Posted on January 9, 2010 - by Joanna

9 Possible Ways that Writing Changes Things

I’m interested in the way that writing can shift things for us, inside: opening up a sense of creativity, playfulness, the freedom to dream dreams and explore what’s possible.

Here are some possible answers:

1. Writing is a declaration of intent

Putting pen to paper makes a dream, a target, an imagined possibility start to seem more real.

The language you use makes it more tangible. Sharing it with others – on Twitter, or a blog post – means blasting through the comfort zones and setting out where you really want to get to.

By writing it down, you declare yourself in the game. Putting it on paper alerts the part of your brain known as the reticular activating system to join you in the play. ~ Henriette Anne Klauser, Write it Down, Make it Happen

2. Writing helps you notice the sticking points

You might notice your own points of resistance or limiting beliefs as you write. You might notice them because you’re feeling awkward or uncomfortable in writing about them, or spot them later when you’re editing. Perhaps it’s negative language you’ve used, or metaphors that subconsciously make a project look threatening and daunting.

When this happens you could try rewriting with language that is softer, more possible, more full of “coulds” and “maybes” and see if new a sense of possibilities opens up (more on the language and verbs of possibility next week.)

Anytime words alone stop you doing what is important to you – change the words ~ Moshe Feldenkreis

3. Repetition makes a difference

I guess this is how affirmations work (though they rarely work for me, because they’re too general and not convincing enough.) The more you write about something postive, interesting, quirky, creative… the more you will start to feel that way. (I think this only works if it’s genuine, not if you’re just doing it for the sake of it or to try and convince yourself.)

I explored this a while back in relation to writing with gratitude. It’s one of the best examples I know of how language, words and writing can change your state.

Writing that sense of gratitude helps you to notice it, capture it, name it, share it.

Gratitude changes the way you write. Writing with gratitude changes you.

4. Your mind starts looking for evidence: to back up what you’re working on or thinking about, or to supply you with more words.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy writing to a theme: my mind starts looking for material I can collect and use. The theme serves as a focus or filter. So long as I pick something positive (interesting, quirky, creative) I can look forward to finding all sorts of interesting things courtesy of my inner search engine.

5. Writing opens things up

Pick a theme, a topic, an idea that you want to write about and your mind will look for ways to explore it and expand it. Pick a number for a list, and your brain will hunt for the answers to your question. (One of the reasons I love list posts.) It’s a way of opening your mind… including opening it up to new, previously undreamt of possibilities too

6. Writing helps you notice the details

Writing that’s full of generalities is dull and unconvincing. Writing becomes vivid and compelling when you work in the details, the messy, fascinating, terrible, wonderful stuff of life. Paying attention to the details makes the journey through life more interesting and enjoyable, awakening the explorer mind set.

7. Writing makes you creative and playful

Writing gets you playing with language, regardless of whether or not you’re engaged in something labelled ‘creative writing’. Some words in themselves can make you feel more creative and playful (and let me assure you, possibility is one of them )

Creative, playful people are more likely to find solutions and look for possibilities.

8. Writing changes your brain chemistry

I just wish I knew more about how.

9. Writing together helps us find answers

I have a lot of hunches and intuitive feelings about this topic. I’ve done some reading about it, but not enough to make this post really well referenced.

I’d love to hear more from you – about examples, evidence, books you’ve read, or your own experience of how writing changes things… inside, to start to make them possible.

~~~

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on Confident Writing.