Why Write? A Reflection on a Creative Practice

by Shu Shu Costa, Crystal Land and Antonio Viva

We write for so many purposes: to generate ideas, to document, to create. While many of us spend our days writing emails, lesson plans, reports and social media posts, others of us write in journals with a pen, on our tablets or phones—or even on scraps of paper–in order to capture a thought, ponder a story or note a memory. And yet, with the hundreds or thousands of inputs we each receive and process each day, how can we make the time to go deeper and utilize writing as a soothing, creative and even healing practice? How can we use these small moments in our journeys to help us make better sense of our lives?

We at Leadership and Design believe there are not only many ways to access creativity but through creative, empathic actions, we can move ourselves and others to a place with more humanity. Crystal, Shu Shu and Antonio are each striving to find more space for the creative practice of writing. Read on to learn more and consider joining them in Santa Fe this October for a writing and reflection retreat: Write Your Journey.

What’s your story as a writer?

Crystal: I’ve always been a reader. From a young age, I read and read as it was a true pleasure and escape. I loved The Chronicles of Narnia and similar fantasy series where I was transported to other worlds. I was captivated by the author’s voice, word choice and story structure. I also started keeping journals at a young age. Although I don’t have them all, I still have a few of those youthful musings—and have resisted the urge to toss the awkwardly worded adolescent notebooks. There is certainly a cringe-worthy element but these scribbles continue to be a valuable source of reflection on growth and change (think “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret”). As an adult, I started a more regular journal practice to reflect on career, family and life and have carved out time here and there for making short entries (sometimes even just a bulleted list or a doodle) or writing more extensively depending on my time and mood. For each journal entry, I habitually note the date, time and location to capture that moment in time. And while I have used my ipad and laptop at times, I now keep my journal in a 5x8 lined moleskine that is easy to carry with me on travels and while at home.

Shu Shu: Gosh, Crystal, I tossed those adolescent journals about a decade ago! I now wish I had kept them…

I, too, was a voracious reader - I remember reading at night in the back seat of my parents’ car, seesawing the book forward and back to catch the glow from the street lights. I just couldn’t put the book down. (This, of course, was before my beloved Kindle.) Before I went into education, I was a writer for magazines and newspapers and had two books published. My professional writing life seems a million years ago, something that happened to another person - like watching a cringey movie of yourself. I remember trying on identities as a writer, much like we try on roles or personas. Then I just stopped. Life intervened and my voice developed in other ways. Now, when I write something other than an email, it is like meeting an old friend that you haven’t seen in a while. You’re catching up, you’re feeling each other out, you’re testing the edges of what was and what could be. The words are rusty, the muscle memory hazy, but I can feel my heart beat faster and the blood rush to my face, just as it did in my 20s. Like you, Crystal, I write these days in a 5x8 moleskine journal, interspersed with to-do lists. I also am always hungering for a good pen - right now, I prefer a gel ink pen (blue).

Antonio: My foray into serious writing began during my college years. Instead of following the expected path of pursuing law—a choice many expected of me—I felt an undeniable pull towards English and theater. This decision perplexed my immigrant parents who believed I had self-imposed a sentence to the life of a "starving artist." My undergraduate years at Union College in Schenectady, NY were transformative. The exceptional faculty of the English and Theater departments nurtured my passion. I fondly recall Professor Barry Smith from the theater department who championed the practice of maintaining commonplace journals. These were tangible compilations of thoughts, encounters, and cherished memories. Similar to Crystal, I began curating my own collection, which now spans almost three decades. These journals, brimming with ticket stubs, sketches, photographs, drawings, reflections, and notable moments, are important artifacts of my personal and professional journey.

Why is writing important to you?

Crystal: Those are inspired beginnings, Antonio and Shu Shu! It seems we all launched our creative selves at early ages and are “collectors” of stories and memorabilia in our unique ways.

