During a very busy transition into the new year, I had made the final decision to take a "break" from writing until things began to wind down. However, I realized that things were just getting started. Having recently taken a break from writing, I came to a few conclusions.
One: it is a lot harder to stop writing than I had anticipated.
With all that was going on, I had endless article ideas. How could I sit around and not write an article on Trump? I was eager to get started writing on a new piece, but I forced myself into believing that this break was necessary – therefore, no writing. At all. I figured that by the time I made my comeback, I would be a new and improved writer – which I still hope to be true. With the time I took off, although I did stop writing, I never stopped thinking about what would come next.
Two: writing, whether an article or simply a journal entry, is more of a personal coping mechanism than thought to be.
I find myself writing everywhere: whether I am on the train using the notes app on my phone, sitting in the library scattering thoughts in my planner, or writing an entry for the day. Writing has become a part of my life. To give up on writing meant giving up on myself. Upon initiating the so called "break", I did not think it would take such a toll.
Three: Being that it was a mechanism of such, once I stopped writing, other things among my daily routine went awry.
Being that writing is a coping mechanism, if I wasn't writing... well, you get the idea. There were so many ideas running about in my mind that it was hard to focus on other things. So what did I do? I didn't exactly cheat myself back into writing, but I would write down all my ideas just so I could clear and remember them when needed. Just being able to get ideas flowing on pen to paper again made me feel at ease.
If you are anything like me, writing simply comes naturally. I sometimes feel the need to write a fictional story about the person on the train across from me – or you maybe you just like to write lists, as you feel they keep you organized. Whatever genre or style fits you, don't give up on it. It's more than just writing, it's a way of living. I write to survive. What do you write for?
