Write for Your Right (To Party!)

Writing is undoubtedly the best way to clarify thought.

Right now, I'm writing the launch blog post for my upcoming media database service and haven't finished the app!

Writing takes ideas from your mind and structures them 'on paper,' so to speak.

Here’s why it works:

1) Externalization of Ideas - When you write something down, you transfer it from the mental space (where ideas can be vague or incomplete) to the physical or digital page.

2) Iteration - You draft, read, revise, and refine. Each pass forces you to clarify meaning and refine your argument.

This cycle of editing helps solidify your stance or uncover new perspectives you hadn’t consciously recognized.

3) Structured Thinking - Thoughts in your head are often fluid and disorganized. Writing imposes a structure—such as paragraphs, headings, or bullet points—that compels your brain to categorize and prioritize.

This organizational process is key to clarifying what you think and why you think it.

4) Reflection and Self-Feedback - Once words appear on a page, you can reflect on them as if they were someone else’s. This “external viewpoint” helps you ask questions like: “Does this argument make sense?” or “Is there evidence to support this point?”

The ability to interrogate your own writing sharpens your reasoning.

5) Memory Reinforcement - Committing thoughts to text strengthens memory traces and aids recall. By writing things down, you’re processing information at a deeper cognitive level, which helps you remember and articulate your ideas more coherently in the future.

6) Engaging Multiple Senses - The physical act of typing or handwriting engages motor skills. Simultaneously, you’re reading the words you write, which engages the visual sense.

This multisensory involvement can enhance focus and comprehension, making ideas more concrete.

7) Allows for Distance and Perspective - A written document can be revisited hours, days, or even years later.

That temporal distance gives you fresh eyes and the emotional detachment to critique or expand upon your initial ideas.

Seems obvious but if in doubt, write it down.

And like any skill, you get better and better at it with time.

PS - Download and use Grammarly, it's the one constant tool wise that's helped me immensely with my writing over the years.