Therapy writing(s)
Is writing for yourself a sin?
A short letter to you
Before I begin
The following writing is part of the “Therapy writing(s)” series. In summary, I am pouring my soul, fears, ideas, and mind outside with each article, hoping to be better and possibly inspire you to do the same.
If you want to get a bit more context before continuing, I recommend reading the first writing as well.
As a former copywriter, I can tell you that audience is everything. Get to know and understand the people you write to, and deliver your message directly to them, as if you were sitting in front of them and speaking your mind and soul to them.
Also, while looking at multiple publications’ submission rules, I can see the focus on “writing to your readers” - impact and touch your reader’s interests and needs.
What about my needs as a writer? Who should take care of those?
I know it might seem odd to say, but putting aside the audience, you will ALWAYS write for you as well, or in some cases, where you are directly treating your mental health, YOU are the audience!
Treat yourself with your own healing words! Redirect the energy put in your readers back into you from time to time.
The question that I’m challenging you (and me) has something more subtle attached to it.
Is writing for yourself a sin?
And that is guilt from my side. Each time I publish something, which is more “me” as an audience, and less “you” as a reader, I feel guilty.
Somehow all my experiences so far led me to the feeling of betraying the reader if I go “inside” and express myself, for myself, in writing. It feels like a sin.
Already started
Dear Reader,
I know that the simple fact of you reading my words puts you in the “central” of my attention. That being said, you should be my audience. But right now, you are not.
Please forgive me. If I am cleaning my mind, spilling my thoughts, and opening my soul, then I am doing it for myself - The Writer.
If you are a writer, enjoying yourself is as important as entertaining your readers. (sometimes more important)
Take a break from your audience and make yourself your audience!
I feel tired, maybe due to the late hour, the kid’s fever, some December burnout syndrome, or just because, as I said before, I feel guilty, happy, and sad at the same time.
I know it seems as if my mind is losing the grip of reality with this strange cocktail of feelings, but my structural rational being can explain.
- Guilt comes from betraying you, my reader, as the person who reads and participates in something that is not meant for you.
- Happiness is for the relief that everything I take outside gives me and also for the small hope that this will inspire you, too, dear colleague writer, to have similar bursts of writing for and to yourself.
- I’m sorry, but I do not have a clue why I feel sad right now. I need to dig deeper into this one. (maybe another time)
Your need for empathy and connection through writing/reading needs to be fulfilled both ways! Both from the perspective of writing and reading your work.
In essence, every writer is a reader, and his reader side needs to be happy as well.
Hopefully, I did not offend you, dear Reader, because that was not the purpose of this letter. My goal here was to make you see a glimpse of the other side…
Thank you for reading,
Stefan
Before I leave
I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about this. Do you feel the same? Is writing to yourself something that you do or are willing to do? Is it a sin? Do you feel guilty like I do?
Unfortunately, my philosophy background encourages me to endlessly ask for everything - I will stop my questions marathon.
Treat yourself with some good writing for yourself, praise the good things that you’ve done so far, and make it public or not :)
