Why do I write? To me, that question is equal to if one were to ask, “Why do I breathe?” Writing is something that has always been innate to me; it is something I have always been drawn to, even as a small child. A lot of people think of writing as a chore, though.
Sometimes, I will look back at my old writings from first, second or even third grade. At times, I think those writings are almost better than my current work. There may be grammatical mistakes, or I may use words incorrectly in them; however, those writings almost seem to be a consideration of my subconscious. They give my current self a look into why I have always written or, maybe, what kind of person I am meant to be.
Even as a child, I would say I write so I could say what I really wanted to say to the world. It is easy to find myself at a loss for words when speaking face-to-face with someone. It is even easier to say the “wrong” thing at what I presume to be the “right” time. When I sit down to write, though, I have time to consider my words and think deeply about the message I am going to portray to readers. Even if I am writing something silly, a news article or any other form of creative writing, I find myself trying to deliver a message in some way.
When I write, I view it as a means to leave a mark on this world. Even if I do not live to see the impact of what I write, it is comforting to know that I am leaving behind something for people of the future to see. I never have, and I never will, intend to be a hallmark of this world’s history. Yet, it is comforting to know that, in a way, I have left my mark on this world.
If you hate writing, don’t consider this a call-to-action for you to start. Just think of how writing has shaped this world. Humanity has had so much of civilization formed around writing, from forms of art to religious doctrines.
Print might be dying, but I don’t think writing will ever go away completely. Even if artificial intelligence could replace writers, people will always want to write. Whether it’s for fun or acting as a form of therapy, writing will always be a part of the human experience.
