An interesting report on bloggers and their habits was recently issued from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.  Main reason bloggers blog?  Creative expression and sharing of personal experiences. 

This is an important point. It confirms my suspicion that there are many more writers out there than people who will admit to being writers.  It’s human nature to want to share our experiences and to express ourselves. 

I just finished a terrific book by Amy Tan called "The Opposite of Fate."  The subtitle is "A Book of Musings" and it’s a collection of personal essays.  In one of her essays, I was delighted to read the following:

"Reviewers…have educated me not only about how I write, but why I write. Apparently, I wish to capture the immigrant experience…..The truth is, I write for more self-serving reasons–that is, I write for myself.  I write because I enjoy stories and make-believe. I write because if I didn’t, I’d probably go crazy. Thus, I write about questions that disturb me, images that mystify me, or memories that cause me anguish and pain…."

I wrote an article a couple of years ago about why I write, and it was largely along the topics of creative expression and making meaning of my experiences.

Amy Tan also talks about not knowing she could write until she started doing it. She was in her thirties when she published her first book, The Joy Luck Club.  This resonates with my own experience of starting to write personal essays, not in my thirties but in my forties.  There are more writers in the world who are waiting to find out they can write.

Which brings me back to blogging–a great way to start uncovering the writer in you.