Writing is a risky business.

We risk losing a sense of safety in who we are and the writers we believe ourselves to be.

Originally published
Medium

Date posted
Sep 24, 2022

Fear is related to our need for safety. We feel fear when we don’t feel safe. On the other hand, comfort zones are comfortable for a reason. We feel safe when we are sufficiently comfortable. This seems like a nice place to be, but it’s not ideal for any form of growth. This is where a person usually gets stuck. True growth requires change, and true change is not easy to start. The law of inertia states that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an external force. We need external forces to get us unstuck.

This is not to say that comfort is a bad thing. Comfort is not necessarily good nor bad, but learning that life proceeds in cycles of work and rest is a healthy way of acknowledging that we need both to thrive. Work and rest can both be productive. The discipline of writing requires both. Procrastination, which is the inability to start work, is an enemy of most writers. This enemy is usually borne out of fear.

As humans, we like to stay safe and comfortable often to the point that we don’t realize how much time has already passed. We fear losing this comfortable and safe state unless extremely necessary. However, there is a price to waiting. The concept of compound interest illustrates this perfectly. We invest a number of resources (in this case, money) for it to grow over time. There is a risk of losing this money, but we gain interest as a price for taking the risk. By this logic, we are essentially rewarded for taking risks. The willingness to lose gives the opportunity to win.

Writing is a risky business. We risk losing a sense of safety in who we are and the writers we believe ourselves to be. We risk losing our sense of comfort as we force ourselves to do the tedious work of putting pen upon paper. The risks are high when it comes to writing, but the rewards are proportionate to the amount of risk that you are willing to take:

• Self-Awareness: Writing is hard work, precisely because it requires actively engaging the mind. It means being able to reach a level of clarity in order to effectively observe your own thought processes and patterns. It means knowing yourself enough to be able to tell what is true. Chances are, writing will help you learn about yourself and help elevate your awareness about what feels authentic to you as a writer.

• Self-Discovery: Writing always reveals something about the writer. Great writing points to a unique perspective that is possible only through the distinct combination of experience, skill, and a healthy level of self-revelation that the writer is willing to undertake to create something that stands on its own. Writing will not always go the way you plan, but you might discover something new, explore new places within yourself.

• Growth Zone: Moreover, the act of artful writing forces you to confront pain and imperfection because this is where the truth of reality comes to dwell. The benefit of the writing process enables the writer to reveal and heal. The mere attempt to talk about what is uncomfortable means being okay with experiencing the discomfort long enough to accept the truths that might surface from its depths. This is how growth begins.

• Connection: This growth process is often a lonely one. Writing is an activity that requires solitude. Learning how to be alone well is a prerequisite for the soul to create art and beauty. The result of this solitude is beautiful writing, the kind that provides common ground from which genuine connection with other people can spring and bear fruit later on.

• Opportunity To Do Better: Circling back to the first benefit of increasing self-awareness, writing presents itself not only as a powerful tool for careful introspection but also as a way to clear the path forward. In the beginning, a writer will often judge his/her work as poor, bad, and in need of help. As the process goes on and the discipline builds, you will realize that writing is a generous and rewarding activity. It grants second chances endlessly. As long as there is an empty page, writing means you can improve and get better in time.

To conquer your fear, you just need to start.

Start from your five senses. Put words to what is real for you. Begin to tell stories that you know. Move towards where you want to be. Talk about passions, questions, what feels right or wrong. Use your voice. Inject personality. The important part is to say something. Make it worthwhile.

Practice. Start with why, a vision of the end. Explore your heart, and don’t be afraid to feel intensely. Don’t be afraid to get lost in this world of your imagination. Writing is not supposed to be easy, but with deliberate and focused effort, it yields incredible results.

Finally, stop wishing you were somewhere else. Begin where you are, bloom right where you are planted. Dig deep and grow from there.

If you have any more questions, or if you just want to drop by and say Hi, send me a message on Instagram. I would love to get in touch.