honest

I was recently asked by a good friend to write an article on a specific topic. I was told the article would be anonymous, but that it needed to be real, raw, and personal. It needs to be honest and not cliché.

My friend’s challenge got me thinking about this sort of writing – “honest writing” if you will, and just how difficult it is. I thought a lot about the entries I’ve put up on my blog, and realized that most, if not all, are very much self-censored. The modernist in me crafts these blog entries that have neat and tidy endings, almost as if I’d placed a big red bow on them. Even if I don’t solve the questions I’m wrestling with, I still end my entries with some sort of triumphant, “But I’m on my way to figuring it out.”

I wonder what would happen if I wrote more honestly… But how does one do that? As I started to think about the idea of honest writing, I found that I had more questions than answers…

Questions about honest writing:

- What IS honest writing? How does one write what is truly in ones soul?

- Why is it so hard to write honestly? Are we scared of being seen as less than what we portray in our not-so-elaborate, in-person selves? Do we fear being held accountable to our words? Are we afraid of worrying our loved ones, or maybe even infuriating them?

- Is there every a point where a writer can be TOO honest? Does extremely honest writing create more discomfort than it creates comfort? Should an individual sensor oneself for the better of mankind, and maybe for their own good?

- Does honest writing serve a purpose for anyone but the writer? Or is it just therapy?

- When does “honest writing” become just a “vent session”?

- Are blogs really a good medium for honest writing? No one would question a novel, poem or play that’s been published, but a blog? Especially since employers are using our personal blogs as testimonials of us as individuals…

Your thoughts and ideas are welcome… I’m always anxious to hear what people think about matters such as these. The spectrum is quite large, but also extraordinarily fascinating.

So please, share.

I look forward to learning, and gaining new perspectives on “honest writing.”