Finding the balance - a post by Braden Humphrey

Reading about how to write and then having to write about it frustrates me. It feels like I’m running around in circles or trying to understand the number infinity. It is something I will never fully be able to comprehend and it makes my head hurt at times. Then I stop and think about how useless it is to continue to think about something I won’t ever figure out. I start to realize that I just need to do instead of over thinking everything. This is the process every time I write something regardless of what it is for. I continually have to “shut off” part my brain in order to keep the flow going. I need to find that balance between my conscious and unconscious self, which is the key to saying what I want to say. This is why I think being told to just write is the best advice one can get.

In spite of the frustration I experience with this process, a part of me enjoys it. Being able to write about pretty much whatever I want for reasons I want to (other than to pass the course) gives me a sense of freedom. I’m free from the rules, regulations and formats that plague most of the writing I’m required to do as a student. Of course, some sort of format or structure is always appreciated, but being told what to write and when to write has never made much sense to me. How can someone write something we will truly appreciate if they are following a preset formula? It kind of takes away from what writing is intended to be in my eyes, an expression of oneself, unscripted. This is when writing is most enjoyable and I’m pleased to have the opportunity to put it into action.