Why I Write

George Orwell has a theory that there are four “great motivations” for why people write. People write because of their ego, for aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, or for political purposes. Aside from writing for a living or to make a wage, Orwell believes the reason why someone writes can be based on one of those four motivations. 

I used to not always be a writer. When I was in middle school, I hated being told to write. I didn’t like being told what to write about, being told I needed to make an outline, and I hated grammar at the time (I still do). 

My love for writing was established in high school, specifically in history class, when I was allowed to write about a historical event that I wanted. My love grew even more my freshman year of college when I took an intro to film course and I got to write the first half of a movie script. That’s where my love for creative writing blossomed. 

If I have to tie my reason for writing back to Orwell’s theory of “great motivations” my reason would be aesthetic enthusiasm. I love the idea of writing about the beauty of the world, nature, and human connection. I love words, hidden themes, and patterns and how those tools come together to tell a story. 

This is why I want to write children’s books. It’s one of the simplest forms of writing but is underlyingly so complex and full of hidden messages. I was always told I would make a great teacher, and for a while, I considered going into teaching, but I never saw myself teaching in a school setting. I couldn’t see myself standing in front of a classroom five days a week lecturing, but I still knew that I wanted to educate. This is why I decided to write children’s books to teach about the beauty of the world, the importance of friendships, and being kind.

I also believe some of my reason for writing is for political purposes. As someone who is passionate about environmental conservation and promoting sustainability, I have to be political. 

Although I have not done much writing for political purposes, I can imagine that as my career. I want to work in communications/marketing for an environmental conservation non-profit organization. So, while I may not be writing long essays or news articles about politics, I will still be writing newsletters or forming marketing campaigns centered around environmental justice. 

Love and passion is a motivation that Orwell missed in his theory. I write because I love it. Even if I was the worst writer in the world I would still do it because I love it. 

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