Mindful Monday Checkpoint #7: Why We Write

A Place to Breathe, Rest, and Reflect

Image: Andrej Lišakov via Unsplash+

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Bradley, it’s crazy late, it’s not even Monday in some time zones. What gives?” Monday gives. And, Monday taketh away. Yeah, it’s been one of those days. Not bad, not even terribly stressful. Just…chaos.

And all the while, time just slips through my fingers like sand. Or water. Or watery sand, I don’t know where I’m going with this. The point is, we are here and it’s time for this week’s Mindful Monday Checkpoint! So, let’s get into it.

This Week’s Quote

So, for this week, I want to talk about why we write. Not necessarily why we became writers (though that is welcome too), but more why we continue to write. There are a lot of answers to a question like that, and it’s because writing means something different to everyone.

For some people, it’s therapy. For others, it’s a way to get all those ideas out of your head. For still others, it’s just fun and they enjoy doing it. And speaking of fun, consider this quote:

“This is the real secret of life—to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”

- Alan Watts

I love Alan Watts. He was a philosopher, best known for bridging the gap between Eastern and Western ideologies, but I, of course, discovered him through music (shout out to the musical pairing below, it’s one of my favorites).

This quote from him perfectly conveys the intersection of mindfulness and writing, which is coincidentally the entire point of this series, so I was quite happy to stumble upon it during my research and reflection today.

The present is all we are guaranteed. The past is gone, and the future is a nebulous cloud of uncertainty. Right here and now is what matters, and writing is one way to ground yourself in the moment.

Not only that, but it’s a way to enjoy the moment. To let yourself get lost in the seas of your own imagination. To just stop for a second and breathe. Lose yourself in the details. Fall down a rabbit hole into a world of your creation.

Run, jump, play. That’s what writing offers us as human beings, and it’s why I love creativity as a whole.

This Week’s Discussion Topic: Why do You Write?

Image: Fellipe Ditadi via Unsplash+

Now that we’ve established how writing can help us live in the moment and enjoy the present, but let’s take a step back now and ask ourselves another question:

Why do we write?

I think for a lot of us, writing is a way to get back to that sense of wonder we all had as kids. The kind of wonder that hardship and pain will take from you entirely if you let it.

I wrote a poem earlier this week called Simpler Times and it’s sort of a reflection of nostalgia, but it’s also a reminder that writing can help us capture the imagination we used to have when we were younger.

And to be clear, writing for the sake of writing is a valid reason to be here, in this community, sharing your work. It doesn’t have to be any deeper than that.

Like Alan Watts said, you can find meaning in the simple act of play, and that’s beautiful in and of itself.

However, writing can also be something that has a real, tangible, and ongoing benefit for you as well, though.

The two can absolutely co-exist. Take me for example: I write because I love the way it feels to tell stories.

But, I also write because I’ve been through some stuff in my time on this Earth, and I find that telling stories where characters face (and overcome) similar trauma makes me feel better about what I went through.

In that way, writing is therapy for me.

And, I would be lying if I didn’t say that I also write because I love to see the ways people enjoy my work. The comments where someone relates to the themes of the piece. The feedback where someone talks about how much they enjoyed it.

And yes, even the feedback where someone has ideas on how it could have been better. Because you know what?

That means they enjoyed it enough to want to talk about it.

That in and of itself means it did its job. It sparked discussion.

So yeah, I’m keeping this one short because it’s late and I have to do boring human stuff like take out the garbage and make dinner, but I want to know what you think!

Share your thoughts on why you write in the comments below!

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Thanks for Reading! Here’s Your Musical Pairing

Alan Watts + chill EDM music = immaculate vibes.