Writing can be a pretty desperate endeavor, because it is about some of our deepest needs: our need to be visible, to be heard, our need to make sense of our lives, to wake up and grow and belong. –Anne Lamott

Everyone processes life differently. Some people can sit alone in silence with their thoughts. Others have to verbally talk it out with another person. And then there are those of us who have to write. We express ourselves by putting pen to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard.

At times, I force myself to intentionally sit and formulate ideas about whatever it is I am experiencing. It can be painful and painstaking. But there are other times when it doesn’t require any effort at all. When I’m the groove, thoughts flow out of me as if my voice needs to be set free. It’s as if my very essence is trapped in a cage until I liberate it into the open for others to see.

And that’s the thing, right? Like the quote from Anne Lamott above, or how Parker Palmer describes the soul as a wild animal, writing allows us to reveal the deepest parts of ourselves if we allow it to. Whether it comes easily or has to be poked and prodded out, when told honestly and authentically, it provides us a sense of release. Catharsis. And best of all, freedom.

In today’s environment of likes, comments, and shares, I have to constantly remind myself about why I write. It feels silly at times. Maybe even vain. Why would anyone want to read what I have to share? I don’t consider myself an expert on life and certainly not on love, and yet, I know I’m supposed to do it.

So whether you’re writing because of you have an actual audience, or like me, are mainly writing for an audience of one, may you find the courage to let your wild soul out of its cage. It gives new meaning to the saying #writeon. 🙂

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From Parker Palmer:

The soul is like a wild animal – tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient, and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye, we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.

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