Hello! I hope, whenever and wherever you happen to stumble upon this post, that you are safe and well. It feels very weird, sitting here and writing my first ever blog post, but it also feels like the beginning of something new, and I am saying that with the best possible intentions in mind. Having studied History, English, German and Film Studies at A-Level (a very smart combination of all essay-based subjects!), I never imagined writing would feel so weird. Yet, it still does. I've spent a great deal of my life writing, be it through essays, classwork or exams, but picking up a pen (or, rather, firing up the laptop) and writing just for fun, for pure, simple pleasure, is a vastly different experience.
But this is a feeling that I better get used to quickly, as I begin this new journey of brainstorming, writing and publishing articles; I must admit, it makes me feel incredibly professional! I'd be lying if I said that this would have inevitably happened without the pressures of lockdown, which has consequently created a voice in my head that tells me I should be doing something meaningful with my life - something that ultimately pushes me outside my comfort zone. On that note, I'm sure I'm not alone in creating my first ever blog. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people around the world are most likely turning to the art of writing as a way to deal with this incredibly painful and confusing situation, which I find absolutely amazing.
So, for my first blog post I thought I would focus on something that I'm going to be doing quite a lot of from now on... writing! As is evident from the title of this blog post, I have chosen to describe writing as a type of 'medicine', which may seem quite odd to some; the opposing academic fields of the arts and the sciences simply do not go together. Thinking about it a little more deeply, it's actually fairly ironic, given the current situation, that I'm suggesting writing to be a type of medicine. A global pandemic has been announced, a deadly virus is sweeping the earth, whilst scientists search in panic for some kind of treatment or cure. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here, suggesting that we should all just write! Okay, so there is definitely a difference between 'medicine' and the type of 'medicine' I am referring to here. I still firmly believe, however, that writing is like medicine, especially in the sense that it keeps us healthy, happy and, most importantly, alive. No, writing is not going to cure cancer, nor is it going to get rid of that nasty cough you've had in the back of your throat for the past couple of weeks. Writing cannot replace a vaccine, but, in my personal view, it can definitely heal a damaged or troubled soul.
Every since I was little, I have always been fascinated by writing and storytelling. Reading stories, coming up with my own and bringing them to life on paper has been, and still is, a great passion of mine, because, on the one hand, it is the perfect fictional distraction from the maladies that burden our daily lives, and, on the other hand, it can deepen our understanding of life's struggles by forcing us to come face-to-face with our greatest emotions, fears and beliefs. Ever wondered why so many authors establish their protagonists as semi-autobiographical reflections of themselves? Who knows, maybe it's just a simple case of narcissism being translated into their fictional works, but I think otherwise. Writers almost always tend to write through a semi-autobiographical lens, because writing tells us who we are or, rather, who we want to be. Writing helps us to shape our own life stories and to accept the mind, body and world we inhabit.
Now, before I get into a really philosophical and emotional spiel about how the importance of writing should be recognised, I have deemed it necessary to discuss the concept behind 'Consider It' and how it relates to this idea of writing as medicine.
Thoughts: we have lots of them. This is something that simply cannot be denied. Imagine how many thoughts go through your head on a daily basis. Now imagine yourself on a particularly stressful day. How many thoughts go through your head in a single hour? If we are unable to find an outlet that allows us to explore, understand and free these thoughts, then we are ultimately clogging and damaging our headspace, a space that should enable our thoughts to come and go as they please whilst still allowing us to live our lives in an unhindered manner. I have personally found that the best way for me to declutter my thoughts is through conservation, and that is exactly what writing is - a conversation with yourself. Even if what you are writing is directed at a specific audience, a lot of what you write is always for yourself... which leads me right back to the point I made about semi-autobiographical writing. See, we've come full circle!
This is my first point: that writing allows us to clear our headspace, which is very often full of tangled and twisted thoughts and feelings. In opening our minds, we are ready to absorb and appreciate life and everything it has to offer, without the constant distraction of our greatest anxieties and anticipations.
This, then, leads me onto my second point, which I am instead going to pose as a question: what do we do with these thoughts once we have freed them from our minds? This is where my blog begins to play an important role in the story... we express them! No matter what the thought is, we express the thought, we discuss the thought, we evaluate the thought and we exchange the thought with others. That is exactly what I intend to do with this online space. I want to be able to find my own voice amidst the mass of thoughts which occupy my mind. I want to discover my own opinions on topics which are close to my heart, and, in writing these articles, I hope that you will be able to join in on the discussion too. This is a communal space, where no one should be afraid to express their thoughts,
and where we will all, hopefully, learn a thing or two from the perspectives of others.
As with any good writing, it would only make sense to leave you on a cliffhanger! I would love to offer you an insight of what is to come, but I am not entirely sure myself. More than anything, I am excited to write without boundaries. For years, my thoughts and interpretations have been regulated by teachers and examiners, who have judged the value of my writing and opinions on the basis of a mark scheme. My writing has been reduced to a single mark, which has ultimately come to define me... or, rather, I have let this mark, this minuscule and insignificant number, define me. Not anymore. What I have learned from writing for pleasure is that ALL opinions are valid, no matter how imaginative they become, and that writing should never be a place of restriction. So, who knows... perhaps one week I will be discussing the benefits of studying a foreign language, and then the problems of social and racial inequality the next. Maybe, just maybe, it won't always be me doing the writing. Perhaps I'll continue in this informal and chatty writing style, perhaps not. I can't say for sure what will become of this blog, but I am extremely excited to see where it goes, and I hope that you are too.
