Typha plants at the edge of a small wetland in Indiana. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I
did not always think in words and learning to do so both limited and
expanded my world. Learning to think in words tied down my thinking.
It grounded my thoughts, made them less subjective. When I thought in
terms of emotions and colors, my perception of “that chair” was
much more fluid. Now “that chair” is a stable idea. I lost some
things when I was taught to think in words, but I became able to
communicate much more easily. Just as people think for the sake of
thinking, some writers carve out time to write for the sake of
writing.
There
is something about writing that opens up space in my mind for more
thoughts. I am the sort of person who thinks about thinking – which
requires a certain amount of space. But I am also prone to
depressions that close that space. I find I have trouble writing
during these times because I don't have the space in my head. So even
when I can't write productively, I write for the sake of writing. And
I find that if I write long enough – 15 minutes or 6 hours – I
can usually open enough space that I can write productively for a
little bit.
The
manias are a different story. Then I want nothing else as much as I
want to write – for a while. But what I write does not always make
sense when I go back to it. So, again, I write for the sake of
writing. I write for the need of words, little words that both
constrain and open reality.
Writing
for the sake of writing also makes me more articulate when I speak
because I am practicing communication, even though I rarely share
what I write during these times. To write whatever comes to mind is
to reflect, to connect with myself, and to connect with the moment.
It is a timeless space with only my thoughts, my keyboard, and me.
But I feel better for it. So it is also a form of therapy.
Is
writing for the sake of writing still a form of communication? I
mean, I don't usually share it with anyone. But maybe it is a way of
communicating with the self. Thoughts come and go, but write those
thoughts down, and they become more real and permanent. They gain
weight. It becomes easier to reflect on them, question them, follow
them to the next thoughts.
These
thoughts are noting profound, just an instance of writing for the
sake of writing.

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