Write for Everyone. For Nobody. For Yourself.

Five reasons you should write. Right now.

Scrolling through my Medium feed lately I’ve noticed a trend. Writers are lamenting that nobody’s reading their work. Or commenting on their work. Or boosting their piece to trend-status.

So.Fucking.What?

Here are five reasons you need to write today anyway, in no particular order.

1. To get over yourself.

The sooner you can do this, the better. Like, yesterday is good. Some writers just can’t get out of their own way. When you can check your ego, you realize you’re pushing content out for public consumption and sometimes that means folks are going to take a pass. Maybe it’s due to some bullshit algorithm that’s failing to push your piece out to those you think would be interested. This is actually my personal opinion on Medium and other “cool-kids-recommend” type sites that profess to include regular Joes, but that depend on behind-the-scenes curators to place carefully crafted content. I refuse to believe that is accidental. You should still write, even if the cool kids don’t seem to be into it. If I am wrong and more than just my mom and my cleaning lady ever see this, I will shit myself and eat my words.

You should still write, even if the cool kids don’t seem to be into it.

2. To be more authentic.

Nothing acts as a mirror with bad lighting quite like writing. It’s our chance to see where we stand, what needs a little work, what needs a lot of work, how we have changed, and allows us to be honest with ourselves above all. Sometimes saying something out loud is all the push needed to get past an issue and move on. (Sorry to my therapist for fucking you out of all that insurance money.)

3. To teach others.

If we are lucky enough to have picked up knowledge on our path, no matter the subject, we owe it to others to pass it along. Don’t be a selfish asshole. Share.

4. To learn from others.

In writing, and particularly in sharing our writing, we encourage dialogue from others. We trigger memories in them and invite them to engage in our conversation. We learn from them. Don’t be a know-it-all asshole. Learn from them. Grow.

5. To validate, embrace, or escape your reality.

Sometimes real life is simply too painful. Or beautiful. Or confusing. Writing can transform your reality in a way that gives you more control than reading the work of others. It can erase your shit day and your dickhead boss. It can caption a photo. It can transport you in the past, present, and future.