How Writing Has Changed Me


On the transformative power of the written word.

How has writing changed me as a person?

For me, the prospect of generating complete subjectivity and originality within a piece is writing’s most alluring trait. Writing is a limitless means of self-expression, a creative discipline which acts as a potent reinforcement to my individual sense of identity.

Writing has enabled me to articulate myself.  Writing provides me with a vital creative platform. It amplifies and refines my creative integrity.

I simultaneously love yet and fear writing. On one hand, it makes me serene, enables me to observe aspects of the world around me from an alternative perspective, one that juxtaposes convention. When I write, I attain an indescribable sense of freedom, stemming from being utterly immersed within an alternate world where the possibilities are infinite.

At the same time, writing keeps me from accepting anything less than the unattainable; I never like what I write. 

For years, writing has been a central aspect of my life: shaping me, teaching me vital lessons surrounding who I am as an individual.  

How has writing changed me as a person?

Here’s what I’ve learned about myself through practicing writing:

Writing has given me a greater sense of the world around me:

A vast extent of the stylistic elements comprised within my work stem from aspects of reality. Writing requires intent observation and whilst amerced deep within what I like to call ‘the writing mind-set’, I consistently find myself subconsciously attentive to life’s minuscule subtleties, most of which appear untouched or disregarded by humanity.

It evokes a heightened sense of curiosity within me, leaving me compelled to contemplate world innovation from a subjective stance; meaning that I am able detach myself from destructive biased viewpoints.

How has writing changed me as a person?

Writing has given me a discipline to live by:  

Writing doesn’t simply require a sense of discipline, it enforces it. Working on feature length projects have prolonged my daily routine, forcing early starts and late nights.

Part of this discipline involves sitting rigidly in a chair, staring at a black screen, desperately trying to convert idea into story.

It is painful. It is tedious. It teases with the sparkling possibility of genius.

How has writing changed me as a person?

Writing has encouraged me to make an impact.

A writer can move someone emotionally. To influence lives.

This is humbling to me, reinforcing the power of words, language, stories.

Writing has allowed me to understand my emotions, and afforded me a voice to express them. 

I record myself now; doing so allows me to sublimate my feelings into something that works in another way. 

This matters. At an earlier time, I was forced to confront emotions--fear, invalidation, confusion--that I couldn't process. This amounted to a prolonged struggle with my mental health.

But writing is a refuge, a way of ordering and calming my mind. It isn't simple. Expressing my emotions with honesty and clarity is tough, but changes me. It intricately refines my sense of self; allowing me to separate the complexity of my feelings from how I define myself as an individual.


This is how writing has changed me.

by Amber Martin.