As a writer, it is easy to get frustrated with the seemingly infinite articles out there in the world that all end up seeming so similar to one another. Ezra Pound once wrote on the topic of poetry, saying "Make it new!", which may appear to be rather simple in its message. However, when one considers that Hollywood has been churning out remakes, reboots, and rehashed ideas in an effort to bring nostalgia and the future of entertainment together, it's easy to see that Pound's imploring message should be heeded.
There is integrity in what one writes. Or, there should be, at least. You see, what you write should come from the depths of your very soul and derive from your experiences in life, whether favorable or unfortunate. Everyone has a story to tell, and it is one that should be told in such a way that gives your own writing a voice. Don't write like everyone else you see on the articles you scroll through. Don't follow like a sheep to the woods, blindly walking toward your inevitable demise. The metaphor may have been laid on thick, but understand that if you write like everyone else does, then many things happen in the process.
You lose your voice, your unique language and word choices that make you who you are. You become faceless to those in charge of your writing, supervising what passes as "acceptable" content for an article. You lose track of why you're really writing, too. Are you writing for yourself anymore or do you write because you're expected to dole out some words about your love for pizza and why dressing your pet up for Halloween is the cutest thing ever? Though it may seem harsh, it must get boring reading the same article over and over on different websites, worded just differently enough that you don't mind the repetition of it all.
Where did the times of appreciating literature beyond the first paragraph go? Why has society transitioned from indulging in masterpieces like "Hamlet," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and "The Divine Comedy" to instead finding Sparknotes as an easy way out, using racism as a reason to get a book dropped from the syllabus or class curriculum, and, finally, using religious beliefs as a reason to not read something fictional that consists of religious beliefs? Why haven't we maintained love for literature and why do we walk with our phones in our hands, constantly refreshing our newsfeeds, hoping that maybe there will be another status we haven't seen?
Blame it on technology, blame it on the educational system switching to tablets out of convenience, or blame it on parents' neglect for children's learning and encouraging playing with an iPad over trying to socialize. Please, like Pound demands, "make it new!" whether it's poetry or any writing we create. Find a way to make it new for your own writing. Find a way to stand out from the crowd, tackle social issues, and break the mold. Don't coast along writing what is expected of you. Be yourself. Stand your ground. When you're asked to write and you find yourself momentarily influenced by what someone else wrote, delete everything you'd typed to that point. Make it new. In all things you do, make it new. Make it fresh, make it something your proud of, and, most importantly of all, find your voice. There is integrity in writing honestly, even if it is not what people want to read or hear. Acknowledge your truth, whatever it may be.
