Writing heals you and helps you blossom

When I was in middle school or even a high school freshman, there was nothing less appealing than composing an essay, either in class or as homework.

What was all the fuss about, after all? The assignment sounded so cold, so official. It almost felt like every time I couldn't figure out what the teacher wanted me to say.

"I have no ideas," "Mum, what should I write?", "Either way, the teacher won't like my essay."

Since the very first time we learn how to write, we are asked to keep doing it. And the more years that pass by, the more complicated the assignments get.

When we are teenagers, it can seem boring. And growing up without giving writing a chance can just make it seem pointless.

But why is writing so important? Why do we start writing small compositions in our early years?

In this blog post, I will tell you why, in my opinion, writing can be the key to opening doors to your self-development.

Writing means learning

When I was in school, I had my techniques for studying a topic. It was either copying or rephrasing the underlined paragraphs I had to learn.

The simple act of rewriting those words helped them settle in my brain. In fact, handwriting can enhance your memory skills (and this is not just me saying it; there are scientific papers on the subject).

Writing means thinking

The essay asking you to describe your family was not just a way for teachers to investigate your domestic situation – and I am not even sure they can. It was the chance you had to think of ways to talk about something you already knew in your own words!

And when later on they asked you to give your opinion on current phenomena, such as the outbreak of Covid-19 and its impact on society, it was your opportunity to say what you really think about the matter. Your feelings, your experience, your wishes, your fears.

Writing means expressing

Expressing oneself does not necessarily mean coming out to others, revealing parts of ourselves to the world.

Journals exist not only for their historical and sociological importance. Before all that, journals are made for our own benefit.

Writing a journal is the moment when we leave our mind free of all ties and chains, just like a stream of consciousness, where all your entangled thoughts unbuckle themselves thanks to your logical need to put them into words.

Writing means sharing

When you write a birthday card, a poem to your beloved one, a doctoral thesis-length message to your partner to explain why you are mad at them, a funeral speech... all those events demand some thinking and expressing. But in this case, you know those words will be read, listened to, spoken by someone else.

It is through those words that you cautiously chose that others will understand how much they mean to you, how you are feeling, and why.

After all, sharing is caring, so...

Writing means exorcising

Psychologists often suggest writing either a journal or some pages you will then share with them and anyone you want to. Not only because it will lead you to think, express, and share your thoughts.

Sometimes it is easier to write about something, rather than spelling it out loud. Because it happens that we are not ready for the impact of hearing our own words; words we did not calculate, sentences that come out way too vividly.

Writing about those events will make sure you are fully concentrated on a task, which is to find the right words, the best sentences.

And by the way, Professor James Pennebaker developed a sort of psychotherapy called "written emotional disclosure," also known as "purge emotional writing" or "expressive writing" or "writing therapy," which consists of writing about your most traumatic or distressing experiences.

Writing means fantasizing

Through words, you can live in different worlds, creating different characters who not necessarily look like you. The world can be a better place in our writing. Or it can reflect, emphasize all the bad we live in, unfortunately.

You can write about your fantasies, your fears, your losses, your love, in whatever way you wish to. You can be a person you would not dare to be in real life. You can relive your past and make different decisions, imagining a different path.

The only limit is your imagination.

Writing means voicing

When you write, especially when you aim at publishing, whatever genre you deal with, no matter if it is fictional or non-fictional writing... in the end, you will be giving voice to a certain slice of the population.

And this is powerful. Not in the way you will be controlling them, no. You have the power to make people feel part of something. Make them feel things, live a life that is not theirs, overcome obstacles they might identify with.

People will read your words and look for themselves in your writing. And sometimes they are meant to do so, sometimes they already know what they will find in your composition. But there are other times in which people will reconsider a whole concept only because you talked about it in a certain way that triggered something in them.

Writing means existing

How many literary works do we have access to that date back centuries ago? Yet, despite their age, we still talk about them. We study them, we read them. Shakespeare, Hugo, Pirandello... they all live in every single word they have ever written.

But also when we are far away from our loved ones, when unfortunate events lead to losing someone we care about, we will find solace in reading a postcard they mailed us, a text message they sent to us.

To conclude

If you write, you are a writer.

It doesn't matter if you have never published a book. It doesn't even matter if you intend to or not. Writing is not something you do to earn money: you write because you feel the need to, because you are inspired to, because you have something to say.

You can write whatever you want, as long as you never hurt anyone. Because "thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal" (Proverbs 12:18).

Writing can really heal your soul, if you give it a try. And if you aim at publishing your writing, then you might heal others too!

And if you wish to have your writing translated into Italian, I can help you put all of your initial and original intent, emotion, and purpose in the translated text as well. After all, this is what translators do.