Writing - A gift or a headache

It has been more than a week since I posted an article on this platform, and truly it has not been easy. The venerable Ama Atta Aidoo once said in an interview that, writing can sometimes be excruciating and I can understand to a large extent why that might be the case.

The art of converting one's thoughts successfully into text, to a great extent, takes some time to muster. This is because, the lived experiences and viewpoints of one's target readership will never be the same, and no matter the quantum of research one undertakes, the writer still runs the risk of constantly being misconstrued, or worse, not being listened to.

I hit a serious snag upon this realisation and for many days envisioned this newsletter as a failure. Writing in my opinion, gives one an opportunity to lead one's audience on a journey through one's mind, and if mine was hanging in the balance, my subscribers or readership will be in utter darkness and would not see the need to continue the journey any longer. And so what started as a mission to give my perspective on matters, my truth on diverse issues, has now become an unbearable chore. I cannot say I am experiencing a version of Einstein's psychic tension but I am going to lie, the feeling of not knowing how to express oneself or worse; not knowing what to say can be really daunting.

Well, that leaves out the other important component of writing - a gift. One's ability to carefully communicate one's thoughts so well in text, such that the audience are able to accurately predict one's very mind, is and shall forever be a blessing, one that every writer must aspire to manifest with ease. In writing, one is supposed to communicate both tone and emotion in a language which sometimes, is unable to fully capture the full meaning of one's thoughts.

Well, despite the many risks associated with this mind bending exercise, I choose to pursue the path of seeking for true knowledge while revealing my heart's mind on this platform. Though it might lead to many episodes of dread, confusion and embarrassments (when I write something that makes no sense and it is called out), my focus is to ensure that my perspective on issues is recognised and understood.

Shalom.

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