Writing is hard, and I love that it is
In short: the title of this post.
In many words:
Knowing how to write is easy. As children, with the right education, we learn to write very early in our academic journey. It’s not the first thing we’re taught because colors, shapes, animals, and important objects are essential for our survival. But writing is easy.
Learning the vowels, forming syllables, understanding the sounds letters make when combined, etc. All of this comes naturally to us because before we learn to write, we learn to speak; before we write, we already know how to communicate with others.
On a superficial level, writing is easy. Because writing is a skill we’ll use in many stages of life, to communicate in countless ways; and in the society we live in, writing is indispensable.
If we learn to write, we learn to read; and if we know how to read, we are more easily influenced.
What’s fascinating is that "writing" becomes a complex activity the more we explore it. Later on, knowing how to form words isn’t enough because we need to understand the subject, and the verbs, and create coherent sentences; though talking about this would lead to language and grammar, and while that’s equally interesting, it’s not why I’m here.
Besides, the language doesn’t matter. Writing is about communication. It’s about making our ideas transcend through the written word. And that’s where it gets difficult.
Like any other skill, knowing how to write is something we can all learn—similar to how we can all draw a dog. The difference is that some people know how to add shadows, use lighting, and fill the page with details.
I can learn the musical notes and how they sound, maybe put together a melody or two, but there are those who create magic with sound. Because they’ve learned to use the notes in such a way that they communicate with greater depth through them.
For me, reaching the level I describe in the examples above would be difficult, but I know I could learn it. If I don’t, it’s because my interests lie elsewhere.
This isn’t about ego. I’m not saying I’m capable of everything. Because, in reality, if we don’t have the drive and energy to learn something, it means that, in the end, we’re not as capable as we think.
This is about appreciating that there are people in the world doing wonderful things everywhere, all the time; each person using their craft to communicate in a unique way. Creating art that can touch us, even if we aren’t highly studied in their discipline.
We understand them because they know how to communicate using their medium.
Writing is hard, and I love that it’s hard. If we all could communicate so well with words, maybe there wouldn’t be so many amazing people making music, acting, painting, and exploring different forms of art to express what they feel and think.
At many stages of my life, I have felt that writing is so difficult that it’s forced me to seek myself in other mediums. Yet, I always come back because I love writing. I want to keep trying and learning because, deep in my soul, writing just makes sense to me.
Ultimately, I'm a writer because I write, not because someone likes what I write.
You can be a writer too, you just don’t have to care. Thanks for reading.