Sure, beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, but it’s not the only place where one can see beauty.

The hands. The hands are used for many actions we take for granted: lifting things, scrolling through phones, driving cars, and countless everyday actions. But one of the best things we can do with our hands is to express ourselves, through the simple action of writing.

There is a beauty in writing that differs from what you may see in pictures or sculptures. Instead of gaining meaning from images, one gains meaning from the words and the way those words are strung. Writing portrays the images we take for granted in an abstract form, and it enriches our ability to analyze and gain meaning from various pieces.

There are many advantages to writing. It unleashes one’s creativity that has no specific structure to follow. It allows for a unique style to manifest and for a different “voice” to be added into our diverse world. It can be a way to release emotion privately, or to convey thoughts or ideas that may be decisive.

The beauty of writing is that there is no specific template to follow. One can write anything the way he or she wants to. There are countless ways to write something. Some writing styles are journalistic, abstract, or poetic.

What’s amazing is that an individual’s writing style is unique to him/herself. Place two pieces of writing together, on the same topic and containing the same ideas, and not only do you see different penmanship, but you can see different sentence structures, different diction and different styles. One paper may have opted for a more factual tone while the other used analogies to get the point across. No one shares the same style with anyone else in the world.

There is no dominating style of writing because no one can truly replicate a style that is not theirs. Sure, students are all taught the five paragraph essay format, but not all five paragraph essays will be the same. Also, often students must forgo that generic style in favor of a longer, richer structure. While people are taught generic ways of writing, they can go above and beyond that, and that is where the best writing comes from.

Writing also allows for a voice to be “heard”. While it does not come in sound waves, it can still have the same impact as an actual voice. When you write, you speak. You word sentences in your own style; it embodies one’s voice, without the added tendency to say “like” or “um”, of course. It even allows one to use a voice that he/she may not be comfortable using.

Writing is a cathartic action, something that lets one openly express his or her strong emotions. One may keep a diary or journal; someone else may take to Twitter or Facebook for his catharsis. Writing lets people express themselves silently without having to use their voice. It also lets them manipulate the way they say things, whether it’s by using a more ambiguous tone or just being as direct as possible.

There is power in writing. Many of the greatest thinkers used writing to convey their ideas. Galileo wrote his theory of heliocentrism in a book; Harper Lee criticized racism in the legal system through To Kill a Mockingbird. Writing is a powerful, universal tool to share ideas and ignite discussion over said ideas.

Writing is its own language, and it is a universal one. It is still a popular method of communication, whether in a formal letter or through text messages. Even in this highly technology-centered age, there is still a strong value for the written text throughout the world. Writing will never die as the world ages, because there will always be something to write about in this ever-changing world.