There’s almost no better way to express what’s really going on inside of your head, heart, and overall life than by writing. When you can come to grips with the fact that you actually have to sit your butt down to do the work, it becomes a whole lot easier to let it all come flowing out for the world to experience.
Your ideas, thoughts, and feelings deserve to come out and show themselves in the light. Why have you been hiding them all of this time? How do you know that something you have to say won’t help change someone’s life for the better?
Let’s start looking at expression of our innermost ideas in the form of writing as one of the most effective and timeless tools for spreading wisdom throughout the ages. And let’s start doing more of it, right?!
In this article, a gracious reader and champion for life-change was kind enough to do a little question and answer interview survey with me. I don’t claim to be the best interviewer in the world, but I do promise some good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech (which of course doesn’t happen often).
With that little blurb out of the way, let’s dive right into the content!
Today’s Topic: Expressing Yourself in Writing
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!)
‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
[This interview is inspired and fueled by research done for my book: Quick Content Formula.]
R: Describe what sharing ideas through writing means to you.
I: Sharing ideas through writing is writing your thoughts and ideas down for other to read. Other individuals may learn from your ideas. Other individuals may be apt to share their ideas and thoughts with you.
R: Describe how sharing ideas through writing would be useful to people looking to change their lives/careers.
I: It can help people get feedback on their ideas. Writing can help a person organize their thoughts. Written statements can act as a reminder to a person. It can also create adherence to a plan because through writing a person makes a commitment.
R: Give an example of sharing ideas through writing being used that has inspired you (from either internet/mainstream media examples or personal examples).
I: The most obvious way sharing through writing has inspired me is through books. reading “martyrs” really put perspective on my life and helped me with some issues i was going through at the time. Books can be powerful and I urge people to read at least one a month. especially during hard times.
R: How do you think a better understanding of sharing ideas through writing would help other people in their personal or professional life?
I: Sharing ideas in your professional life is a great thing. If you feel you have a good idea that could help your company or business as a whole, let someone know. That idea could make your food business pull in much more business than it would have without it, or help your sales numbers sky rocket. There are no bad consequences for sharing an idea, even if it isn’t approved of. Your colleagues will more than likely appreciate your willingness and attempt to help.
R: Give an example of how sharing ideas through writing has helped you professionally or personally.
I: Sharing my ideas through writing has helped me both personally and professionally. In high school, I took many Advanced Placement English and Literature classes. Being able to convey my thoughts down onto paper well is what got me through that class with flying colors. I passed all of the end of the course AP exams, which got me college credits towards my degree. It saved me money that I would have had to spend on the course with it’s books, and it looks very good an application to a university or a job.
R: Describe at least one way you think sharing ideas through writing could cause trouble or hurt someone in their personal or professional life.
I: Facebook and Twitter drama are literally perfect examples of trouble caused through sharing ideas through writing. One person writes something bad about another, and things spiral out of control. We’ve all read stories of teens committing suicide over online bullying, or kids being expelled for writing negative things on their social media accounts. I’m all for sharing ideas, but if they’re hateful or bigoted I feel as though they should be kept to yourself.
R: Give an example of how sharing ideas through writing has hurt you or caused you trouble in the past.
I: When I was a young man, I wrote a letter confessing my feelings to a cheerleader in my grade. My letter was used by all the cheerleader’s friends to taunt and insult me for the duration of the year. I was the laughing stock of my school.
R: How do you think sharing ideas through writing could help you in a professional setting? Why is that?
I: Not everyone in a professional setting works in the same place, so putting ideas down in writing helps from a distance perspective. It also presents the opportunity for people to elaborate their thoughts differently than they would in a face-to-face setting. Finally, it also gives the chance for people to say things that they might think but not have a chance to say otherwise.
R: Give an example of how sharing ideas through writing could be useful at work. Why do you think this?
I: Sharing ideas through writing at work allows others to see your ideas in written form, which some people need in order to understand things. If things are written down, there is a record that can be referred back to or referenced in the future if there is a conflict or need to expand on an idea.
R: How do you think sharing ideas through writing could help you at home? Why is that?
I: Sharing ideas help you at home because an abundant of thought processes is drawing from different experiences. If the ideas are not shared then the writing is being done from one’s own perspective which is not as varied as a shared outlook on a topic. Idea sharing is what makes a company grow as well as one’s insight into alternative ways of making meaningful decisions.
R: Give an example of how sharing ideas through writing could be useful at home or in family life. Why do you think this?
I: Sharing ideas means that if one person has thought of a new or inventive way of performing a task, then they relay that information to a family member. I have learned how to make money online to get to the next payday and have shared several writing and survey sites with family members to make their lives easier. Sharing ideas means that one is not in a vacuum and is a form of networking that helps all of those concerned.
R: How do you think sharing ideas through writing could help you in a personal relationship? Why is that?
I: When you write, you are forced to say exactly what you mean. When you don’t communicate your intent properly with word choice or tone, it is instantly apparent to anyone who looks at it. Since I tend to get tunnel vision about relationship issues and not see context, writing would help me to remember that the way I express myself is important.
R: Give an example of how sharing ideas through writing could be useful in a personal relationship. Why do you think this?
I: One example of how sharing ideas through writing could be useful in a personal relationship is by writing down financial goals. This informal contract will serve as a guideline for a couple’s finances through both good times and bad. If adhered to (which both parties should agree to), it will prevent them from making major financial moves without consulting the other party and can serve as the “letter of the law” in a disagreement involving the family finances.
R: Describe at least one thing you would like to learn more about sharing ideas through writing.
I: I would like to learn more about expanding vocabulary. While I believe I have a fairly broad vocabulary already, the people I work and socialize with do not and this negatively effects my writing and the ability to effectively share ideas. I have a tendency to write too much and too long, and using words more effectively would assist with getting my ideas across concisely.
R: Give your number one piece of advice for someone looking to learn more about sharing ideas through writing.
I: To share ideas through writing, one has to stay on topic. It is difficult to share if there are a myriad of ideas on the table that are not relevant or related to each other. Relevancy is important in regards to sharing ideas because it saves from wasting time discussing topics of irrelevancy.
~~~~~
That’s it for now! I hope you enjoyed this interview conversation and found at least one useful bit of information you can immediately begin to apply in your life.
Also, if you’d like to figure out how to make a lot of great content for your own blog, website, school work, or email newsletters, then you might enjoy the Quick Content Formula. This is my own personal (and favorite!) method of creating highly engaging, fun, and useful information at a very quick pace. It’s a great way to beat that blinking cursor and write more awesome stuff. Click here to check it out.
Please share your thoughts, experiences, or your own interview answers and let’s share some real life wisdom, okay?