Why I write
Early into the pandemic in 2020, I started my blog as a creative outlet. For me, writing started as an area of interest and is now becoming a passion. Writing on my blog is me being public about my ideas/ opinions. Back in high school, I enjoyed writing essays. As a software engineer, one of the things I now extensively focus on is writing good documentation.
I admit that my writing journey has been through its ebbs and flows: from cranking out a post in under an hour, taking weeks to finish a post, having a ton of ideas in my article idea backlog, to finding it hard to make time for writing, to feeling joy when sitting to write and publishing a post. So I paused and decided to reflect on - ‘Why I Write’ and summarize the reflections in this post. The keyword here is ‘WHY’ - something I always try to ask myself to be more intentional in everything I do.
Streamlining my thinking, sparking curiosity
Every now and then, an idea makes me think deeply and stands out as ’ this is something I should write about’. From there, I start by creating a draft and an outline. That’s just the start! Where it gets interesting is thinking hard about the idea and developing a coherent post. I am developing a good understanding of writing well by following and observing some folks who write great impactful content.
The process of writing helps me find flow and streamline my thought process about a particular idea.
Creativity is cultivated
Creativity is inherent to human nature. Writing is an excellent form of practicing it. The idea of digging deep into a set of topics, writing it from the reader’s point of view helps me fuel my curiosity and creativity. I must admit, when the flow is there, it feels like therapy for the mind as it ties the loose ends bouncing back and forth in my head.
In this quest, I have realized I write to create value for myself and others. To further improve my craft, my current focus is on the fundamentals critical to writing with flair- simplicity, clarity, elegance, and evocativeness.
The secret sauce of Time and Energy
Writing for me seems effortless when both my time and energy are in the right place, free from distractions or the overwhelm of to-dos. So the thing for me to figure out now is how to not wait for such sporadic moments but prioritize right, create routines and rituals to support them.
Visibility
Writing on my blog is one of my attempts to learn in public and has allowed me to connect with numerous folks in the tech industry who are on a similar journey. An unintentional effect of this has been external visibility and an internal desire to get better with what I put out there. I also believe that true creative wealth comes from not caring what others think about your work but doing it for yourself first.
It’s my digital garden
Until recently, I aimed for perfection until the point I was ready to publish it, only to revisit the post a few weeks later, re-read it, and realize ‘n’ number of new insights or ways to enhance it. I then came across the idea of treating the blog as a digital garden. I have hence decided to use this platform as a medium to share ideas that are currently on my radar and keep refining them in time as I keep learning more. I feel that could be a sustainable and more fulfilling way to approach my writing. I’ll find out how that goes and someday blog about it.