How I turned writing into pure joy

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

There are few things I enjoy doing as much as I love writing, but it wasn’t always that way.

When I first got into writing, I was terrified by a blank page. I would sit for hours in front of my laptop negotiating with my perfectionist’s brain what word should I start my essay with. Sounds familiar?

This feeling has a name — writer’s block.

I managed to overcome it. And you can do so too. Moreover, you can turn writing into the most satisfying and enjoyable process.

Here is how.

Writing is for everyone

I am a firm believer that writing is for everyone. You don’t need to do it professionally or be a naturally gifted storyteller to enjoy the powerful benefits that it can provide.

Let that sink in.

Writing is more than just a way to earn money and impress the admission committee of grad school. Writing is an amazing tool available for you to express yourself and communicate it to the world.

This idea is beautiful but it still doesn’t take the pressure off writing, does it?

A blank page is still frightening and uncomfortable. I get it.

Start with what you have

So how do we escape the terror of a blank page?

Here is the trick. We don’t.

This piece of advice forever changed the way I approach writing. When you don’t know, how to start, start by writing this down!

“I don’t know what to start with”. Just like that.

Start by expressing whatever is on your mind, even if that is completely off the target topic. Unload your confusion, your thoughts, your worries by writing them down. Face your discomfort head-on.

It might even be helpful to treat writing like a form of meditation at first.

Pick a quiet and private spot, put some non-distracting music in the background and let your thoughts flow directly onto the page.

Trust me, if you start doing that every time you approach writing, the fear of a blank page will slowly but surely transform into the flow of unique and creative thoughts that you carry.

Gather your patience

With that being said, there is a low chance that you will be satisfied with the result after your first attempt.

Just like anything else, writing skills come with experience.

It means that the first steps will be the most difficult and the most important. You are guaranteed to be out of your comfort zone.

However, with regular practice, you will come to unravel your writing potential and find your writing niche. And this is so satisfying!

Maybe you will discover that writing works best for you when it takes the form of an intimate conversation with your inner self.

Maybe you will discover, that through writing you seek to communicate your thoughts to the world and be understood.

There is also a chance that you will choose not to write unless you have to. And that’s okay. With that experience in hand, you will still be able to enjoy your writing assignments much more.

My writing hours are now some of my favorite hours of the week. I don’t fear a blank page anymore.

Sometimes I don’t know how to start writing. It happens so that I don’t even know what to write about. But this discomfort never lets me down, because I know how to approach it.

Hopefully, now you do too.

Thank you for reading!