Dori Week 7- Writing is Fun!

    A lot of people might wonder, “How could someone actually like writing? Isn’t that just extra work?” Well, I’m not sure if many of you know this about me, but growing up, I always dreamed of being an author. I spent afternoons as a young kid making my own little storybooks out of printer paper, crayons, and dollar store silly putty (to stick the edges of the pages together of course). They were the highlights of my childhood and something I will surely never forget doing. 

    One of the amazing things about creative writing is in the name (“creative”): there are no rules, it’s all about however you want to express yourself. You can write any kind of poem, story, or narrative with any characters, themes, or ideas that pop up in your mind. While it’s fun building up your own worlds, there is also very much a cathartic aspect to creative writing or writing in general. Whenever I feel upset, writing and expressing any emotions on a page or doc instantly lifts a weight off my chest, whether it’s through a poem or journal. Particularly when it’s difficult to vent to others or explain out loud my thought process, writing is how I can fully be myself and come to terms with any feelings, thoughts, or events through being able to take my time in wording them however I want. I can’t imagine how the woman in “The Yellow Wall-Paper” felt, not being able to write as often as she wanted in her circumstances-- especially since she had nobody else who took her emotions seriously. 

    Another reason why I find creative writing to be a wonderful hobby is that it helps my skills in other writing styles, as well. When writing my college essays, for example, I did not expect to use much of my creative writing. However, any lines that incorporated creative writing ended up being those I was most proud of. I find that creative writing challenges me as a writer to think more outside of the box and can leave a unique polish on my work.  

    Finally, creative writing is enjoyable because I can be as dedicated as I would like to in this hobby. I can sit down and write a whole novel, try to major in creative writing in college, or simply write for fun whenever I feel like it. All it takes is paper and a writing tool, or a device. I am able to write for anywhere from 1 minute to 2 hours. There’s a stress-free component to creative writing that I really cherish compared to other hobbies that might require much more commitment or strict rules. 

    I also put a link to a website that mentions a few more reasons why creative writing is great to practice if anyone is interested. Let me know if you ever like to write as a hobby or if you would consider trying it! If not, what do you like to do in your free time instead?

https://writers.com/why-learn-creative-writing