Yay! Another post about writing after I swore I’d stop making those..!
Ah well, don’t look at me that way. This isn’t about me trying to write here more; this is about writing itself like in the purple prose post from way back when. Alternatively it’s about the common misconception of cathartic actions.
Whichever. Onwards.
Ever remember some one (perhaps yourself) mentioning how they find something they do cathartic? It was probably used in that context as being a stress relief. Other ways it’s portrayed is with the phrase cathartic release; sort of getting whatever the action is out of your system. The frequent example used is to punch a pillow a bunch of times instead of some one’s face. The belief is that by doing so you let off a bunch of steam and no longer feel angry. A wider held similar belief is that you shouldn’t ever bottle up emotions, under the pretense that you might explode into a bad case of insanity.
It turns out there’s a considerable amount of evidence that this is all horribly wrong. Well, no, I should clarify. Not all of it, just the overwhelming majority. I’m not certain precisely why the mechanics break down as so, but it seems people who continuously wreck murderous assaults against their pillows aren’t more stable than those of us who quietly try to keep their emotions under control. In fact, pulping your pillow could lead to more aggressive behavior when dealing with people at a later time. Your body just gets used to using that as your method of releasing anger – punching the shit out of whatever’s at hand. If you happen to be without an abundance of pillows at your day job, this could have dire ramifications for your fellow coworkers.
The opposite end of things holds up as well; if you continuously practice at keeping your emotions under control when the really big stuff happens you’re more likely to keep a level head. I think this whole situation is just one of those times logic gets us all into trouble. Both assumptions make sense when you think about them, just it turns out the correct answer is minutely more complicated to come to and thus wasn’t adopted as conventional wisdom.
(Side tangent; don’t wikipedia ‘Conventional Wisdom’ unless you want a little less faith in humanity)
So! What does all this have to do with writing?! Well I thank you for asking hypothetical reader person; it means that cathartic actions can be an enjoyable response to an action that could lead to choosing that action more and more. Yes! I just spent several hundred words explaining that writing lots makes you want to write more. I have enlightened virtually no one who already writes, and probably failed at convincing anyone who doesn’t to try. But look on the bright side; if anyone ever asks why journals are so popular you now have an answer.
Oh, and for the life portion of the blog; this all came about because I’ve been writing a bunch recently and now find it a bit easier to do. Thoughts come easier and the urge to put them to type is growing a bit. Wording is still a finicky bitch, but that’s more or less expected. Of course, I refuse to make anything like a promise to do anything, but I can at least say it’d be nice to write a bunch more. Finding ways to put the buzzing in your head into real ideas has always been a subtlety pleasing thing for me. And hey, it keeps me from talking to myself too loudly.
(Gonna have to make a post on that. Seriously. Thinking aloud shouldn’t get you as many crazy looks as it does – besides, it makes dialogue more natural if your thinking up a scene for a story)
Oh, and a gripe. You know what sucks? Having to work Saint Patty’s Day, expecting to get off early enough to go drinking with your friends, then find out half way through that you’re going to have to come in early the next day to do a presentation to a roomful of people. A presentation we’ve not told you about until now. Have fun!
Bloodysoddin’painintheassworkalwaysgettingintheway…
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