Why I Write

Part 1

You want to know why it is that I write. Well, my mind is slow and incapable of holding in all that life throws: the jobs, clients, projects, arguments, bills, sick pets, flat tires, family drama, to name the short list. Ironically, these become the very reasons why I give countless excuses to not write, which are so much more convenient, and it’s not until after the excuses that I realize the disservice I’ve committed by not affording myself time to just sit down and write.

A while back I gave myself a challenge: to write, even a little, everyday. For a short time it actually provided me with enough fuel to continue the push to write more, but it also taught me how often I fall short in my own pursuits, and how the reality of life—once fully set in—can be a powerful inhibitor. I don’t think it was designed such that life would be the inhibitor to richer endeavors (such as writing) but become, conversely, the very material itself that might allow us to step more deeply into the richness.

I say all this as a way to incite creativity and encourage those who have become brought down by life. Consider the challenges you face as opportunity to create something truly beautiful—be it a photograph, film, website, or essay. Take the terrible client, the excruciating stomach pains, the late night projects, the family disasters, the mental exhaustion, the crashed hard drives, and do something amazing. I find that often I think I’m writing for myself when really I’m writing for someone else.

Our work, nor our writing, is for ourselves but for others. Therein lies the richness of the relationship between craft and struggle.