For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been told what to write. And if I wasn’t told specifically “what to write,” I was told how I should write something or what tone I should take.
That’s how learning to write works. There are formulas we’re given to follow to guarantee flow and success. There are topics we’re given to write on (though, I’m not sure how interesting any of them ever were). And there are voices we’re told to use when drafting text toward certain audiences.
This starts in first grade it it goes all the way until we become professionals in the work place.
But what happens when we’re given a blank slate? For instance, a blog, a social media platform or a simple blank piece of white paper.
What do we say? How do we say it? Do we use it for good, or do we use it for bad? Do we spread truth or do we spread lies? Who will see it? What will they think when they do see it?
These are questions, questions that make blank pages frightening and questions that make us scared to be ourselves or to say what we think. These are questions that keep us in check, but also limit creativity.
Finding one’s voice is hard. It’s hard when speaking and maybe even more while writing. There is a lot to fear, but there is also a lot to gain… and a lot to learn.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: How would you sound if no one was listening and what would you say? Start there and watch honesty develop.