Seven reasons why people should write

Seven reasons why people should write

 

by Moqheeta Mehboob

 

 

We humans are supreme intelligent creatures. We are capable of things that no other creature is capable of. We have brought unimaginable advancements on this planet and beyond. If humans set their mind to something, they make it happen. We all agree with this statement.

 

 

Apart from our great physical and mental competence, all of us have also been blessed with the ability to convert our thoughts into language and language into text. It is only the humans who have the skill of preserving their thoughts into written form. 

Writing is a great pastime which if regularly practiced can not only be highly satisfying but can also turn into a rewarding experience. Similar to reading, writing also helps the cognitive ability. 

We will look at some of the benefits of creative writing, but before that let us determine who can write. Anybody as young as a seven year old to a seventy year old person can become a writer. To become a writer nobody needs to complete a full fledged course in writing. All of us have a lot of thoughts churning in our heads. One simply has to write what they think and believe in. Everyone can write, on any topic, in any language, at any time. 

With this positive mindset, I want to write about the wonderful skill we all carry - 'preserving the thoughts into writing for millions of years to come by'!!

We will look at some of the rewards of regular writing (in no particular order).

To read about how to make writing easy for novice writers, read https://edutopm.blogspot.com/2022/11/help-to-new-writers.html  

1. Great hobby - We all have some hobbies that keep us entertained during our spare time. One of the most constructive hobbies can be 'Writing'. Free Writing allows one to write without any outside pressure and helps the thoughts to pour out naturally. It also automatically strengthens literary skills. The choice of words, the complexity of sentences, the descriptive adjectives, they all help in language building. 

 

2. Helps focus - The task of creative writing is so different from mindless writing or for that matter even inattentive reading. Creative writing invigorates the mind from all angles and draws all the cognitive abilities to one focal point. A person who is working on fiction has to think of the characters, the plot, the setting, the beginning, the dialogues, the twists and the dramatic ending. Similarly someone who is trying to write an informational piece has to dwell deep to get the right facts, has to research statistics, look for expert studies and supporting data. All this requires serious attention. Writing enhances attention and attention in turn helps noticing the finer details of life and people around us. 

 

3. Helps unburden the mind - We all have many thoughts that crowd our mind. Some are just passing thoughts, some are the ‘to do list’ and out of all these, many are wonderful and powerful thoughts, worthy of saving. We should pen them down to give them a permanent and secure place. Thoughts get more clarity and colours when they are transferred on paper. They can be expanded and presented in various forms. Writing is a great way to unburden one's mind and revisit the thoughts whenever needed. 

 

4. Helps process feelings - Have you read or heard a psychologist suggest someone to pen down their feelings in order to gain control over them?  Psychologists advise patients dealing with extreme emotions to write their feelings such as anger, pain, or grief. They say writing it down helps people process their emotions and also calms their mind. So we have a proven health benefit of how writing helps. 

 

5. Share your thoughts with others - Publishing or sharing the writeups is an age-old practice which acts as a huge motivator to writers. Many writers love to share their work with the world and look forward to their feedback. Accepting constructive feedback has helped many improve their writing quality. Sometimes writers share their work to even earn money. Many online opportunities have come up which are constantly looking for good writers. 

 

6. Collection of memories - Some people are very private and do not prefer the world to know what they feel about something. It is not at all necessary to publicise one’s work. If one decides to keep writing regularly, then in no time they can create a beautiful journal of memories, feelings and thoughts to cherish forever. The writing can be small notes, diary entries or recounts. Isabel Allende, a well known writer says, “Write what should not be forgotten”. 

 

7. Helps keep your brain sharp and healthy - Writing is a high level cognitive task. A writer has to process all the mental faculties like thoughts, language, vocabulary, complete attention and imagination. Experts state that what walking does to a body, writing does to a brain. Regular writing helps keep the neural connections healthy. 

 

 

I would encourage everybody to give some time to writing. Parents should make this part of their child's learning. Expecting the school to inculcate this habit is fair, but the ultimate beneficiary of a child's growth are the parents. I believe parents should take the onus on themselves and make the child write something everyday. 

 

Happy writing!!