Why I write.

Within each and every one of us lies a creative potential. As children, this creativity comes naturally to us. I remember being a competitive gymnast, a famous writer, an actress and a super model – all in one day. I didn’t question my imagination; rather, I invited it on a daily basis.

But then I grew up and started doubting every creative thought that passed by. No, I did not become either a competitive gymnast or an actress – not even a super model! However, becoming something was never the point; I was already blessed – with a vivid imagination. Maybe that’s why I continued writing.

Once, at an early-morning after party, a not-so-sober man I did not know decided to read my palm. While gazing seriously at my sweaty hand, he mumbled, ”You’ll become a famous writer.” My intoxicated young self believed him, grinning proudly to myself.

Or maybe he said fighter. The music was pretty loud.

While that is not the reason I write today, I will, however, tell you the reason why I do.

Writing keeps me present – alert. When I write, I am still. I listen, and I interact with the universe. I let the universe guide me; I am merely the pen following its instructions. It’s meditative. It’s grounding. It makes me feel more human – alive.

Writing, to me, means being close to something bigger than myself – something beyond my six senses. When I write, I am close to the infinity.

Creativity is found everywhere. You’ll encounter it in the midnight wind blowing through your window, in the softest, greenest grass, beneath your bare feet, or in a distant voice calling from behind a corner. Be still. Stay open. Receive.

There’s no secret to creativity other than it requires your attention. Creativity comes through you. You’re the instrument, the brush, the pen. If you’re not attentive enough, it will go elsewhere – it always does. It will move past you instead of through you. It will encounter another soul – open, ready, and willing to receive its magic.

Still, don’t let that discourage you; your time will come. But do remember, it’s a cooperation – this force needs a human being to burst into life, and the human needs that spark, that light, that quiet hint evolving into something so much bigger, so much grander.

Your job is to stay alert – to exist in the here and now. Why are you so afraid to be here? Why is it that you would rather live in your head, when you could instead live in the spaciousness surrounding you – every minute?

I am not a famous writer, but I still write. I do not have tons of followers, but I still write. I do not write perfectly, but I still write. Most of my friends do not read my writing, but I still write. I do not always feel like writing – I still write.

Why do you write?