I won’t tell you lies: not everyone can write!

I, myself, don’t want to pretend I do. It brings me enjoyment for the selfish reason that it frees me and boosts my silly ego, when my words somehow seem to go well together. However, I am limited and repetitive, and I’m not even as creative as I would sometimes like to think I am. Yet I, of all people, ended up writing this for you. And you have honored my work following until now, so I will get straight to the point: the world probably doesn’t desperately need your writing to be better. You may never write a bestselling novel or journal every day religiously. But your entire being has an urgency for you to write.

Write to free yourself

Most of the times when I am writing, I physically ache. You don’t even realize how much you are holding inside until you can collapse into a safe space and spill it all out. It can be your pain, or it can simply be a world of color and beauty, but you need to put it on paper. Whether you save it or burn it, that’s up to you, but all those thoughts need to see the light, or they will slowly crush you from the inside out.

If you ever let out a breath, you did not realize you were holding in, then you’ve already experienced how writing down all the thoughts racing through your mind feels. You’re releasing something that needs to come out to the surface. You’re taking a weight from your shoulders.

Write to make the world better

And despite saying the world doesn’t need it, it might still make it better! The words coming from your hurt heart might touch someone going through the same thing. Your creative sparkles might light up a kid’s world and enhance their own imagination; or they might slowly pile up like the bricks of a castle, creating a safe and magical world, which someone will surely fall in love with. Of course, you might need to review what you wrote if you want to publish it, but that is even better! You get a glimpse into who you were and get the chance to make it better, improving yourself with it.

Write to practice

Now that I got all of this out of the way, there is one more confession I need to make: you don’t, in fact, even need any pre-existing talent to write something good! There is perseverance, passion, hard work, vulnerability, and honesty that go into a nice read, but talent is the last on the list of ingredients you need for a good literary work.

Write to connect

Last but not least, since the upcoming BLEND editions are all about connections, you should know that writing helps you connect deeply, not only with yourself but also with the world. Yes, even if you won’t publish it! Your writing is out in the world, your thoughts fill the air, the ashes of a burnt paper get scattered in the wind, and your soul is lighter, having more room to absorb emotions from those around you. Freeing the burdensome thoughts, rusted ideas and cluttered emotions allows you to connect better with your loved ones. Or even with a stranger who you might notice is hunched over their notebook, scribbling their own secrets, just like you once did.

Where to start

And if you need a place to start, I’ll leave you with 3 links to some websites I love:

https://750words.com/- a platform where you have to write (privately) 750 words every day. It then gives you an analysis of what you wrote in terms of feelings conveyed, most frequently used words, etc. It’s a great tool that motivates you to keep going and look deeper into yourself

https://www.futureme.org/ - a website where you can send a letter to yourself or to loved ones that they will receive by email at a selected point in the future. It is a great opportunity to connect with your deepest feelings and create a bridge through time

https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/ - a subreddit that offers prompt ideas to start writing a short story, or where you can just enjoy reading what others wrote until you gather the courage to do it yourself