(Image: Pinterest)
Tell a lie, I didn’t stop writing completely. I wrote a dissertation and an entire magazine over the past six or so months. I just neglected to write on this here blog like a bad mother. Other than the fact that I was busy with the aforementioned, there is a reason activity came to a halt.
In my first year of university, one lecturer told us that unless you’re Suzy Menkes no one cares what you think. In other words, don’t write in the first person, don’t voice your opinion. What a soul-crushing comment to make in front of budding young writers. Having this etched on my brain I endeavoured to write copy that was business-like, almost soulless to try and prove I was the kind of writer the said lecturer implied would be desired in industry. I might have taken the comment the wrong way but ultimately it slowly ate away at me.
This works in some instances, not every piece of writing requires an outpouring of personality and emotion. But what is the point of having a personal blog if you feel you need to filter your voice?
Although I have written some posts about the fashion I am interested in, matters that I feel strongly about and the people who have had a massive influence on me – the post on Nora Ephron, for instance – I started to feel like I was writing for the sake of it. I was often writing about things I thought I should be writing about – rather than what I wanted to write about. I felt like I had lost the enthusiasm I once had for writing. I just wasn’t satisfied.
One of the things I learnt during my final year of university is that I’m actually quite good at writing about the things I harbour a passion for and take an interest in. This might sound silly, but when your heart is not in it, more often than not the final result is less than fulfilling. For my dissertation and my magazine alike I wrote about things that I wanted to write about, topics that I guess you could say are embedded into my consciousness and are a part of me, meant in the least cringe sentiment possible.
I have slowly regained enthusiasm towards writing because I decided to stop trying to please other people and do it for myself, which proved to be a good decision judging by the grades for my dissertation and magazine.
Write about what interests you, whether it’s for your job or personal use. Everything is copy. Nora said so.
Fashion and Further 