What Writing Means To Me

We all have hobbies. Some hobbies we try to squeeze in every possible chance we can (that’s how I used to be with reading), other hobbies we pursue leisurely, just whenever we have time, and other hobbies still that we don’t pursue nearly as much as our hearts would like.

To me, writing is all of these. I am constantly thinking of things that I could write about, jotting myself notes when a good idea hits. I actually write posts when I have time. And I don’t nearly write as much fiction as I would like. Writing, to me, is all of these.

But writing means more, too.

Writing is an escape.

For a long time I bottled up so many things inside of me because I simply didn’t have an outlet. I didn’t have friends with whom I could entrust these things. I read a lot, but writing became this river that allowed me to wash my head clean, emptying it of all the negativity that I was feeling.

Writing is my voice.

When I was younger, I found it very difficult to speak up. I was sure that any time I had to make a presentation in school, it was the end of the world. I just did not like myself enough to be comfortable in front of people talking. So writing became a way for me to voice what I was thinking. Most of the time, what I wrote never became a public thing, kind of like talking to yourself in the shower, but it helped me build the confidence to actually go about vocal conversation with people. Theater helped a lot with stage fright, but writing really helped me find my voice.

Writing is a way to help others.

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about how I can help other people. I was far too shy to volunteer somewhere (maybe if a friend did, and I could tag along without speaking), and I didn’t see it as socially acceptable to just go around handing out advice or offering assistance. Most people just don’t want that (I still can’t figure out why). I realized that writing, both fiction and non-fiction, has the power to change people’s lives. (J. K. Rowling really solidified this thought for me.) So I set out on a path of trying to help people, in the best way I knew how.

Our hobbies are many things. They mean many things to us, and they can affect other people too. What are some of your hobbies? What do they mean to you?

As always, if you found something interesting, or something that helped you, pass it along to another, so it can help them too!