I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn. ~ Anne Frank

Why write regularly in the first place!?

Press play & enjoy listening to the article ;-)

Published: 23.3.2023 | Written & Narrated by: Lukáš “Lucky” Dušek

First, what do I mean when I say to write regularly?

In this day and age, writing is one of the primary ways of communication. Emails, SMS, DMs, Tweets, WhatsApp, Slack, other messengers, comments, social media statuses, posts... Tools that brought us: spelling corrections, T9, predictive writing, voice messaging, transcribing, emojis, gifs, ChatGPT, LOLs, WTHs, AFKs, HHs, FYIs, BTWs, ASAPs, 4Us, B4s, DNDs, TYs, LMFAOs. Ok, let's breathe.

Ways and tools that make communicating with the written word much easier than ever before. Which leads to a rapid pace and enormous quantities of daily "online writing". (I dare to say when counting all the daily online written communication, we are talking in Trillions). And, of course, the trade-off is inevitable. We trade quality for quantity and deepness of thought for the speed of it.

In this case, I mean the other side of writing, getting back to the roots of it. I mean to slow down, look deeper within, ask and answer, think and rethink, write and rewrite, arrange and rearrange, diverge and converge, start, throw away and start again. To enjoy and value the means more than the end. Writing for the sake of writing itself. To be fully present at the moment. And when finished, to briefly enjoy the fruits of that time and effort spent before taking another step.

To write a journal, articles, blog posts, summaries of your learnings, scribble for solutions, document your projects, write whole books and so on.

Write to use the brain and to push your limits. Today's technology brings tons of great tools, but by regular use, we are becoming more dependent on them and losing our ability to be effective without them. One might argue that it will free up your capacity to do other things, but there is a fine line. You must choose carefully what to let go of and what to hang on to. Memorization of tons of facts? Hell yeah. I gladly delegate to Mr Google. Ability to write "express" your thoughts, feelings, and truths clearly and understandably to yourself and others, hell no.

Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they'll go through anything. You read and you're pierced. ~ Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

What is so important about staying true to the fine art of writing?

When we feel familiar with some topic, we falsy mistake this familiarity for comprehending and deep understanding. Only when we try to say that topic out loud or put it on paper do we realize How shallow our understanding is! Writing carries us to think more, ask more questions, and explore further. It makes us understand better!

When do we understand something; What value it has? If we can't share it effectively with others? Writing helps us to straighten our thoughts, clarify our feelings and put them into meaningful words, sentences, and essays. Writing in loops makes these words, sentences, and essays simpler and more comprehensive. By providing us with instant feedback that we can apply right away. It makes us more articulate!

How often do we stop and try to get to know ourselves? Writing can become one of the most intimate relationships that you can have with yourself. Who am I? What do I think? What do I feel? It is permission to be sad, happy, angry, and joyful. Permission to smile, laugh, scream and cry. A safe place where we can relive good and bad. Writing makes you know yourself and brings the means to ventilate your emotions and feelings!

How many great ideas have you heard and forgotten? How many great experiences have you had and forgotten? How many great ideas have you had and forgotten? Writing is a tool to save what is worth saving!

And, a great way, maybe even the best way: How to bring yourself toward critical thinking is to teach yourself how to write!

Words are a lens to focus one's mind. ~ Ayn Rand

So, why we don't do it?

I see these main reasons. It is hard and incredibly time-consuming when taken seriously. And almost nobody teaches Why it is so important. Hopefully, with this writing, I gave you tiny glims through the keyhole to the world of this art. It will be a great pleasure if some of you join me on this journey.

Do not forget; It is you; Who must open the door and make the first step. After that, it is simple. Just keep walking. Simple, but not easy!

Call to Action:

Here are a few ideas on how to start:

• Find the problem you are interested in and scribble your thoughts on it.
• Write a handwritten letter to somebody
• Read something and summarize what you have learned.
• Write down one of your beliefs and try to refute it.

And a little tip on what helps with writing.

You will not expect that. Nah, of course, you did. The answer is reading. I first became an enthusiastic reader to be a more accurate; listener to audiobooks, and after a few years, it brought me here.

You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write. ~ Annie Proulx

Credentials & Resources

Here you can find additional resources to go deeper into this topic, inspirations and people that I draw from or got inspired by: Articles:

Jordan Peterson’s - Essay Writing Guide: You can use this word document to write an excellent essay from beginning to end, using a ten-step process. Most of the time, students or would-be essay writers are provided only with basic information about how to write, and most of that information concentrates on the details of formatting. These are necessary details, but writing is obviously far more than mere formatting. If you write your essay according to this plan, and you complete every step, you will produce an essay that is at least very good. You will also learn exactly how to write an essay, which is something very valuable to learn. To start writing your essay, go to the next page, for Part One: Introduction. - Jordan B Peterson

David Perell’s - The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online: I was a terrible writer growing up. I got a C- in my college writing class. At one point that semester, I skipped ten of those classes in a row because I didn’t see the value in learning to write. When I told my high school writing teacher that I’d taught thousands of people to write online, she spit out her drink because she thought I was joking. If I didn’t grow up with the passion to write, where did it come from?… - David Perell

Books:

Basically all good books :) But when I should recommend at least one that totally caught my attention I must mention:

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky: A predecessor to such monumental works such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, Notes From Underground represents a turning point in Dostoyevsky's writing towards the more political side. In this work, we follow the unnamed narrator of the story, who, disillusioned by the oppression and corruption of the society in which he lives, withdraws from that society into the underground. A dark and politically charged novel, Notes From Underground is Dostoyevsky at his best.

Software:

Any note-taking tool that you like or already use will do well.

Notion, Evernote, OneNote, Google Docs, …