Writing is self-knowledge

I love writing. I can’t stick to a writing schedule, but when I finally get down to write, all of a sudden I’m like a court stenographer. I write for a lot of reasons. I love the mindfulness that comes with writing. I love the creativity I get to express. I feel so alive when I write. The only thing that I enjoy more than writing is spending time with my loved ones. Lock me in a room with a laptop and no internet, and after a while I won’t care.

There are lots of reasons I write. The most important to me is the self-discovery and self-knowledge that comes with writing.

There’s a wonderful essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson called “Self-Reliance” where he pleads with the reader to look within themselves for the strength and creativity they seek outside of themselves. It’s a long essay, but it’s so worth it. It’s been one of the most influential pieces of writing I’ve ever read.

I think about it often in the context of writing. I do a lot of reading – right now, I’m averaging a book a week. Its wonderful to read. However, Emerson reminds me that it’s also wonderful to write. When I write, I learn so much about myself. Sometimes I write about my thoughts and feelings (okay, mostly I write about those things). But I find that no matter what I write, I’m learning something about myself. I’ve written essays, short stories, poetry and other forms of writing, and almost every piece I’ve ever written helped me along in the search for self-knowledge.

A lot of my writing has been shared on The Worst of Me, my mental health blog. It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve learned about how I dealt with my bipolar disorder – writing about it like watching a movie about your life unfold, where you pick up something new in the foreground or the scenery every time. I write to educate and inspire on some level – but I also write because it teaches me about myself, it helps me understand what I’ve been through and how I improve.

I hope I can forever keep learning through writing, because in the end, isn’t self-knowledge the most important thing of all?