"Without a strong feeling of self- in the psychological sense of the term- one can be easily overwhelmed by circumstances and grow shy or combative from a sense of inadequacy- and the skills required to communicate effectively to others are vitally connected with the habit of communicating freely with others."
Luella B. Cook and I have the same thoughts on writing for oneself as a form of writing for the world. The above quote has a lot of meaning in it, so I thought we could start by breaking it down a little.
As an introvert with anxiety, talking with other people about anything, especially about ME, is one of the most difficult things. I know for a fact I am not the only one that feels this way. So extroverts, this blog post is not for you.
Hello introvert friends, here, is where we can bond.
Since I do nooooot want to talk about myself (too much), I will give a brief description of where I am coming from and then move on to you. The hypothetical you.
In high school I had no idea who I was. Literally not a single clue. I was ten different people and nobody at the same time. It took two years of college, a lot of time spent alone (studying, sleeping, netflix), and an academic adviser that told me she changed her major OFFICIALLY (like filled out the paperwork for her school) 24 times before she found something she was serious about, for me to really find myself. But if knowing who you are is a spectrum, I am probably 60% there. I am sure there are people my age who are way below that and way above that, but it is important for me to realize that I may look at the girl studying next to me in the library that looks VERY cute and put together, that has pretty notes and brand new textbooks (not ripped and rented), that I am 500% sure is 500% on the scale of knowing who she is, might not actually be at that point. One thing I learned over this process is that everyone is going through something. They are just better at not showing it. Sometimes we may think that our problems, insecurities, may be showing a lot more than they actually are.
But okay back to the quote and to the hypothetical you. I like how the author says that "the skills requited for effectively to others are vitally connected with the habit of communication freely with oneself" because writing for yourself and with yourself is exploring the parts of your mind that you do not always reach on the daily basis. Cook says "And I know of no better entrance to this secret inner world, that lies within each of us, than through the craft of writing. Such self exploration often yields true gems of thought and feeling, which- when cut and polished- are a joy to behold not only because they reveal the hidden power that lies beneath the surface of our everyday, practical selves." This is so true because writing with the intention of digging deeper into yourself really works.
For me, talking became easier after I found myself through writing. I say that with the utmost sincerity and as SILLY as it sounds, writing to myself helped me find my voice for talking to people in the REAL WORLD. Who would've thought that could ever happen. Write yourself questions. Answer them in the way you would to your little sibling, your best friend, give yourself the advice and teach yourself the lessons you would want to give to the people you care about.
I like how the author says that writing can do more for people than just create a story. She says "It takes patience and skill and insight to help them [students] learn both to recognize and to trust those deeper layers of self that lie beneath the surface of their conforming selves."
Writing is a place to call yourself out. Solve your own problems. You are there for yourself too! Like the author says, we are often much wiser than we know. She even says "Our pupils are often much more aware- even wiser than they know, or than we ourselves expect." She writes that it is important for her and other instructors of writing to not only fixate on the "finished product." Which I find interesting for her to say as a writing professor because that is what a writing class is... right? As students, we write something with the intention of hopefully writing what the teacher wants to read for a good grade. Whatever it takes, right? But she says that while the finished product definitely is important, it is also important to her for her students to learn to "recognize and trust those deeper layers of self that lie beneath the surface of their conforming selves." She is talking about us students here! She not only wants students to do well on assignments, but she wants us young writers to find ourselves too!
Writing is a form of self evaluation. We know this by now. So like, who even are you?
Luella B. Cook and I have the same thoughts on writing for oneself as a form of writing for the world. The above quote has a lot of meaning in it, so I thought we could start by breaking it down a little.
As an introvert with anxiety, talking with other people about anything, especially about ME, is one of the most difficult things. I know for a fact I am not the only one that feels this way. So extroverts, this blog post is not for you.
Hello introvert friends, here, is where we can bond.
Since I do nooooot want to talk about myself (too much), I will give a brief description of where I am coming from and then move on to you. The hypothetical you.
In high school I had no idea who I was. Literally not a single clue. I was ten different people and nobody at the same time. It took two years of college, a lot of time spent alone (studying, sleeping, netflix), and an academic adviser that told me she changed her major OFFICIALLY (like filled out the paperwork for her school) 24 times before she found something she was serious about, for me to really find myself. But if knowing who you are is a spectrum, I am probably 60% there. I am sure there are people my age who are way below that and way above that, but it is important for me to realize that I may look at the girl studying next to me in the library that looks VERY cute and put together, that has pretty notes and brand new textbooks (not ripped and rented), that I am 500% sure is 500% on the scale of knowing who she is, might not actually be at that point. One thing I learned over this process is that everyone is going through something. They are just better at not showing it. Sometimes we may think that our problems, insecurities, may be showing a lot more than they actually are.
But okay back to the quote and to the hypothetical you. I like how the author says that "the skills requited for effectively to others are vitally connected with the habit of communication freely with oneself" because writing for yourself and with yourself is exploring the parts of your mind that you do not always reach on the daily basis. Cook says "And I know of no better entrance to this secret inner world, that lies within each of us, than through the craft of writing. Such self exploration often yields true gems of thought and feeling, which- when cut and polished- are a joy to behold not only because they reveal the hidden power that lies beneath the surface of our everyday, practical selves." This is so true because writing with the intention of digging deeper into yourself really works.
For me, talking became easier after I found myself through writing. I say that with the utmost sincerity and as SILLY as it sounds, writing to myself helped me find my voice for talking to people in the REAL WORLD. Who would've thought that could ever happen. Write yourself questions. Answer them in the way you would to your little sibling, your best friend, give yourself the advice and teach yourself the lessons you would want to give to the people you care about.
I like how the author says that writing can do more for people than just create a story. She says "It takes patience and skill and insight to help them [students] learn both to recognize and to trust those deeper layers of self that lie beneath the surface of their conforming selves."
Writing is a place to call yourself out. Solve your own problems. You are there for yourself too! Like the author says, we are often much wiser than we know. She even says "Our pupils are often much more aware- even wiser than they know, or than we ourselves expect." She writes that it is important for her and other instructors of writing to not only fixate on the "finished product." Which I find interesting for her to say as a writing professor because that is what a writing class is... right? As students, we write something with the intention of hopefully writing what the teacher wants to read for a good grade. Whatever it takes, right? But she says that while the finished product definitely is important, it is also important to her for her students to learn to "recognize and trust those deeper layers of self that lie beneath the surface of their conforming selves." She is talking about us students here! She not only wants students to do well on assignments, but she wants us young writers to find ourselves too!
Writing is a form of self evaluation. We know this by now. So like, who even are you?
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