Write Away
Writing can be such a therapeutic experience, though at first it may not be peaceful. Jumbles of words can get caught in your head, slamming against each other, aching to breathe. It’s hard to get them out. Writing can involve wrestling each one of these ideas and pinning them on the page with a pen, cutting them up and arranging and rearranging until the paragraphs best match the meaning you’re trying to create. It’s not seamless, but it’s cathartic and can lead to peace.
So many beginning writers choke at first because they have read brilliant books that are at the final stages of substantial writing and editing, but the best way to learn to write is to just do it without trying to be perfect.
For starters, acquire a personal journal, not the fancy kind that you don’t want to mess up, but something like an old composition notebook. Open that notebook and just start writing anything at all. Write letters and poetry and plays and critiques and the next great American novel, just don’t be judgmental of your work at the beginning. Start by writing for you and only you.
Writing doesn’t just help you process and heal. It can also improve your memory, as writing things down helps them stick in your brain better. Journaling engages both sides of your brain; the left side lets you logically problem-solve and process and the right side allows you to be creative and insightful.
Putting all your feelings into written words lets your mind work through the things that are weighing you down, so it’s completely fine if you don’t know what the end will be when you start. That’s the beauty of it. Jotting down your thoughts might not always be easy, but it can help you get to know your own feelings and mind a little better.