Why Do We Write?

A few days ago I was in my Professional Considerations for English Majors class. I was right in the middle of trying to figure out what who this one guy in class reminds me of and writing a to (freaking) do list for the remainder of the week when I started to think about why we write. I mean, we all write to some degree. We write emails, grocery lists, Facebook/Twitter updates, etc. but there is a part of this population that has this insatiable need to write on a deeper level. We "writers" have this desire to write fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, essays, articles, etc. Some of us just write in journals. But why? Why do we do it? Why do we bother to spend our time creating rounded characters and whole worlds? Why do we struggle and obsess over each line or each word in our poems? Why do we slave over essays and articles until they are perfect?

I want to understand this not because I am against writing. Rather, because I love to write and do it quite often (as is evidenced by this very blog). Yet I am unable to explain why I write. And this feeling of needing to write and simultaneously not knowing exactly why fascinates me. Nearly everything I do and believe has an entire logical justification behind it. I am uncomfortable with the idea of doing anything or believing anything without a real reason. And yet I've been writing for so long without knowing why I do it.

So why do I write? Sometimes I write in order to understand something better. I explore ideas and possibilities. There have been several times when I've reached an epiphany right in the middle of my writing, something that I didn't even think of before. Sometimes I write because I have a funny idea and I like making people laugh. I mean, I know I'm a fairly funny person and I love it when my natural humor comes out in my writing. It's kind of my "voice," I guess. This snarky, sarcastic, self-depricating, intelligent voice is very distinctly "me." Sometimes I write things because I need to talk about something. Sometimes I write because something needs to be talked about.

I once told someone I started writing because I couldn't paint. That is true, for the most part. I had all this creative energy and I tried to express it by painting. It didn't work out so well. So, as an alternative, I started writing and I haven't stopped since. I mean, yes, there have been times of feast or famine but I've always been writing. I guess it's the best way for me to express myself.

I once asked this one guy why he writes. He told me simply, "Because it wasn't there before." That is a pretty cool feeling, to put something out there knowing it is completely unique. No one will be able to say what you have to say exactly the way you say it. And sometimes, mostly in regards to poetry, it's nice to know you've put a little more beauty in the world.

Love you.
Mean it.