Rediscovering Writing

Sudarshan
Sudarshan
Aug 22, 2017 · 3 min read

I started my blog by accident in late 2015. I was lazing on the beach in Krabi watching the sun set between sea rocks and was inspired to pen down my thoughts. I quite enjoyed the experience, and became regular at it — 9 blogs and ~6500 words in 2016. The process of writing was cathartic and the reactions were energising. It was a mix of mental yoga, self discovery, communication and recognition that fuelled me along. And the reactions were disparate — some blogs would cross over 200 views and some would be much lower, but i honestly always believed that it was the process that i enjoyed more than the reaction. “It is thereapeutic.”i often told my friends, not trusting that instinctive response enough to really believe it.

And, early this year, i stopped writing. Just as starting the blog wasn’t a conscious decision, neither was stopping. I probably just didn’t value it enough to prioritize it. I continued to pen down thoughts in different forms on paper to structure my thinking — be it a to do list at home, things to get done at work, reminders and even some philosophical self help stuff while on a break at Ananda in the Himalayas. But, never did i sit down like i had before, to form structured sentences to express myself…..and, i was worse off for it.

I never read many books as a kid, and was never inclined to write. English grammar was not remotely close to my favourite subject. And, had i not decided today to sit down and try to articulate the value of writing to me, i may never understand it. You may not appreciate or agree with all of this….but here goes

Trying something new

As a mid 30 year old, the routine of daily life keeps you going (i love routine!) and yet bores you out of your skull. As children, nearly everything we try is new and yet, as we grow older, we do more of the same. The writing process is still quite new to me….and doing something new is exhilarating. It titillates those dead parts of your mind which haven’t been tickled forever.

Canal for your thoughts

Writing is an outlet for those infinite and ever growing thoughts in your mind. And these thoughts just don’t come out in the same way when we speak, sing, tweet or express them in any other way. Writing is like this separate canal that processes the flow of thoughts in a unique way…. possibly because one is forced to slow down and construct these thoughts into sentences.

Self discovery

You think you’ve got it figured out…..and then you sit down to write…and you get up knowing something new about yourself. I feel so much more confident about the virtues of the writing process, now that i have taken the time to write them down.

Communicating to many….and, differently:

The diversity in audience, their interpretations and reactions is fascinating. Each one has their own interpretation and appreciation or dislike for something you have said on the blog. It is like you have stood out holding a loudspeaker and yet different people have heard different words. Multiple communication, one channel.

And, i should have trusted my instinct on it all along.

“It is therapeutic.”

I was scrolling down my twitter feed today and I saw the below from Nikhil Chinappa. I looked at it, smiled….and clicked like.

)

Sudarshan

Written by

Sudarshan

Secret Keeper, Views are personal

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade