The Days You're Not Feeling It
Why do we write?
Hi, Kelly Eden here from Medium.
Some days you get in a writing slump. Today is one of those days for me.
I’ve written a lot this week. I was motivated, everything flowed. One article was written, start to finish, in half an hour. It was a good week.
Then I woke up this morning and I’m just not feeling it.
I’ve sat at my laptop for an hour doing “writer-ish” things: Checking messages. Thinking about the marketing/business side of writing (that I’m no good at!)
And a dangerous question crept up on me: “What’s even the point?”
Writing for magazines, clients, blogs, websites, on Medium…it’s one of those jobs where you produce a lot of small projects—1000 words here, 700 words there—and there’s still more to produce the next day.
What does it all add up to? It’s a dangerous question to ask but a necessary one.
Finding meaning in what you do is one of the keys to well-being, according to psychologists.
I’m not sure I’ve worked out the answer for myself yet.
Writing for me has always meant creative expression, as well as a way to learn and teach. That’s been enough to sustain me through 12 years of writing articles professionally. Now I feel like I might need a bigger reason.
Perhaps it’s time for a larger project—a book maybe. Perhaps it’s something else. Any suggestions are welcome!
Writing is emotional, energizing, fun, and hard—but why do we write? Sometimes the answer is “I just have to.”
On days where I’m not feeling it, I read. It reminds me that there are other writers out there who, like me, probably have days when they’re not sure why they write either—but I’m glad they did.
Here are two I’ve enjoyed this week:
Personal Essay: How A Late-Night Ugly-Cry Session During Quarantine May Have Saved My Marriage
Humor: Now is The Time to Cherish the Little Things
As a relatively new writer, I can only tell you why I write in the hopes that maybe it can help you when you have more days like this. I am the opposite of you, while now I am trying to learn how to make money from my writing, I write because every day I meet people who want to be their authentic Selves in a world where it isn't encouraged. They need encouragement. Authenticity needs to become normalized and stories need to be told. One on one during conversations is a start, but writing can encourage millions. That's why I write, to encourage others. That's why I read you. Because you encourage me, to encourage them. So, on days like May 14th, you can write to me. Help me, help them.