Why I Started Writing: To Connect
My writing journey
Why do I write? Where do I begin?
Writing is how I express myself. It’s how I process information. Often, I don’t know what I’m thinking, how I’m feeling, or what I want to say until I write about it.
In elementary school, Writer’s Workshop was my favorite class. I told stories. I created stories and I shared personal stories. I wrote about my Aunt Janice and why I thought she was the most special person in the world. I wrote about my broken heart when my mom miscarried and I realized I would always be an only child.
In my professional life, I write. I majored in English, went to graduate school, and became a teacher. Writing has always been part of my “job.”
In my personal life, I write. I wrote about my joys and fears as a new mom when my daughter was born. I wrote about my grief when I had two consecutive miscarriages within four months. I wrote about my gratitude when I gave birth to my son one year later. I wrote about my anxiety and stress trying to protect my family during the pandemic.
When I discovered my marriage was falling apart, I turned to my writing. And now, I continue to write as my husband and I try to create “a second marriage” together.
Writing has always been a very personal thing for me — something I do for myself and rarely share with anyone else. When I write, I can explore parts of myself I never knew existed until I read my words on the page in front of me.
Writing provides me the space to think, feel, and heal.
But writing is most powerful when we share it with others. It is a way to connect with others, build relationships, and create communities.
And in its most magnificent moments, writing can change the world.
“A word after a word after a word is power.”
— Margaret Atwood
