Words are a form of action, capable of producing change.
Ingrid Bengis
Isn’t that why we all write on some level? To produce change? I know I do. Sometimes it’s the most basic need to change my energy. If a topic or problem is weighing on me, the minute I put it into words, spilling it onto paper, the weight is lifted, the energy shifted. It sets off a chain reaction in my psyche, in my spirit even in my body. Writing is part of a tripod approach to health that I follow: exercise/healthy eating/writing. These all three work together to keep me balanced by keeping my energy moving.
Writing changes writer’s block. Write anything. Anything at all. A grocery list. Just get a pen or pencil moving across some paper. The very act un(b)locks something. Writing begets more writing.
In this heated political season many of us use our words to sway people’s voting decisions. That is truly a case of words as a form of action. Displaying a candidate’s sign in your front yard or a bumper sticker on your car is another way that words attempt change.
All stories are a window into another world be it a magical place for wizards in training or a desolate stretch of road in an apocalyptic America. That new view gives the reader a new way of looking at the world.
Memoirs give us glimpse into a world previously unknown to us. It can cause us to see a person or situation in a new light. Or it can show us that we aren’t alone. That happened to another person too? It isn’t just me? Suddenly our world has shifted, expanded.
Words are not just meek letters strewn across a page or screen. I think this is why writers struggle so much of the time. It may seem that we are merely daydreaming but the act of putting our words out there, out of our cramped little minds and into the wide open world is an act of daring. Daring to say, we see it this way. Daring to say, listen to what I have to say. Daring to ignite action and change with words.
*This is from a wonderful new blog I stumbled across.
By writing, I try to change myself. Your post is very interesting and thoughtful.
Hereis mine!
Welcome to Write On Wednesday! I enjoyed your reflections on the power of words, especially this line…”the act of putting our words out there, out of our cramped little minds and into the wide open world is an act of daring.” A resounding Yes! to that š
“Writing is a tripod approach to health” – yes! That’s wonderful. And it’s true.