When does one try to write something? Often, it\’s when they carry a heavy feeling of either grief or joy. This is because feeling heard is a fundamental need in life. The ability to influence other people’s actions plays a role in survival. We require food and shelter first, then happiness follows. Reputation, pride—the list goes on until it reaches freedom. Last week, I read in a book that freedom is “the ability to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want, for as long as you want.” Everyone desires to reach this point in life and stay there until death. And the real cheat code to achieving this is being expressive. If you don’t express yourself, you won\’t understand the extent of your emotions or how to articulate them. Okay, cool. Let\’s pause this topic here while I quickly define what a writer is.
A writer is technically someone literate in any language who is able to express their emotions through written text. It\’s true that sometimes text isn’t enough to convey feelings; there are other forms, such as facial expressions, gestures, visuals, audio, even smell. But to tell a long story, we usually choose text, from which we often generate visual and audio content. My aim is not to glorify text as an effective medium—it has historically been used by dominant or elite people to subjugate the illiterate and vulnerable. However, I am simply choosing it as a useful medium to explain why expressing ourselves matters.
In that sense, encouraging the writer within you is important. When I write, I can no longer be a private person, and that’s a fear for many. Writing inevitably reveals aspects of your personal life. Even if you try to hide it, your thought processes and explanations will reveal the real person inside you. That’s why writing can be a purifying experience. It’s not about how many fancy words you know—it’s the humanity and honesty within you that attracts others.
That’s what makes you feel heard—not money, not power, not assets.
I’m reminded of a story. There was a nomad in a village who captivated people with his stories. He often shared beautiful tales about his hometown, its people, its monuments, the woman he loved, and many funny anecdotes. Eventually, he left the village and moved on to other places. The children who had grown up listening to his stories became adults and planned a trip to this nomad’s hometown. When they arrived, they were surprised. The place no longer existed, except for its name. The monuments were destroyed, his lover had passed away, and the people from his funny stories had migrated elsewhere to survive. Despite all of this, the stories lived on in their minds.
Writing is about expressing emotions, whether joy or grief. The story above speaks of a lost hometown’s grief.
So, what can be underwater and yet never drown? A fish. Likewise, when will you start expressing your own stories, rather than re-sharing others\’ thoughts and beliefs?
The Writer Inside You
