The Benefits of Writing From Your Heart
Writing from your heart isn’t just about writing poetry or songs. It’s about being open and honest with yourself and others. Sometimes, the words that come out of our hearts can be difficult to understand, so what are some benefits of writing from your heart? How can you find your voice and make the most of it? Writing from your heart means being vulnerable, trusting someone else with your innermost thoughts, and allowing that trust to make you more genuine. When you write from your heart, you give yourself the opportunity to really connect with people. You also become more genuine because you feel things deeply without holding back or trying to make people like you.
Ask yourself why you’re writing
Why are you writing? Is it because you want to, or because others want you to? If you’re writing for others, does that make you feel bad about yourself? Is it for attention or approval? If you don’t have a specific answer for those questions, you might be writing for the wrong reasons. Writing is an amazing way to express yourself, but you have to do it for reasons that make you want to write. When you write because someone else expects you to or because you feel you “should,” you end up writing for others instead of yourself. If you don’t like writing, but you keep doing it because someone else wants you to, you end up resenting the whole experience.
Show up for the process
When you start writing, don’t expect to get everything done right away. It’s hard to block out time when you have a deadline or a vision for your writing, but if you expect yourself to write every day or for an hour or two, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much you get done. When you put pen to paper, you’re connecting to something deeper inside yourself. You might get distracted or feel like you have other things to do, but as long as you show up for the process, you’ll be surprised at how much you end up writing.
Get out of your comfort zone
You’re probably writing from your comfort zone, which is good. But don’t stop there! Expand your comfort zone and push yourself to be more authentic and vulnerable. When you do that, you’ll feel uncomfortable, but that’s okay. That’s how you grow. Keep in mind, too, that you’re not trying to write “good” or “literary” poetry. You don’t have to be clever or show off your vocabulary. You can be raw, authentic, and real without trying to impress anyone. If you feel like you’re in your comfort zone and you don’t want to stay there, try changing something in your process. Instead of sitting at your desk, try writing from a standing position or doing some other activity that pushes you outside your comfort zone. You might be surprised at how much you accomplish.
Find An Editor or Co-Writer
There are a lot of people out there who love to write, but they don’t have a way of showing it. If you want to get better at writing, but you don’t have people in your life who are willing to edit your work, you need to find those people. You can find those people online, like here at Write From Your Heart, but you can also find them in your real-life community. If you don’t have any writing friends, find someone you know who loves to write and talk to them about writing. You could also talk to your supervisor or teacher. If you don’t have anyone in your community who is willing to edit your work, you have to make that happen. Find someone you trust to provide you with a safe space to share and get feedback on your work.
Keep finding your voice
Writing is like growing a plant. If you water it, feed it, and keep it in the sun, it will grow. But if you stop watering it or if you don’t keep it in the sun, it will die. You have to keep finding your voice and keep growing if you want to become a better writer. You might have a strong voice now and you might think it’s the best voice out there, but you should listen to the people who say it’s not good enough. Often, people who tell you that you need to keep growing are right. They might not know how to say it in a way that makes sense to you, so you have to listen to them and consider what they are telling you.
Let others know what you’re feeling
As a writer, you might end up writing about things that make people angry or sad. You might have to do that so that you can write honestly and come to terms with things in your life, but you should never have to be afraid of what you say. If you see people in your community who seem to be struggling with that, talk to them about it. There are people out there who can help you work through your writing and help you address any issues that come up. Click here for a consultation.
Define your vision for the future
When you’re writing from your heart, you’re giving yourself the chance to grow and be a better person. You should set goals for yourself, both big and small, so that you can keep growing. You might want to set a goal for how much you want to write or how many words you want to write in a certain period of time. Another goal you might want to set is a deadline for when you want to finish a piece of writing. Setting goals will help you stay focused and give you a way to measure your progress. You can also measure your progress by the feedback your reader gives you.
Conclusion
Writing from your heart isn’t just about writing poetry or songs. It’s about being open and honest with yourself and others. Sometimes, the words that come out of your heart can be difficult to understand, so what are some benefits of writing from your heart? How can you find your voice and make the most of it? Ask yourself why you’re writing. Show up for the process. Get out of your comfort zone and write for you, not just for others. Find an editor or co-write with a friend. Write while soul searching, and keep finding your voice. Let others know what you’re feeling, and define your vision for the future. What other helpful tips have you used to write from your heart? Let us know in the comments below!
