Therapy writing, or writing therapy as some folks may choose to call it, is an activity that I have been compelled to do since my teenage years. I clearly remember my Creative Writing classes in high school. Wait, a guy taking Creative Writing, a sexist individual may ask? Shouldn’t he be out playing sports? Well, I did both actually. Due to an eye condition, I was terrible at most sports with the exception of cross country running. Long before Forrest Gump came along, I was running everywhere it seemed. But I enjoyed writing much more. Perhaps an added bonus was that my teacher at that time happened to be young, female, and attractive. Was it wrong for me to notice? I didn’t think so. Anyway, I felt liberated while creating something from nothing, that is short of a finite vocabulary or words arranged in the sequence of my choosing.
Words, when combined into sentences and paragraphs, can be used to communicate anything from a brief message to an endless stream of thoughts depending on the message the writer wishes to convey. My thoughts and ideas can be a bit scattered and fragmented however I like to think I always land on a linguistic runway of defined clarity. The process for me is exciting. A thought or an idea suddenly emerges in my brain and a theme begins to take shape. I’ve often wondered if it’s like that of a composer or painter. The notes and colors permeate the conscience but require guidance and creativity in order to mature into anything substantive or understandable. This effort requires extensive labor in thought and of course attention to spelling (the arrangement of letters to form words) and grammar (the arrangement of words to form sentences). I suppose that’s why it’s no surprise that I chose architecture as my profession, a field dedicated to the arrangement of building materials and the design instructions with which to assemble them in a fashion addressing the needs of its occupants and intended function. Phew, what an exhausting sentence!
I invite you to scroll through some of my past therapy writing ventures if you haven’t done so already. There are quite a few lonely ones there waiting to be read. I believe there is sufficient subject matter to please any hungry reader. Humor, short stories, observational commentary, experiential commentary, theology, and perhaps a few more not yet “put to paper”.
I should note that it is nearly impossible to please most people all the time. Which reminds me of the great philosopher Bilbo Baggins who said: I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. I’m thinking that was meant as a compliment. In reality, I consider it a challenge to hold the attention of as many of you as possible for as long as your patience will endure. Rest assured these entries are normally no more than a few paragraphs because I know your time is valuable. There’s a reason why Reader’s Digest is so popular I think.
Well, thank you for reading and I hope to see your thoughts on paper soon. Now wouldn’t that be interesting?
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
Jim