Why write?

I stared at my screen for a long time before I figured out something to write.

Thinking on what my next post should be sometimes leaves me frustrated. I will try my best to gather my brain cells and work them into making something useful or worth reading.

But why go through all the trouble? I’ll just feel stressed if I cannot get anything out, so why bother?

My main reasons are creativity and expression

• Writing is a means of expression. It gives everyone a peek at the gears running in my head. I can share stuff that interests me, and hopefully interests others, too.
• Writing makes my brain work. Would you want your brain lazily hanging around the couch watching TV all day and not pulling its weight around? I’d certainly would not. I want my brain running around – keeping itself fit. Working your brain keeps it sharp and your memory will not only retain its sharpness, but will also improve.
• Writing is fun (as long as I can find something to write – that is). There is a zone that makes writing fun. It could be the stream of consciousness that flows out of your mind into whatever medium you write in, or the process of pulling ideas out and making it tangible, but whatever it is, writing can be a lot of fun. As long as I am having fun, I am fine with it.
• Writing is an exercise. The more you write, the better you get. I read other blogs, and though I do not see the process they go through to produce their outputs, I sometimes get the feeling that somehow they must write effortlessly, or with little effort compared to me. Then again, they must have written more than me, so their skill is much, much sharper. If this was a marathon, they would probably run circles around me.

Sometimes, I have to force myself to write. I’ll hold a bat in front of me and wave it menacingly at myself, threatening that I will crack my head open if I don’t get to writing… Well, not really. But there are times when I have to jumpstart myself by forcibly writing a start. Afterwards, the words sometimes just flow out like a huge torrent of water.

I am hoping that one day I will not have to write like that. But until then, I’ll need more practice.

Why do you write, and how easy is it for you?

And while searching for an image I could use for this post, I found this amusing comic strip from Calvin and Hobbes.  If only I cracked writing at that early age… *laughs*