From Pen to Progress: 5 Ways Writing Helps You Discover Yourself
Writing is the act of expressing thoughts, ideas, and emotions using the written language. Writing for personal growth then is about expressing ourselves without inhibition in order to better understand ourselves and who we are becoming. Because writing is about creating a narrative, whether consciously or unconsciously, writing challenges us to make sense of our thoughts, challenge our ideas, and develop empathy.
5 Ways Writing Can Help You Discover Yourself
Writing for personal growth is a powerful way to help you better understand yourself and your place in the world. Whether you are journaling, writing poetry, or working on a novel, writing can help you tap into your deepest thoughts and emotions. Here are 5 ways that writing can complement personal growth and self-discovery.
1. Writing Helps You Process Emotions
Writing can be an effective way to process emotions and feelings that you may not be able to work through or express otherwise. When you put your thoughts down on paper, it helps you gain a new perspective and work through difficult emotions. It can also be therapeutic to write about your experiences, whether they are positive or negative.
I find that writing through especially difficult experiences helps me better understand the situation and even come away with some unexpected revelations. In fact, writing helped me overcome a particularly rocky moment in my life and inspired my post on how creative writing can help manage anxiety.
2. Writing for Personal Growth: Writing Helps You Reflect on Your Experiences
Writing can help you reflect on your experiences and learn from them. When you take the time to reflect on what you have been through, you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. This can help you make sense of past experiences and make better decisions in the future.
I have kept a journal since I was ten and it is incredible to look back through my entries and feel my thought process change as I have grown and learned. It is also eye-opening to watch as my approach to certain moments has changed and notice just how everything I have experienced has contributed to who I am today.
3. Writing Helps You Find Your Voice
Writing can help you find your unique voice and express yourself more authentically. When you write, you can explore your thoughts and feelings in a way that feels true to yourself. Because this writing is often private, it is a space in which to be yourself without inhibition. This can help you connect with yourself on a deeper level and gain a better understanding of your own values and beliefs, as well as help you define why you write.
4. Writing for Personal Growth: Writing Helps You Set Goals
Writing can be a powerful tool for setting and achieving goals. When you write down your goals, you are more likely to follow through with them. Writing can also help you break down big goals into smaller, more manageable tasks, making it easier to stay on track and achieve what you set out to do. Making written goal lists is also a great way to write through your motivations and better understand why you want to accomplish what you do.
5. Writing Helps You Cultivate Self-awareness
Writing can help you become more self-aware by helping you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth. By reflecting on your experiences and thoughts, you can gain a better understanding of who you are and what you want out of life.
Thus, writing for personal growth is a powerful tool that can help you better understand yourself and who you are. Whether you are journaling, writing poetry, focusing on non-fiction, or working on a novel, writing can help you process emotions, reflect on your experiences, find your voice, set goals, and develop empathy. So, pick up a pen and start writing – you never know what you might discover!
Why do you write? Does writing help you process emotions and experiences? What would your life look like if you did not write? Tell me below!
Photo by Sincerely Media
caveldc
I love journaling as my form of writing but this is a fantastic post.
haoyando
I feel the same. Since I started writing about some of the things I’ve always felt about my own relatives, I have discovered a lot about myself and the dumb fear and anxiety I have always suffered from.
Layla Todd
Thank you for sharing these thoughts! 💛
Staci Troilo
Excellent points, Layla. Writing can be cathartic and help us work through our thoughts and feelings. I know I’ve processed many feelings through pen-and-paper or hands-on-keyboard that I struggled to just through thinking. Thanks for your thoughts.
Karima Hoisan
All 5 points are clearly stated and very true. Thank you so much Layla for sharing this post with us.
Layla Todd
Thank you for reading, Karima!
Jane Boyce
Very relatable…..and I find it helps with self-awareness and clarity. Very poignant.
