Blog Post #5

As we transition into talking about creative writing, I am compelled to ruminate on the importance of creative writing in my life- a factor that has compelled me to minor in Writing and to continue reading and producing creative writing into my adult life.

Creative writing, both fictional and nonfictional, has maintained an important place in my life since I was very young. I can credit this largely to my parents, who were adamant about my sister and I reading as our primary pastime as opposed to watching TV or using computers.  The hour that our mother spent between my sister’s twin beds reading us a chapter of a storybook was a coveted time each day. We also have a strong connection to our physical books; we never throw them away, but rather save them in anticipation of the day when Sarah (my sister) and I can argue over who gets to keep them to read to their children. The first creative work that I can remember being fully immersed in is the Harry Potter series. The fantastical narratives consumed my every waking moment, until I was staring at inanimate objects during school, willing them to move with my mind. My 11th birthday, when I did not receive my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, was a tragic day. I remember crying for the first time at words on paper when, in the 5th book of the series, Sirius Black died suddenly. In the summer of my 12th year, I counted down the days till the release of the final book on my calendar, and attended Harry Potter-themed street fair that lead to a book store that was selling copies of The Deathly Hallows on the day that it came into stock.

As I got older, I realized that I could not only attain the joy and fulfillment that creative writing granted to me through reading other peoples’ works, I could also create it myself. I began taking on creative writing seriously in the 5th grade, when I wrote a poem titled “Lonely and Alone” about the differences between the feeling of being lonely, and the state of being alone. The poem was published in the yearbook.

As I moved into secondary school and eventually college, I realized that writing creatively had become a therapeutic and cathartic outlet for me. I was able to express myself in ways that I could not vocally through writing it down. I could make sense of thoughts and experiences that were presented to me in undecipherable knots, untangling their content and meaning through writing it down. I found a sense of pride in my writing that I had not felt in any other extra-curricular endeavors. Writing grew to become an integral part of how I understand and identify myself.

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