Writing is always political.
This is something I have been thinking about the past couple of weeks. I am one of the very few enrolled in the Professional and Strategic Writing minor at this university (for context, one of my writing classes this semester has a total of five people, me included, and it isn’t even my smallest class). Although the semester has only just started, I’ve already learned this very important lesson: writing can never be apolitical.
As with most art forms, writing is inherently political because it is human. Many people now, especially in academia, praise a detached, unbiased perspective when approaching written work. However, neutrality is merely an illusion. There is no human that can completely detach their emotions from their work. When approaching topics, no matter how far they seem from political issues, the author has to take some kind of stance. This perspective is formed by the writer’s thoughts and unique lived experiences that shape who they are. And, when it comes down to it, these lived experiences are shaped by politics and societal issues. Thus, human writing is always political.
Ultimately, when writing for Her Campus, I think this is an incredibly important thing to consider. We all come from unique backgrounds and our lived experiences play a fundamental role in how and what we write. So, even an article about the new Harry Styles’ song or the Oscar nominees are not neutral because they are written by humans about the human experience. We are all molded by our beliefs, thoughts, and experiences, whether consciously or unconsciously, and this is reflected in our art.
If you want apolitical writing, then it won’t be written by a human. AI will never be able to replicate the human connectedness we gain from art, whether it is a painting or a paper, because it lacks the political nature needed to emulate such. In the end, it is our human experiences that give art value, and by trying to force neutrality in your work, you lose this.