Writing is an art form, and all art forms have the ability to transform, inspire and motivate. It’s much more than conveying a story because woven into the fabric of a novel is the artist’s soul, a gateway to their innermost secrets, fears, and darkest desires.
Have you ever wondered why writing is good therapy? If a novel can transport the reader into another world, another perspective, can writing heal the reader too?
Journaling is great therapy, it allows the writer to unload emotions, to delve deeper and discover aspects of themselves that they never knew existed. It’s a private, safe place to share the shadow side of themselves without fear of being reprimanded. It releases stress. There is no right or wrong way; pen to paper, on the laptop, or making notes on your smartphone, whatever works for you. The important part is gaining access to the thoughts that threaten to drown us.
Remember to take care of yourself. If your emotions are overbearing and too powerful to deal with alone, then please seek help from a family member, friend or trained professional.
Instead of journaling, I place a protagonist into a conflict-rich environment and write a story. There I have all the elements in place to seek out what’s holding me back and portray them through the character. Now, it would silly of me to create the main character of myself, and to be honest, I don’t think it would work. But through the well-developed, complex character, I can identify with them. Aspects like, how harrowing their journey is, how justifiable their anger is, and how to show them compassion despite all of their flaws. This is an incredibly satisfying learning tool.
Writing allows the writer to feel, and it can be tremendously painful, but the consequence of hiding from those emotions is far more traumatic. This is why writers suffering from Complex PTSD, like myself, are encouraged to write.
But what about healing? And what about healing others with our words?
As a reader, I’m most impacted if I identify and connect with the character. I follow their journey with eager expectations, and if the writer has understood my struggles, reflected them back at me, and shown me that I can conquer regardless of my struggles, then I feel empowered, validated and it justifies my pain. Showing me that it’s okay to feel, it’s okay to express myself, it’s okay to be me.
That’s how we heal.
What benefits do you get from reading and writing? What have you discovered about yourself along the way? Share your experiences, you know I love hearing from you.
Thanks for stopping by.
Until next time, Much Love.
Lorraine Ambers 