I read an article recently stating that starting a blog in 2016 was pointless. They were coming at it from a marketing standpoint. The truth is, the majority of us don’t write for publicity or marketing or (definitely not) money. We write because that’s the way we keep ourselves sane. And because we don’t know how not to write.
For me, I am a better writer than speaker. I’ve always been that way. When I was in high school, I kept a LiveJournal religiously. In fact, I recently went back and reread some from my sophomore year of high school. Two words: holy shit. (More on that later.) Now, as an almost thirty year old, I still write because it’s a healthy way for me to purge my thoughts and anxieties. One thing that comes with getting older is a desire to reflect on the person you’ve become. Writing is the best way I know how to do that. Perhaps, in part, it’s also a way for me to feed my ego and boost my self-confidence. I was never confident when it came to my physical appearance in high school or college (or, hell, even now). What I was and am confident in is my ability to write. That’s right. I said it. I’m a damn fine writer.
So, take that, article. Not all of us are excited about the mobile age where less is more. Some of us still enjoy reading and writing things of substance. Not everything needs to be monetized and ad driven. In fact, I’m kind of frightened of a world where people stop writing for the simple pleasure of it. Let’s bring writing for the sake of writing back.
