Filters

Helena Ducusin
Sep 7, 2018 · 2 min read

It’s probably terrible to say this, but I rarely (consciously) think about my audience when I’m writing. I know I should. It’s just never a priority. The typical considerations I make to write more specifically to a certain audience involve adjusting my writing style for that specific context. When writing a professional paper, I prefer to tailor my language to correspond with the prerequisites for the applicable discipline. When writing in my journal or for a blog post, my word choice tends to follow my train of thought.

While a solid academic paper can genuinely be a fun time had for all, there’s something about hearing someone’s stream of consciousness that gives the writing a heightened sense of authenticity. Writing with openness and honesty is something I value in my personal writing, as opposed to using the various filters we may apply as we’re writing.

It’s like when we post a picture on social media. We first go through the different options of pictures we could post. Often we choose the ones that give the impression that we are living our golden, perfect life, discarding those that reflect the reality of our shattered and frazzled mental state. Sometimes we’ll apply a filter to further enhance the presentation, when in reality it’s only distancing the posted picture from the original.

I’m not in any way saying that Instagram filters are bad; they simply present a different image. Not necessarily good or bad. Just different.

Often times I find myself subconsciously applying certain filters for certain audiences. While all of my writing styles are, in fact, my voice, some feel more authentic than others. Lately I’ve been struggling between using the appropriate language for the context and still conveying my genuine thoughts that stay true to myself. Hopefully with more practice I’ll find the balance between the two: writing authentic thoughts while still addressing the intended audience.

Helena Ducusin

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Putting thought to paper and hoping it’ll be coherent.