I Feel, I write, therefore I am

The confusion arose when I came across the following by Tennessee Williams: "If the writing is honest, it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it.”  

“Well said Mr. Williams...”, I said to no one in particular, “..but might it not be of benefit, if prior to writing, one sorts out a working definition of ‘honesty’?” 

I was thinking about any material that one writes; let's say you think about something, feel passionately about it and then write about it 'from the heart'...is that honesty, or being too transparent?

Are honesty and effective writing intimately connected? Why write at all?  

I remember asking a friend what he thought about my pre-writing dilemma. He launched into a somewhat academic tirade. According to him it was important to decide whether one was writing with a readership in mind or for oneself. “If you're just writing for yourself, to clarify an experience or go through a specific thought process, then being honest and just putting down thought on paper may be exactly what's required because it helps you to understand yourself”. He then went on to highlight the importance of resisting the urge to edit one’s writing even if it felt too naked or unevolved, as that may actually be a hindrance to one’s work. Somewhat unconvinced by the argument, I approached another friend. She said that although it was important to keep the audience in mind to ensure the uptake and retention of material in the reader, a writer owed a certain degree of honesty and vulnerability to the reader. Hence, staying true to what the writing is intended to communicate - its unedited intent in other words.

I think, as in other matters of the heart, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of varying opinions about honesty in writing, either for oneself or for an audience. Although I have to admit I’m unsure as to whom I'm writing for! Myself for the most part, but also being a spokesperson for a team gave me the impetus to keep up with writing for others. I decided to keep editing to a minimum since I wanted to share somewhat raw emotion, feeling and experience with those interested in ‘listening’ and providing their own views. 

But, why do I really write? Simple answer: I don’t know. I can speculate, though. I feel my words are my way of resolving my inner struggle or conflict - words that represent to some extent my own attempts to make sense of life. I’ve realized that via writing one can process various ‘things’ in the head (and heart?). Writing allows an ‘exploration and expression’ of one’s inner and outer worlds, one’s ins and outs, and those of others near and far.  And thus, for me, it has become one of the most potent means to live my life to the utmost.

When I asked another dear friend why she wrote, she said, “My thoughts, my companions (of old and far and near), create a more harmonious chorus once placed on paper. These ‘voices’ are different, their expression varied. Yet, together, when they compose their music, it is but one perfect melody - lilting and lifting the soul with the natural rhythm of living. Nature's rhythm exists in each one of us. We aspire to bring it to the forefront in the written space - a microcosm of our universe.”

The words above might be prosely poetic. ‘Prosefully poetic’ or ‘poetically proseful’ material can generate an understanding of life, that goes beyond admiring the aesthetics of the writing, only if one seeks the deeper content. If we delve into this more, my dear reader, we might be taken off on a tangent better titled 'I feel, I read, therefore I am'. And that’s a story for another day.  

[from rambling of an itinerant]

Acknowledgment: This article was first published by the Houston Inner Looper Newspaper(April 2013).