.

You can write about things that you don’t want to forget.

You can format your writing however you want. The list goes on and on.

It’s nearly all inclusive. If you are overweight, underweight, muscular, skinny, or handicapped in some way or another, everyone can write. Anyone can write, just the same as anyone can sing, dance, draw, etc. You don’t have to be good, either, but if you want to get better you practice.

When you read, you get to build the storyline how you want. You get to envision what the characters, the scenery, and everything in-between look like. You’re building your own little world, literally, within your mind. You’re creating your own movie just for you, within your brain. It pauses and plays as you please, rewinds when you re-read the same sentence over and over, and you become emotionally invested when something happens to one of your characters.

Good or bad, it’s an escape from reality. When I write, I get lost in the story and forget I’m actually at work, or at home, or at the coffee shop, etc.

(BTW – side note, when you think to yourself, do you see pictures, words, or nothing at all?? Like, if someone told you to think of an apple, do you literally see an apple in your mind, or do you envision the word apple? Or is it just empty?)

For me, writing is more than just writing. When it comes to sharing my emotions, I am terrible at communicating them verbally. I’m awkward about it, stumble over my words, lose my thoughts, etc. I become too worried about their body language and facial expressions while I’m talking, fearing they are not actually listening or care about what I have to say. (Not all of them, just a select few.)

So when I do finally share my feelings with my friends, I write a card. It takes the pressure off of the social interaction, gives me more time to think about what I want to say, and they can keep it if they’d like. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy random cards throughout the year??

When my mind is racing and anxious, I become restless in many ways. Writing is a healthy coping mechanism, allowing me to view what I’m thinking, dissect why I’m thinking it, and ultimately come to the realization that there’s no need to worry about those things. All I can do is the next best step, and focus about the things I have control over and disregard the rest.

There’s just so many great things about writing.