Rediscovering my passion for writing: A personal journey

Captain’s Log: Day #15 of my 30-Day Challenge to write a 500-word article every day for the next 30 days.

I’m almost halfway through my 30-Day writing challenge! Wow!!!

Looking back from the day I started the challenge, I had realistic expectations that it wasn’t going to be easy. Writing can be enjoyable at times, especially when the creative juices are flowing and you just seem to be in a groove but it can also be mind-numbing especially when you can’t find the right words to type on your screen.

Looking back, writing was a great exercise that I actually enjoyed but somehow as I got older, I lost interest in it and did not get to practice it as much until now.

When I was in grade school we had writing exercises in Filipino and English. We would be asked to write about different topics. I enjoyed it a lot and got to be a part of the Journalism club at our school. It was fun because we would get to attend seminars or workshops held by some of the Journalism teachers or professors then and we would be asked to write an article or opinion piece on the spot. I remember writing a piece about the pope visiting Manila, and that opinion piece got posted in our school paper, Frisco Gems.

I also enjoyed it because I got to hang around with my grade school friends. One of my friends was great at drawing and he would be our editorial cartoonist. He would put into picture some of the articles that I wrote. Sadly, he passed away due to a heart attack a couple of years ago and unfortunately because of the pandemic, I was not able to visit him.

I also remember enjoying attending these seminars, because they would be 3 days long and we were excused from class. We would also be attending and competing with schools from other divisions so it was a great opportunity to meet new friends, not from our school. It was also memorable for me because it was during these seminars that I got to see a rainbow for the first time.

When I got to high school, I joined the elective course for Journalism, but I did not join the school paper club. I lost interest in writing and did not do so until college. I could still remember that when I filled out my application form for college, I checked Computer Science because in those days, Computer courses were in demand but next to that, I picked Journalism. Fortunately or unfortunately, I got into my preferred University and got listed on my first choice so I did not end up taking Journalism.

But, while in college, I was inspired to write again. Our block or class group when we were freshmen had this logbook where we wrote down stuff for each other and I got inspired to write and dump some of my stuff there. Sadly I had to drop out of college and I lost touch with some of my classmates. I still wonder though what happened to the logbook. It would be interesting to see and read some of the stuff I wrote there when I was a teenager.

Throughout the years though, writing has been a great pastime and a way for me to express emotions, and opinions and be creative at times and it’s a great skill that you can enhance. But just like any skill it needs constant practice and perseverance to be able to master the craft.

And with all the tools and resources available right now, writing can be a great way for you to be able to express your creativity, opinions, and emotions. Here are some suggestions so you can improve your writing:

• Write every day. Repetition is the mother of all skills. The more you practice the more you get better. You will also be able to see your tendencies when you write daily
• Always have a pen and paper or a note-taking app. You’ll never know when a great idea or inspiration can hit you. It’s always nice to be prepared and with technology, you can also maximize it to your advantage.
• Read. Reading is like exercising for a writer. It helps you get ideas as well as get some insight into other people’s writing styles.

So whenever you can grab a pen or paper, or even on your phone, write something down. You’ll never know what creative piece you’ll be able to produce today.