Why I Write?

When I first began to think about why I write I immediately thought that I have no idea. I don't write nearly as much as I wish I did, truthfully. So while I can't answer that, I can answer why I read.

I read for enjoyment. To experience different worlds. To travel to different places. To learn about others and to learn how others deal with the same issues I face. Or to avoid those issues-I read to escape. To get away from being me for a change or to not feel so lonely sometimes.

And ya know what? The more I thought about why I read, the more I realized that I write for the same reasons.

I write to keep my brain from getting to stale. I'm terribly afraid of one day waking up and not being able to be creative, and because of that, I write to keep that creativity coming. Some days I'm terrified by how little creativity I have, and other days I'm thoroughly impressed.

Somedays I journal. My friend introduced me to the importance of journaling and then I went out and bought a beautiful (overpriced) journal from Barnes & Nobles. Journaling helps me make sense of my feelings. Last year I moved out of my childhood home and began living with two friends, which sounds great but is also super challenging. I couldn't deal with it and would fight with them and then feel pretty awful and then be happy I was living with them but then hated it at the same time. It was a roller coaster and I was exhausted. I couldn't make sense of what I was feeling or what was happening and felt like I was losing control a little bit. So I would journal about it to make sense of it. And it helped. I was nervous that writing may make me over think things, but instead it made things more clear.

I also write slams for the same reason. There's something to slam poetry that lets you release ALL your emotions whatever they are, that I don't get from regular poetry. It allows me to be angry or sad or deep or funny all at the same time. Maybe I'll even post some of my slams on here? I was fighting with my mom and wrote one about her. Needless to say, I didn't read that one to her.

I write to make people laugh! Has anyone laughed reading this? No? Maybe even in your head or a little chuckle or half smile? Oh well.

I also write to express whatever I'm dealing with at the time. I have a bit of OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder, and it can get pretty annoying from time to time. Sometimes I'll write about a character who struggles with this, or sometimes I'll write a slam about it. Whatever the writing, I write to "get over it" or deal with it.

We all write for different reasons. Those are just a few of mine. But whatever the reason, I enjoy it!