If You Want to Write

Writing is one of the many forms by which human beings express themselves, and narrate their experiences, views of the world, thoughts, and feelings; it has been one of the most influential art forms throughout human history. Before the advent of writing, people would tell stories and experiences through verbal language, which is perhaps why writing is still considered an elitist practice that is not within everyone’s reach. Speaking is an everyday, almost automatic action, but we tend to write less frequently, and usually because we are forced to by bureaucratic procedures or by social media, for example.

According to journalist Brenda Ueland, however, there is no reason to believe that we are incapable of writing well. We are all in control of how we live our lives, and we therefore have something to say. What’s more, everyone has unique and distinctive traits, which become potential talents when they are transferred to the expressive level. There are many reasons why people do not believe in their own originality; most of them, especially in the field of writing, are linked to social pressure, which tends to diminish the value of individual creativity.

The author maintains that our self-belief is one of the most important traits to develop if we want to write. Writing is original, captivating, and engaging, when it is the product of a desire to communicate, and when we allow our most authentic self to speak.