The power of writing.

It's not just because I'm a writer and in love with the process of putting letters after each other.

It's also because I'm in awe of the immense power the craft of writing has.

It can literally challenge, and potentially dethrone, any ruler of the world.

It's a matter of the right sentence at the right time for the right audience.

Self-discovery

Writing can do much more than that, though.

It can give you insight in whatever you are writing about, and if you don't have the answer, writing prompts you to find out.

It can also make you smarter if you write with pen and paper because it activates the whole brain.

Most importantly, writing facilitates your self-discovery if you let it. There is no better process for going walkabout in your own mind. At least none that I have come across.

All it takes is a journal, and you are on the trail of your true self. It's quite magical, really.

First draft

I remember when I was a kid and started writing.

At the time, I was interested in photography, so I decided to write a book about it.

I was 12 years old, and the draft ended up being about my personal experiences with photography – on all five pages.

My writing career began at that moment, and I followed up by using school assignments as an excuse for writing stories.

Unfortunately, I deviated from the path during my teens and dedicated my love to other creative crafts, such as acting and playing the saxophone.

Without direction

Writing didn't come back to me until the age of 23, and it's no coincidence that in the years before, I was a very confused young man without direction.

The moment I began writing again, my life changed for the better, and I found my trail in life. Everything sort of crystallized as a result.

I still wasn't mature enough to trust it, though, so I kept challenging it for the next 25+ years.

Over and over, I stepped away from writing, only to return to it like an old lover I couldn't let go of because we belong to each other.

Always in awe

Today, I know for sure that writing is both my profession and destiny.

It has shown me the way more times than I can count, and I'm keeping it close to me now.

I wouldn't have found myself without it, and I will forever be in awe of the power of writing.