Why Writing?
First we have to look at the difference between thinking, speaking, and writing. When we think, we generally work in the abstract. I don't know about you, but I don't necessarily have a dialogue constantly running through my mind; more like concepts, feelings, images, or the occasional song.
Speaking is more concrete; we are forced to put our thoughts into a definite form. That's why talking with a friend can be so beneficial – it makes us organize the ideas in our head into expressable terms. The big drawback to speaking is that it's a temporary form. Once we say something, it's gone, and the only record of it is in our memory. Some of the people who speak the most never seem to listen to what they say (don't believe me? Just look at political commentators).
Writing, on the other hand, still expresses our thoughts, but records them in a form that we can examine afterward. Once we have put our ideas on paper, they can be analyzed, revised, shared, or thrown away. Writing also takes more time and effort than thinking or speaking, encouraging more complete exploration of your thoughts and feelings.
So what are the implications for career discovery? I'll explain some specific techniques later, but for now, try this – write down how you feel about future career prospects. Keep writing for five minutes. I've used this method many times on myself; how does it work for you?
I've actually had a lot of experience with this type of writing. I've heard it called "First thought Writing." What I do is write down a question that I have been wondering about, then I set the timer for 5 minutes or 10, and then I just start writing the things that come into my mind about that question. I don't compose what I am going to say or correct spelling or anything, and I write without stopping until the timer goes off. This helps me to access my deepest feelings on the subject because by writing without stopping, I bypass my internal editor that corrects everything I say or feel. I get to the nitty gritty of things and it is very illuminating. I come to know myself so much better, and it is surprising to see the intuitive answers I come up with.
ReplyDelete@Tina
ReplyDeleteI've always called it the "freewrite" or "stream-of-consciousness" method. But you're right; it does access the less-filtered self. I find that at the end of five minutes, I want to keep going. It's pretty exciting to find out what you already have inside of you!
I once taught a lesson on this very subject. I'm sure my students were fascinated by it. You can take a look at it at: http://writewyoming.blogspot.com/2008/04/medium-is-message.html
ReplyDelete@Stephen
ReplyDeleteVery good article. You make it very easy to follow.
There's a video on YouTube that takes it a step further and discusses how text has now become interactive, and can be present-oriented (instant messaging, texting).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE