Should You Force Yourself to Write?

This is a response to my friend’s prompt, Should You Force Yourself to Write?

I started writing daily at the start of 2020. Today, including this post, that’s 868 days in a row. Writing everyday is a part of my life. Similar to how I don’t actively think about brushing my teeth. It’s something I simply do. Writing every day is a habit, it’s automatic, I just do it.

Does it come easy?

Not always. Sometimes writing is the last thing I want to do. I might be in the midst of a difficult exam season, maybe I have a major release at work the next day, or I just hiked for 10+ hours in one of the largest national parks in Colombia. Still, I’ll put pen to paper and write and I won’t sleep until I have something written.

I’ll have these stretches of creative dry spells which is evident in my blog. But I learned that this is part of the creative process. When people ask me how do I have so many good ideas, it’s because I’m not afraid to write about the bad ones. And I trust that eventually the good ideas will come.

Like Jayne says in her answer to the prompt, I don’t think one should force themselves to write but rather develop a healthy relationship with the craft. Personally, writing is the most important thing I do everyday. It’s the pillar of my self development, it’s my creative engine, and it’s a source of joy and fulfillment. That’s what keeps me going.