Growing up I had math as a subject at every level of schooling. Math, Science, History, and English were the core subjects. Art was there too but not as an everyday thing. Creative writing was so rare it is no wonder to me that so many people write so poorly.
Telling people that I studied creative writing in college usually has one of two responses. First is “Oh that's fantastic, what do you like to write?” and second is “What are you going to do with that?” Well, sir, I’m going to write every damn day. How many people watch movie’s, tv shows, read books, listen to songs, or podcasts? Probably everyone.
Stories have been around since humans have been. Math hasn’t. Or maybe it has, and I haven’t studied prehistoric times enough. Not to say that math isn’t important, of course, it is, but so is writing and storytelling. Living in a balance between logic and creativity is important for the world and society going forward. My choosing to be a storyteller is just as important as my brother choosing to be a lobsterman and engineer.
Creativity is as important to human existence as medicine is. That is why it has been around for even longer than modern medicine has. Telling our stories and feeling heard is as important as physical healing. Writing or recording out stories is part of feeling whole as a human.
Storytelling is also an essential component of every culture around the world. This is what I do. This is what I am choosing to do every day for the rest of my life. I am a writer. I am a creative being. I would wager a bet that most people who are doctors, engineers, mathematicians, and scientists come home and read, watch or listen to something that someone like me wrote. We all love to hear and tell stories it is part of what makes us human.
That is part of why social media has taken off. Most of it is storytelling. What is the story of yourself that you want the world to see? It can be edited and revised just like the writing I do can. At its core, Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat are all forms of storytelling. Storytelling is entertainment and a way of escape it is finding a connection to something to help you through something. It is a way to make the world feel smaller and a little safer. So please don’t ever tell me that writing and storytelling aren't necessary.