Layla Todd
Delighted you found this useful, Jane!
positivemindsint'l2017blog.com
So inspiring and motivating. Keep up the good work 👍
Belladonna
This is great Layla! Writing is so healing for me and cheaper than therapy.LOL
Layla Todd
Writing is a great way to heal, Belladonna! It truly helps me too. 🤍
Ka Malana - Fiestaestrellas.com
This article is rich with awareness around writing and how pragmatic, revelatory, and overall helpful writing is. Easy to fall in love with the written word and to work on our craft! Excellent work, my friend!
Layla Todd
Thank you for sharing your takeaways, Ka! 🤍
Keep Calm & Drink Coffee
True Layla! Thank a lot. Writing is sometimes like breathing.
D. Wallace Peach
These are excellent tips and I’ve experienced them all to different degrees. Sometimes my characters make hard moral choices and I’ve had to wonder if I would have the courage to do the same. 🙂 You’re so write that we discover and redefine ourselves through our stories.
Layla Todd
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Diana!
agesmanner
Nice one
Cindy Georgakas
love this Layla. So apropos for us writers! 💗
Raji (@journeyintofantasy)
These are all excellent points Layla! Writing really is a great way to process thoughts and emotions, it’s why I’ve been journalling regularly for years now, and when I recently looked back on some of my entries from nearly ten years ago, it was so interesting to see how different it is to my current writing and voice. Thanks for sharing!
Layla Todd
I love that you have kept a journal long enough to see the shifts in yourself over time! 💗
Baydreamer - Lauren Scott
I agree with all these wonderful tips, Layla. Thanks for the reminder. 💖
Michele Lee
Magnificent post, Layla! Writing offers so many benefits and is accessible to most everyone. I love the simplicity of writing… one just needs a journal and pen to unleash ideas that can help us personally, or benefit others, when you consider the many impactful historical letters written. I’ve heard many people say, “I am not a writer” in the narrative therapy workshops I assist with, only to hear them six weeks later share a beautifully crafted piece. It is a magical experience. ✍🏻✨ Thank you for this.
Layla Todd
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on how people who don’t consider themselves writers ultimately write! That’s beautiful. 💗
Michele Lee
My pleasure. It is a beautiful healing process and honor to witness. Few will publish, but everyone has a story to share. Everyone. 💗
Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader)
This is interesting, Layla. For me, writing is a way of reflecting on my experiences and it also helps me gather and process my thoughts. It’s also calming for me to write.
Layla Todd
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Michelle! 💗
Infinite Living
Writing literally reaquainted me with myself :)) And exactly in ways that you list, it is so powerful.
rothpoetry
Writing is great therapy as well, as is painting!
Layla Todd
Well said, Dwight! Creativity is amazing.
rothpoetry
:>)
Ranjana
Writing is definitely therapeutic. In the busyness of life, writing is like meditation that makes us slow down, think, reflect, and express ourselves. Wonderful post 👌
I'm All Booked Up YA
We completely agree with all of these! We also use creative writing as a form of relaxation.
SelmaMartin
This is true. All points i agree with. And if something brings you to the point where you get to know you better all the better. I love this. Thanks for sharing.
Jacqui Murray
I agree with all of these. That voice thing, aka identity–that’s a big deal.
Grace
This is so perfectly done, dear Layla!!! I love your kind advice and perspectives on what writing can do for the soul. Even in your articles you have this magical flow with words that is truly such a gift to read. Thank you for yet another touching piece 🤍🤗
Layla Todd
Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful thoughts, Grace! 💗
Liam Eddy
“Writing is thinking” –anonymous
Kym Gordon Moore
Layla, these are some great practical tips, especially for novice writers and reminders for veteran writers too. Thanks for sharing! 🤩💖😊
Layla Todd
Thank you for reading, Kym!
Kym Gordon Moore
Oh my dear Layla, it was my pleasure indeed! 🥂
theusedlife
Excellent post, Layla. I find writing often helps me clarify my thinking and gain greater awareness of my own thoughts and feelings.
Layla Todd
Thank you for reading and sharing how writing helps you! 💗