In Monday’s blog post, we looked at how you can fall back in love with your writing again.
Today, I wanted to give you (and me!) a reminder of just why writing is so great.
#1: Writing Can Be an Escape From Life
We all need to escape from the world sometimes, and with coronavirus affecting so many lives right now, being able to escape into writing can be an especially good way to switch off from constantly updating news.
Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, when you're writing, your mind is on the words you're producing. It can provide a much-needed respite during an anxious or difficult time.
Don't see writing as something frivolous or unimportant that you should put aside when things are tough. Instead, see it as something restorative, even vital.
#2: Writing Can Help You Work Through Problems
One of the things I love about writing non-fiction is that it helps me sort through my thoughts and impose order upon them!
Whether you write blog posts, personal essays, journal entries, letters, or any other type of non-fiction, the process of putting your thoughts into words can be hugely helpful.
I even find that writing is a great way to work through writing problems! If I'm stuck on a writing project, grabbing my notebook for some brainstorming always leads me to some kind of solution.
#3: Writing Can Reach People You'll Never Meet
This week, I've seen a lot of powerful writing being shared on social media. Most of it was written by people I've never met and don't know at all.
Your words, written down, could reach across the world. They could touch the life of someone you'll never meet.
Your writing might bring someone some much-needed clarity or hope. It might make them laugh in the middle of a tough time. It might help them fix or solve a problem. It might give them a much-needed escape into what my 7 year old calls "storyland", when they need a break from whatever's going on in their life.
Maybe one of those reasons particularly resonates with you, or maybe there's a different reason you love writing. In the middle of everything that's going on right now, give yourself permission to carve out a little bit of time to spend putting words on the page. Writing is still just as important, valuable, and meaningful as ever.
Happy writing,
Ali x
P.S. My kids will be off school from the end of Friday onwards. My husband is handing the very final version of his PhD thesis next Thursday. As you can imagine, things will be a little busy in the Luke household for the next few days! So, I'll be taking a break from the blog and newsletter next week, but I'll be back with a new blog post on Monday 30th March.
