The other day, I got a notification from one of my professors prompting the class to reflect on the following questions: Do you like to write? Why or why not?
As a member of the editorial team for Her Campus, it’s a given that I enjoy writing — I wouldn’t label Saturday as my writing day if I didn’t. Still, I hadn’t put much thought into why I enjoyed it until my professor brought it up.Â
Writing, if you allow it, can be an intellectual, emotional, and creative outlet. It organizes thoughts, experiences, and information to form what you believe to be true. The process itself — of drawing conclusions from many conversing factors — can be chaotic and overwhelming. However, once you push past the block, clarity replaces confusion, and you are now more secure in what you know and feel.Â
On the other hand, if you are unsure, it will be painfully obvious in your writing. I am a firm believer that if you cannot write about something, you have simply not thought about it enough. It can be humbling. Writing solidifies what you know while putting a spotlight on what you do not.
The drama and sensitivity of high school sparked my passion for writing. I was particularly keen on drafting letters addressed to a boy. While his name was at the top, the words belonged to me. By writing what I wanted to say to him — what I wanted him to know — I found what I needed to say to myself. The countless hours I spent on these letters allowed me to process my own feelings and understand what was behind them.Â
Thus, my introspective exploration had begun. Through writing, I have been able to learn more about myself than ever before. It translates mental chaos into meaning.Â
Academic writing is different, but that doesn’t mean it has to be more difficult. Rather than emotions and experiences, you are tested for ideas, evidence, and perspectives. The core process, however, remains unchanged: deliberate thought is the difference between confusion and clarity. It demands introspection, but of another kind. While I am not ecstatic about academic prompts, it rewards the same curiosity that drew me to writing a few years ago.
Most importantly, writing can be your voice. It allows you to share your thoughts and opinions in a well-prepared manner while avoiding the pressure of public speaking. This is huge for me. I become so focused on choosing the right words and worrying about how I will be perceived that I end up silencing myself before I ever speak.Â
This is why I write. Writing is where I lean into uncertainty. It allows me to question, reconsider, and explore without the expectation of immediacy or certainty.Â
This piece belongs, in part, to him — the one who read what I wrote and told me not to stop.
Writing is how I think.
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