Why Do We Write — What’s the Point?

Life can feel pointless at times. It can feel like the things we do don’t matter, that they don’t really make a difference in the end.

So many of the things we do are mundane, after all. Our days are filled with chores and repetitive tasks and shifts at the same old jobs. It’s hard not to feel like we’re doing the same old thing, day after day — like we’re some kind of hamster on a wheel, struggling to escape a stagnant and boring old routine.

I mean, is it really possible to get excited about picking up groceries yet again? About waking up to the same job over and over? About seeing the same people in our lives, time and time again, even when we have nothing new to say to them?

One of my most dreaded questions I get after some time off at work is “so, what did you get up to on your day off?” No matter what answer I give, I always feel a bit judged, like I’m not good enough or not productive enough. I mean, some people just don’t understand that I might have spent my whole day off cooped up in the house trying to put the finishing touches on a blog post I made, trying to get it ready for the outside world to see.

“What’s the point,” they think. “It’s just a blog after all.” But they’re wrong. This is more than a blog to me, more than a place to share my ideas. It’s a place to facilitate discussion, to riff on the world as I please, to inspire others to take action on their lives. It’s a place to smile, to laugh, to encourage.

And if any of that’s pointless, I don’t know why any of us go on living. Because without purpose, of course our lives will be devoid of meaning. Everything is devoid of a point without having one after all.

You Gotta Be a Bit Selfish to Be a Writer

If people ask you “why do you write?” you’re not beholden to give them an answer that lines up with their worldview — because who cares what they think? Who cares that you’re not making money off your writing (yet), who cares that you’re doing this only to help others, and who cares that you’re doing this because you’re so passionate about it like no one else is?

If the answer is just you, that’s okay. I know what that’s like and it sucks.

Any way you slice it, writing will always be about you to a degree.

You have to be a little selfish to make the impact you want, and that’s more than okay.

The good part is, you can forget about the rest and hone in on the people that understand you. You can zoom in onto the people that respect you, that encourage you to go on, that prod you to keep doing this even though you might not be getting anything more than an intrinsic reward in return for all the hard work and grueling hours you put in.

And hey, that’s more than enough.

It has to be — or else why are you doing this at all?