5 Things About Writing You Could Learn from Children
It goes without saying that writing is an activity that helps many people to unleash their creativity and open the door to self -discovery. We can only get the most from writing if we’re honest with ourselves and ready to openly express our thoughts. Of course, writing is also a skill meaning there’s always room for improvement and training.
But attitude matters too, and adults often find it hard to free their mind from the rigors of everyday life. That’s why avid writers should look towards children for inspiration. They’re honest, carefree and open about their feelings and have the courage to speak their minds. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Here are 5 things about writing you can learn from children.
Express Yourself, Don’t Repress Yourself
Trying to fight your feelings isn’t a good strategy in life and it surely won’t help anyone who treats writing as an important way of self-expression. More often than not, keeping your feelings and emotions to yourself isn’t healthy – writing provides a place to deal with them and gain an insight into your character and personality.
If you think about children and how they treat their emotions, you’ll have a clear picture in front of your mind – the emotional intensity and openness, which are shown with no limits or conventions. Don’t worry – deep down, you still have that capacity to freely express yourself, but you need to let go of social constraints and free your mind. Remember that when you’re writing, it’s only about you and a piece of blank paper or a computer screen. Nobody will judge you here, so feel safe and keep exploring.
Trust Your Instinct
Adults tend to endlessly weigh their decisions, mull over the past and constantly ask themselves “what if” kind of questions. Children, on the other hand, simply go with their gut. In order for your writing to have a ring of truth to it, you should follow your instincts and find the key to unlock your inner wisdom, intelligence and creative potential. Suppress your logical side of the brain for a moment and follow your instinct to discover where your writing takes you.
Speak Your Mind
Children tend to openly say what they think or how they feel – and you should too, especially in your writing, where you’re sure that your words won’t hurt anyone. Articulating everything that’s on your mind is important if you’d like your writing to become a real life-altering experience.
Use Your Imagination
Access to information has never been easier. To unlock your creativity, you’ll need to let go of the world as you know it and let yourself be taken to wherever you imagination wants to take you, just like we all did when we were children. All those imaginary excursions are valuable for another reason – they provide you with novel perspectives on your life, all of which can be expressed in your writing.
Dream Big
Stop limiting yourself. You’re only going to become as good as you allow yourself to be. Remember that your mind plays a major role in your perception of yourself, so being negative isn’t going to get you anywhere. When facing a writing challenge, be optimistic. If you allow yourself to battle your insecurities through writing, you’ll find a way to truly express yourself.
Nicole Davies works at ShortCourseFinder, a website providing a simple way to find and sign up for online short courses from Australia’s top providers. Main areas of her interest are the social media and the use of new technologies in everyday life.