Don't Let It Define You

My best memories of writing, are the moments when I find myself writing from my heart about a subject in which I am clearly passionate about. In these moments I am writing purely for myself; not because someone else told me to, often not even to share with anyone else. While I write from the depths of my being, I feel as if I am pouring my whole self onto the page. I attach myself completely with every word I write and sentence I compose. I always thought this was the best way to portray passion in your writing. However, I have recently learned that there is a great line, that should never be crossed, between revealing ourselves through your work and allowing our work to define who we are

In chapter 22 of “Learn to Write”, Donald M. Murray states that “Writing is self-exposure. We reveal ourselves – how we think, how we feel, who we are – when we write” (2005, p. 200). Today in class, Fred touched on this very subject when he told us that it is important to remember that our writing does not define who we are. We create every piece of our writing, but it is true that we are not that piece of writing. Both of these points made by Murray and Fred are completely true. Making this distinction will lead to much healthier, and often better, writing. This is a lesson that is important for everyone to realize and something I need to continually remind myself of. Allow the work to be you, but not define you.