Why write?

I will post somethng of my own soon. I have more some thoughts in my notebook that I’d like to post here. In the mean time here are some thoughts from Henri Nouwen on writing:

Writing to Save the Day
Writing can be a true spiritual discipline. Writing can help us to concentrate, to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds, to process confusing emotions, to reflect on our experiences, to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories. Writing can also be good for others who might read what we write.
Quite often a difficult, painful, or frustrating day can be “redeemed” by writing about it. By writing we can claim what we have lived and thus integrate it more fully into our journeys. Then writing can become lifesaving for us and sometimes for others too

Writing, Opening a Deep Well
Writing is not just jotting down ideas. Often we say: “I don’t know what to write. I have no thoughts worth writing down.” But much good writing emerges from the process of writing itself. As we simply sit down in front of a sheet of paper and start to express in words what is on our minds or in our hearts, new ideas emerge, ideas that can surprise us and lead us to inner places we hardly knew were there.
One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see.


Comments

3 responses to “Why write?”

  1. Where is the Nouwen quote from? I really like it – I have been thinking a lot about writing recently – why I do it – why i feel the ‘need’ to do it – and I think it certainly feels like a spiritual discipline for me. It’s funny i have been writing exactly the same thought of thing regarding the process, reflecting etc.

  2. jonny/admin

    Cheers Jim – the quote is from the Nouwen Daily Meditation – see henrinouwen.org

  3. I get them and hadn’t taken the time to read it – i think that is telling me something in and of itself!
    Look forward to reading more of your writing.

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