Writing Manifesto: 8 Important Reasons Writing Matters to Me

As a teenager, I struggled to express my feelings clearly. I was frustrated when I couldn’t find the right words and felt stuck.

I was shy and introverted. But my self-esteem suffered from being bullied at school, trying to fit in, dealing with divorced parents, and facing the pressure of being the oldest sibling.

I was filled with emotions but had nowhere to direct them. I was about to burst, and school was a daily struggle to get through.

Then, everything changed. One day, I picked up a block of paper and pen and started writing lyrics. I was inspired by a Somali artist named K’naan.

His lyrics spoke to me, and I would spend hours copying his words and playing with them. Eventually, that led me to a habit of writing poetry. The sorrow inside fueled my creativity.

Where I once felt lost, I now found a belonging in writing.

With writing, I could escape to another world, even if just for a few minutes — sometimes it felt like time stood still.

As I poured my heart out on paper, I felt a bit lighter each time. I was directing a beautiful orchestra, with just a pen, paper, and my thoughts.

At first, I wrote just for my own enjoyment. I never thought about sharing my pieces. But as I grew more confident, I felt a strange urge to share them.

If these words that I had written resonated with me deeply, they might resonate with others, too.

This sentence played out inside my head. I never imagined sharing my writing online.

And when I did it for the time, I felt naked, vulnerable, and scared, not knowing how people would react. But I did it anyway.

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Fast forward to today

As an adult, I’ve gone through different stages of writing. I’ve worked on creative writing, like poetry, lyrics, short stories, screenplays, and personal essays.

But I’ve also written for commercial purposes by creating content for websites, landing pages, social media, and marketing materials.

Through all these experiences, I found a deep love and appreciation for the art and craft of writing. It was not only enjoyable but also therapeutic.

If I went a day without any kind of writing, I would feel a deep void inside me. So, I had to write, just as I had to breathe to live.

One friend, Mickey Patel, expressed this perfectly in his newsletter:

“I realized there is one thing I don’t want to give up: the ability to express myself. Expression is what I value most. It allows me to have conversations I’ve never had and understand the world I live in.”

After many years of writing in different formats, platforms, and mediums, I took a step back to reflect on why writing mattered to me. It led me to create my writing manifesto — my eight reasons why I love to write.

More poetically put: I write so that I can…

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1) Learn more about myself

To me, writing is a powerful tool for self-discovery. It allows me to dive deep into my thoughts and emotions.

While living life and holding onto memories is one thing, writing them down helps me understand myself better.

Over time, I notice patterns in my behavior, making me more aware of personal development. This wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t started writing.

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2) Clear out my thoughts

Have you ever felt frustrated when your thoughts are all over the place?

*Everyone in the room raises their hand*

I expected as much. Writing helps me make sense of my incoherent thoughts. It’s like organizing the chaos in my mind. By putting down my thoughts, emotions, frustrations, and worries on paper, it stops the spinning in my brain.

“Putting words on paper freezes your thoughts,” says David Perell when talking about how writing improves your thinking. “It gives you mind space to think deeper about a problem.”

By giving my thoughts a chance to mature, they become clearer and more useful.

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3) Inform my thinking

I’ve always admired well-articulated people. I envied their ability to speak with confidence and not ramble.

I wondered how they did it. The secret sauce was writing (not so secret, I guess.) But to me, it was, and it didn’t occur to me until I began observing and studying great writers.

Writing forces me to refine my thoughts so I can build depth in my understanding of topics of interest. Great writers develop well-rounded, original thoughts by writing first before speaking about them.

I even notice a shift in my speech when discussing topics I haven’t written about before. My thought patterns aren’t as clear. Plus, I’m more tempted to replace silent pauses with filler sounds (and let’s be honest, no one likes filler episodes from their favorite series.)

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4) Find out what I don’t know

The embarrassing part of the writing process is how it exposes my limited knowledge.

When I write about a topic, I realize my ignorance. But there is beauty in it — this gap prompts me to research and learn more.

I see writing as an iterative process of writing, researching, learning, and rewriting. Through this process, I’ve learned a lot about my favorite authors and their work.

Writing highlights what I don’t know and gives me an excuse to explore what matters to me. (I mean, who doesn’t love a deep rabbit hole, right?)

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5) Document my journey

Many people become frustrated with their lack of progress because they don’t spend enough time reflecting on their achievements.

By keeping a written record of my experiences and growth helps me during times of doubt and low confidence.

That’s why I journal once a week in a free-flow style and do monthly reflections/reviews in different predefined categories.

Writing becomes this mechanism that allows me to capture my most precious moments and not let them slip away at the mercy of memory.

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6) Remind my future self about the past

Everything that I write and share online (including what I don’t publish) acts as breadcrumbs for my future self.

A few months ago, I found old tweets from 2013 and realized I was onto something back then.

Every breadcrumb can inspire new ideas today. I make a point not to dismiss my old writing — revisiting them often sparks new thoughts and emotions.

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7) Inspire people

Words hold power. Using the right words at the right time can drastically change someone’s day, even their life, for the better.

To me, writing is also a responsibility, not just a creative pursuit for my own enjoyment. I never know how my words might affect someone unless I share them.

One of the most rewarding compliments I can receive is knowing my writing inspired someone to take action.

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8) Leave a legacy behind

My intention is to publish content that’s useful and beneficial to others, even after I’m gone.

That means I avoid posting gossip and rumors at all costs, as words can harm others. Words hold power, as mentioned before, and using them in a harmful way can leave psychological scars that might never heal.

Instead, I filter my writing by asking myself: Is this useful or interesting? Is it educational or inspiring? I also factor in humor so my writing isn’t dry. (unfortunately, I can’t always promise that, but I try!)

For me, it’s not about building a movement (although that would be nice) — all I’m saying is that if I can help just one person, hopefully, it’ll inspire them enough to help another, creating a ripple effect of goodness.

How I’ll be remembered is out of my hands, but I can make sure what I leave behind is one of integrity by being mindful of what I post online.

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It’s not over…

Far from it. As I look back, I see how far I’ve come since I first started writing. Every word I write helps me learn more about myself and the world around me.

I’ll keep writing for as long as I can. What about you? What inspires you to write?