Selectively Juggling

Let me start out by saying that I love writing. I love sitting down and creating something from my mere thoughts. My memories, observations and ideas work together to create something uniquely mine. Like seriously, the human mind is extraordinary! Amazing!

Taking time out to write allows me to momentarily remove myself from the hectic pace and throng of life. It’s not too dissimilar to taking a quiet reprieve from a fast-flowing river. Removing myself from the encircling eddy and wading over to a gentle ebb. I can pop myself onto the riverbank, catch my breath, and breathe. I’m still part of the river system but more of an esoteric observer, where I can delve deeply into cerebral thought and visceral feelings. I get to process. I get to create.

Writing takes on a therapeutic aspect, although it remains creative at its very core. Streams of thought can be woven into poetry, prose, characters, plots, settings, and story arcs. It can be non-fiction, fiction or a hybrid of the two.
I have enjoyed responding regularly to the daily WordPress writing prompts. However, I also belong to another writer’s site, where I receive daily emails reminding me to ‘write’. Yet instead of feeling inspired to write, I find the opposite true. The daily emails with “update your blog’ emblazoned all over them feels counter-intuitive and counter-productive. They’re loud and obtrusive. Invasive! I feel uninspired and somewhat salty.

It feels too regimented, too inorganic and forced. Too contrived. After all, the site is much less active than WordPress, and it feels like I am shouting into an enormous empty abyss. An empty void. My words and thoughts float into oblivion, and I feel a disconnect and dissonance. My ricocheting words rebound, highlighting that they are not landing anywhere. They miss their mark entirely.

So do I succumb to the pressure and force myself to write? Is a blog just a written monologue? Or is it more than that? And if so, should I keep writing if no one bothers to read it? After all, it’s not a journal but rather something meant to be shared, to have an audience. To be read! I want to connect with others. My words and thoughts either resonate or entertain others instead of disappearing into the ether.

I know what I need to do; I told you writing can be therapeutic and allow me to process my thoughts and feelings. I need to concentrate my energies, channelling them into things that contribute to my growth and feelings of joy as a writer. Rant over … What about you?