My love-hate relationship with writing
A LOVE STORY BEGINS — Writing has always been a great source of comfort for me. When things get tough and I feel like everything is in chaos and I couldn’t do anything about it, I find peace in grounding my feelings into words. It never ceases to amaze me how the twenty-six letters of the alphabet can make you feel something and create a portal of freedom.
My love-hate relationship with writing
With every word I pen, I feel like I’m living in a world where I can be true to myself. The world gets a little bit brighter and the weight on my shoulders gets a little lighter. I feel like I can breathe again while swimming in the unknown possibilities.
Love beyond words
When I’m thrilled about something, I would make sure to immortalize the moment by writing it word per word. Just like on my 20th birthday, I was over the moon when I received a box of pastries from my father. My first thought was how excited I am to jot this down. Even though two years have passed, rereading my entry makes me relive one of the greatest times of my life.
Hating writer’s block
But like other relationships, it is not always rainbows and butterflies. The connection I have in writing sometimes also comes with moments of hate and pain. Frustration is evident when I feel like I am lacking in ways in verbalizing what I want to say. The creative burnout has always been my great nemesis, spending hours staring at a blank page on my laptop, asking myself if I ever truly loved it.
The more you hate, the more you love… writing?
A research study in 2017 at South China Normal University stated that love and hate are related to each other in a complex manner and are important human emotions. As cliché as it is, maybe the “more you love, the more you hate” might be true after all.
Be a little kind to yourself
At the end of the day, I learned that it’s okay to hate what you love sometimes even though it serves as my bread and butter. Like old flames, my love and passion grow stronger after a short break.
Get some rest from writing!
Taking a walk around my neighborhood or simply watching my favorite K-drama gets my creative juices pumping again. My relationship with telling stories is still a work in progress and a journey I’m looking forward to.
If you’re into storytelling, check this article or the author here.
