Originally, I was drawn to write for Unwritten because of all the stories and ideas which remain unwritten in me. For so long, I’ve been afraid of using my voice to release my thoughts into the world. I worried that they wouldn’t be relatable or well written. Yet, what use is a blank page? We are each responsible for the stories that live inside of us. In fact, we must write the unwritten. Each one of us is a safeguard of ideas yet realized, thoughts unspoken, and worlds of words.
Throughout my life, I have struggled with the feeling of being a ‘shout into the void’ — never wanting to add to the useless noise that inundates us day after day. I had this belief that if my ideas were to be presented, they must be profound and unique. The pressure to think of something that had never been thought of before suffocated my creativity. If you’ve ever tried to produce new and wholly original ideas, then you definitely understand my predicament.
Here are two things which I believe inhibit us — our imaginations are grossly underdeveloped and our voices are scratchy from disuse.
Instead of being in the business of creating, we have become machinery. Like automatons, we’ve adopted our role as cogs of society and we perform that role rather splendidly day in and day out. Occasionally, we think of a new way to be a cog and make slight alterations… yet, we are still cogs and the noise of industry drowns out our innermost musings.
Perhaps my assessment seems dismal. However, I’d argue that our modern ways force us to choose data and reason over imagination and creativity. We prefer limitless to be an adjective applied to technologies held in our hands rather than thoughts swirling in our heads.
As for our voices, we observe others speaking their minds and silently nod in agreement. Yet, what would you say if you were handed the microphone? Do you care enough to vocalize your values and opinions? Or do you feel, just as I did, that someone else can express your thoughts better?
Throughout the United States and across the world, voices are denouncing injustice and asking for change. They’ve chosen to voice their pain as well as share their experiences and their dreams for a better society.
Maybe you are still unaccustomed to the sound of your own voice. That’s okay. Start by taking some baby steps instead. Share your ideas with those close to you and remember that whether spoken aloud or written down, your individuality is a strength, not a weakness.
Let us remember that “Alice’s Wonderland” was a place within herself. If we could only banish fear and take hold of the unwritten within us, what a force we’d be!
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
