To remember, to think, and for accountability.
Writing is an act of creation
I was taught in life that the act of writing (physically bringing something into the world) was the best way to commit things to memory. Writing is better than merely reading or vocalizing it, with either of those last two methods there is required a certain level of focus needed to keep your brain from wandering or the words losing their meaning.
Writing is different in that it takes even MORE focus but despite requiring more focus this focus isn’t detrimental like anyone may think; in fact I would take the stance that this level of focus is the most advantageous.
This is because you are using much more energy and resources here. You have to know where you’re going, where you’ve been, and where you’re at when writing.
Facilities used when writing
You have to use so many facilities here (beyond) in tandem with that as well: it needs to make sense, it needs to be legible, you may be needing to think of reactions in advance and think of things to say to address those reactions at the time of writing (if only to demonstrate that you have put extra thought into it than the reader might otherwise think), you need to spell your words correctly and know the definitions therein.
So far I have only brought your attention to the basic mental facilities required (there are higher levels as well but they are unimportant to my point in this particular writing venture. Please also consider the physical necessities as well.
You also need to hold your pen, your paper, move your whole arm. It may usually only be perceived as movement from the elbow down but don’t be deceived there is a signal going from your brain to the tips of your fingers, the longest possible path– and you are sending a more powerful signal that is also longer in duration. The only way for the action of writing to take more brainpower would be if you were to use your toes to write, the longest possible path for the signal to travel your physical body.
But wait, there’s still more! We have listed the two separate functions required but we must also include the transnational facilities aka your hand and your brain to maintaining the proper synchronicity between them. Mental to physical and physical to mental, a constant balance and cyclical translation happening between them.
Truly, you’re thinking about/doing many multiple layers of things at once here. You do these things every day, but perhaps you leave this information on the shelves on your mind and merely think about what you do, not how you do it. You know how the body works after all, what I’ve typed here shouldn’t be new information to you.
Anyway, writing, in other words, basically calls for (really it demands) your full attention (and all layers therein). When utilizing your full focus/attention, it’s far more much harder for your mind to wander (that is, when you are truly focused).
Writing calls for all this and you’re also likely to be working through thoughts or trying to convey a message. A good writer (before they can just sneeze out their works after enough practice) will have also have thought about what it is they would like to do or say.
They will have had to explore and organize their mind, they will have had to have thought about it many times before and very far before.
There is a lot of knowledge in the benefits of writing. Again, this is nothing new. My rehashing is just to serve a reminder to myself and those reading about what is really going on here. I could have stopped this article after the first sentence and I was tempted to, but I really needed to share this “why”, the one behind the “why” of why I write.
So, let’s get back to the first why, and the reason that led you to click on this particular article.
I write to remember, to think, and for my own accountability.
To remember – if you write something down you are far more likely to retain it. I do my best to write to the wind, the trees, the clouds, and the rain. Some of it I hope will help people, but ultimately this is to help myself. A lot of things I write here as little friendly reminders to me (haha really super long reminders actually if we look at my track record so far).
Anything that I have written I have extensively mulled over. I don’t want to lose these mullings to time, at least not within my own lifetime.
Anything that I have written is a lesson that I have learned as I have walked each step in my journey. These are the notes from my lessons, my notebook, my legacy. These things are all self-serving and don’t need to be out for the world to see them. I put them up and on public display in the hopes that those who they can benefit, will find them. Which is ultimately still self-serving, but at least it helps others.
I write to think
Sometimes I can sit down and write something within a few hours from front to back (my article about sneezing is an example). More often than not though it will have taken me months to write something.
I currently have 20+ unfinished drafts waiting to see what article they can finally be when the time comes. And between all of my sticky notes, digital notes on my phone, and audio recordings— it’s probably 128+ prompts I hope to address one day.
Sometimes, you think you have your thoughts together you think you know something about something and you’re pretty smart/cool.
Upon picking up the pen or settling into home-row on the keyboard you will quickly find that these thoughts are either confirmed or that your whole idea of what you thought you knew was shattered. For me it is usually a combination of both.
Most people never take the liberty to find out what they know using this method, they usually never see it through till the end though (this is true in many facets of life). I cannot relate to these “(non-)writers”. I cannot live in mystery, I cannot live with the unknown, I HAVE to know. Knowledge is power, with the proper knowledge (this is only one piece of the whole puzzle) you can do ANYTHING.
Accountability
Accountability by far, is an unavoidable byproduct of writing (especially when accessible to the public as I am). It’s going to happen whether you want it to or not, so why should I mention it?
Well I’m not writing and being held accountable as a byproduct. I am really, but while accountability to some people can just be like the condiments you get in your take-out bag that you didn’t ask for and may or may not use, that’s not what’s happening on my end.
What’s happening on my end is that I am placing that order with the intention of getting/wanting that accountability in the first place; my accountability isn’t equivalent to the dinky condiments you always get but probably don’t use, my accountability is on par with the entree. My accountability is more like a great desert of standing/respected in its own right that I would always want when finishing a meal.
Some people (used to also be myself included) hide from scrutiny and the limelight. We don’t want to have accountability. We don’t want to be wrong or really, we don’t want to be held down/back by things we have said in the past and we want the ability to juke anything that comes our way. Words disappear if you can’t keep track of what someone says except by paying close attention/taking great care (and even then, unless you have a paper or recording of those words but then you hold the same weight as the words themselves— none).
There are a few points I like in accountability.
The first is, your own (the reader’s) accountability. Look, the first person who actually does any work or have any vision regarding the “children” (writings) is the writer. I can tell immediately in speaking to someone about my writings whether or not that they have actually read them. I’m not saying you have to read my writings by any means, but it will tell me with whom I stand.
Next it’s accountability in the form of a record
Every word and sentence that I physically bring into the world can now be monitored. Every thought and feeling I share is essentially the same as if I were a dog asking for a belly rub. Here are my insides, my most sensitive spots, I’m revealing it to you and welcoming you to explore it, not only that but I’m also trusting you to not hurt me.
It’s accountability to myself
If I say that I’m going to do something or act in a certain way, then people can see these words left here for the record and decide for themselves whether or not I am congruent or living in the way that I say I am. For example, my very first “I Promise” post serves this function very overtly where most of my other writings serves the same function covertly. Whether I’m holding myself accountable or you are holding me accountable, I’m being held accountable which is all that matters to me.
It’s accountability insofar as if I am putting ideas out into the world they are now available for public opinion and scrutiny.
If my ideas are incomplete/partial/wrong I don’t need to worry because I know that there is someone out in the world kind enough to speak up and correct me. Any opinion or scrutiny will only serve to better my works and I am infinitely grateful for them. If I left my works at home in my personal bookshelf I would never have the power of the collective consciousness to come along, be judged, and then improved upon. I know I am not a be-all-end-all authority on anything and I know that there are others with alternative and at least just as valuable perspectives that I may have never considered.
After having now gone through some further reasons I write I hope you have more of an understanding of myself and where I stand.
To sum up this article nicely: I write because it is one of the best methods of self-growth which will help me become better so that I may obtain my purposes/desires as well as serve others.
All the best,
FCP 🙃
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