Inspired by a classic essay by the infamous George Orwell, this hashtag has been around since back in 2011, and it's been going strong. The New York Times attempted to live-blog the trending hashtag, but it was so successful that they couldn't keep up. Thousands of timeless authors, and unknown creative authors, participated and inspired us all to keep our creative juices flowing.
The #WhyIWrite hashtag can really be anything. You can post your thoughts, ideas, work, memories, photos, or videos to join the conversation. It's just a fantastic way to express your admiration for writing.
Personally, I think this is an inspiring thing for Twitter to do. Most of the time, I sign onto Twitter and I'm instantly bombarded with meaningless hashtags and entirely too enthusiastic One Direction fans, but this means something. Writing can be a way for so many people to express their innermost fears, joys, and even feelings they are afraid to talk about. It's an incredibly cathartic experience to write out one's emotions, and it's a big reason I enjoy it so much. In the spirit of this National Day of Writing, I'll give a few reasons #WhyIWrite.
Sometimes, that can be extremely difficult. I have always been the kind of person that enjoys sharing my memories and life stories with people, so I've personally never found it very hard to write down my experiences. However, expressing a specific emotion or feeling can be tricky. Usually, I only write when I'm feeling an emotion pretty intensely. Writing isn't something I can just do with the drop of a hat. I've found that my ability to feel very deeply is because I love to write. It's been a thorn in my side in life, but in writing it only gives me the advantage. To feel deeply makes you an easy target, but when I'm writing it makes for a wonderfully cathartic journey. I can start out feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness, and the words will ooze out of my fingertips, and onto the page, making them raw, real, and no longer my burden. What can I say, it's cheaper than therapy.
I also write to pick myself up, which is similar to what I wrote above, but it's important to realize that it's okay to cry shit out. Whenever I'm having a terrible day. I go to my laptop, open up a blank Word document, and just type. It doesn't really matter what I'm writing, just the action of writing is soothing, and emotional for me. Sometimes you just gotta cry onto your laptop (or journal) while you listen to The Civil Wars. It allows you to have the feeling and then move on from it. I've always been a firm believer in owning your emotions and moving past them.
Being a human being can be hard. Especially when we have to do it every day. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others and living in our minds. I know I do. I don't think my brain is capable of a mute button. Believe me, I've tried. Writing helps me focus my disconnected thoughts, and it also gives me motivation to try and connect with other people. When I write, I'm writing for myself but also in the hope that maybe just one person reads just one sentence, stops for a second, and thinks, "I know that feeling." Because really, we all want that connection. We may not admit it, but it's something every person is craving.
My Papu, Greek for grandfather, was always my cheerleader in my writing. Every Christmas, he would only ask for all the copies of everything I had written that year and every year I would make him a little book, and he would sit next to the tree and read it. While I always wanted to honor him, it was his passing away last March that truly motivates me to honor his life and his influence on mine. I have a goal for next year to write a children's book about him. It's a comforting feeling to know that by writing about the people you have lost, they are still alive.
This is probably the most important reason. I write for myself, no one else. I have very much learned, from years in college and creative writing classes, that people aren't always going to like what you write. They can actually really hate it. But guess what? Doesn't matter. You didn't write it for them. Own your words and no one can hurt you. This ideology comes from years of writing groups and coming home from class crying because some latte drinking chick in a beanie and glasses told you the story you wrote about your grandparents is "too cliche." You gotta go through those moments to get the thick skin I've developed in my writing. Everyone feels it, and they live to tell the tale. It will make you stronger, and a better writer.
Well, those are the reasons I write. I want to hear your #WhyIWrite! Leave them in the comments below, or write your own blog post!
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