Being an English Major now in my junior year of college, I can say that writing has become a very important part of my life. Not just in terms of school work but it has also had an impact on my life outside of school. I got into the English Major because of my love for writing, but my experience in college has only proven more of why I fell in love with writing to begin with. I also realized that not only is writing something that I love but it is something that is good for me and something that is good for everyone. Writing can actually help you more than you know it.

I can say from my own experiences that writing has helped me a lot in my life. Growing up shy, it was very difficult for me to be able to express myself emotionally. I was never good at expressing myself vocally but I discovered that I was much better at expressing myself through my writing. When I was going through rough times in life, I always found that writing was the best avenue for me to get it all out. Whenever I had something on my mind, I just wrote it down and it always made me feel better. To me, writing is the best way someone can express themselves if they can't through speaking.

There are many different ways that one can express themselves through writing, whether it is keeping a journal or diary, songwriting, and other creative ways of writing like stories and poetry. Keeping a journal is a great way of not only getting your emotions on paper but also for getting your creative juices flowing and getting your ideas on paper. I know sometimes when I have an idea for something, even the dumbest idea I can think of, I always have to write it down so I don't forget it later. I also know from taking creative writing classes, that being able to get my creative ideas out there is the best feeling. Singers have been able to express themselves through their music. A lot of great songs address different issues like love, heartbreak, depression and even political issues.

Same goes for literature. Great works of poetry by the likes of Shakespeare and others dealt with issues of the heart. But other works like the "Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope dealt with societal issues as well as political issues and through his satire was able to express his opinions on society at the time. Famous writers like Mark Twain and Stephen King dealt with depression and other personal issues and through those rough times were able to create great works like "Huckleberry Finn" and "The Shining" respectively. I know in my creative writing classes the best time for me to write is when I'm going through different emotions and it reflects in my writing as I'm sure it reflected in theirs. Now I'm not saying my writing is as good as theirs (let's not get crazy here) but I will say that going through the motions really does make my writing better, especially if I am writing something that I am really passionate about.

Life is always changing around us. Some days we have good days and other days aren't so good. One day we're on top of the world and other days we're at rock bottom. Whatever emotion I have been going through, I know that writing has always been my avenue to cope with my emotions. Some of my best writing has come from being very emotional and I know that no matter how bad things could be going, writing has always helped me deal with it.

Writing is a great way to clear your mind, a great way to be creative, a great way for one to express themselves emotionally and creatively. For some it is a great way of letting the world know how you really feel. So I encourage anyone who is going through a hard time, I encourage you to at least try and write about how you are feeling. You'll be surprised how it can really help you. You may even find yourself looking at things differently.

Some people may not see it that way and that is okay too. I am not saying it will solve all your problems, but I believe it can help you push through them. Give it a try and see what it does for you. You may discover a new talent you never knew you had. But most importantly, you will at least get it all out on paper instead of keeping it bottled up inside.