“Write books only if you are going to say in them the things you would never dare confide to anyone.”
Emil M. Cioran

After recently suffering from a severe case of “writer’s block,” I found myself struggling to find inspiration of any sort in regards to the content I wanted to publish. Each week, I work to create pieces that readers can enjoy and hopefully resonate with, as well as divulge different parts of the inner workings of my own thought process within the messages being conveyed. As I spent hours of my days searching for anything that would excite my mind and influence a potential piece, I began to realize that I needed to put the search to rest. I took time to evaluate my situation, recognizing the notion that writing cannot be planned. The words on these pages are not predetermined or overly thought out, they simply flow from my mind with ease on their own time. It was at this moment that my mind began to wander, traveling back to the word “divulge.” There is a certain sense of depth in this word, as well as a component of intimacy. The more I thought, the more it began to strike me that intimacy is not only a component behind the word “divulge,” but it is also a key component behind the process of writing in itself. I believe that there is no greater sense of connecting with one’s own intimacy than sharing their most personal thoughts and feelings, which has evolved into a universal goal in the world of writing. Whether it is displayed as fictional or not, each author develops a form of intimacy in both characters and real-life experiences that fecundate their workings. This inspiration is derived from all angles; angles of love and hatred, of happiness and trauma, of positive attributes and negative occurrences. It takes shape in a variety of forms, and ultimately results in the creation of something maddeningly beautiful.

On a more personal level, my sole source of inspiration behind these words was derived from the quote above by Romanian writer and philosopher Emil M. Cioran. In today’s society, his works may be classified as somewhat ancient. Cioran was known for creating pieces that were portrayed as rather pessimistic, and to a certain extent, morbid. In my opinion, I have come to feel that the aspects of his writings are haunting, yet subtly enchanting. In this quote, Cioran approaches the idea of writing from a philosophical perspective, stating that pieces should be shared only if one is “going to say in them the things you would never dare confide to anyone,” resonating with the idea of intimacy as a whole. If an author is going to write, there must be meaning behind the words. It is acceptable to allow vulnerability, a term that often receives a negative connotation, to break down social barriers and take precedence in a piece. Intimacy and vulnerability work together, hand in hand, to create the magic within our thoughts. They give our words meaning, and allow writers to establish a connection with their audience. Without the inner workings of intimacy and vulnerability, our words would have no foundation, no core, no substance. In essence, they would mean absolutely nothing.