While I tend to be an extrovert who loves to talk and connect, writing is more personal and introspective. It’s also therapeutic and restorative, and, to be honest, it helps me remember what I was like at different ages and stages. Looking back at my journals, I can recall the feelings and specifics of being a 30-something mom, an aspiring school administrator, a 40-something graduate student at Breadloaf, or 50-something Head of School. I often return to my notebooks to see what I was experiencing and how time and circumstances have led me to where I am today. It usually makes me appreciative for all I have in my life and the ways I have grown and changed.

Shu Shu: Now you’re really making me regret throwing those journals away!

I write for those reasons as well, Crystal, but I also write to play with ideas and shadowy thoughts that hover just outside of my mind’s grasp. With writing, my own voice and ideas become clearer, sharper. I like to write after I read something compelling or inspiring - a quote, a poem, a book chapter. Now if only I could be consistent enough with my writing practice to make more sense of it all.

Antonio: I believe that every human being has the potential to live a fully creative life. The expression of that creativity is centered around the idea that we are innately wired to explore our world and to find ways to make meaning of it and share those ideas with others. This intrinsic desire is not bound by the conventions of traditional artistic fields alone. Creative expression permeates every facet of our existence, from the way we communicate and solve problems to how we form relationships and navigate challenges. Our creativity is our unique human signature, transcending barriers and connecting us on a profound and universal level. By embracing and nurturing this creative impulse, we not only enrich our own lives, we also remind the world that human beings are capable of making beautiful things. Writing is just one way I try to live a creative life, integrating it into my very way of being.

What is the value of a creative practice in our personal and professional lives?

Crystal: Sometimes it’s almost impossible to fit in a few moments of creative practice during a busy workday or with the demands of family and daily life, but I’m trying to see it as essential as exercise or other priorities. This fall I’m taking an online drawing for work course, setting aside more time for writing and finding ways to view art more regularly. I just started the book Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, which correlates the active development of an “aesthetic mindset” with reduced levels of cortisol and enhanced learning. I find when I get away from email and to do lists for 30-45 minutes and see art, write or practice creativity, my mind is more open and generative. And I’m happier.

Shu Shu: I like looking at writing like exercise. Perhaps there can be a ring on my Apple watch for that? But like exercise and meditation, the writing itself can also be hard and challenging, even if it is ultimately rewarding. Being courageous enough to search for our innermost being, finding a way through words and scribbles to touch, even for a heartbeat, the “invisibles” (from poet David Whyte) within us. This is sacred work. And it can be scary in there! As Rick Rubin says in The Creative Act: A Way of Being: “The act of creation is an attempt to enter a mysterious realm. A longing to transcend. What we create allows us to share glimpses of an inner landscape, one that is beyond our understanding.”

Antonio: Writing, for me, is not merely a creative endeavor or a means of communicating an idea—it's an integral part of my personal practice. It acts as a repository, collecting my thoughts, emotions, and experiences, allowing me to understand and navigate the intricacies of my inner world. It is both therapeutic and enlightening, providing me with a sanctuary where I can unravel the complexities of my psyche, confront my fears, and celebrate my triumphs. Writing is my way of connecting with my most authentic self, creating a tangible record of my journey, and evolving with each idea or thought I get down on paper. I attribute this way of being to the book The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by American author Julia Cameron.

What’s one story you’d like to write about?

Crystal: After working in schools for over three decades, there are A LOT of fascinating stories to consider about the dynamics of a school community from students, parents and teachers. And while I’m intrigued by the many stories and experiences from my work in schools, ideally I’d like to write a series of short memoir pieces from my childhood and adult journey that cohere with a loose structure. I am a big fan of Margaret Renkle’s work such as Late Migrations, as each piece can stand alone as an essay on nature, parenting and life as well as fit together as a story. Perhaps we all want to leave our mark through one way or another.

Shu Shu: Oh, that’s lovely, Crystal. I would absolutely read your memoir!

I have to be honest and say I really don’t know. Writing feels like both an old friend and a new one. Or maybe it's me who feels new. For right now, I am going to try to live in this beautiful, open space with unlimited possibilities. The Quakers have a wonderful saying, The Way opens. I hope I can develop a writing practice that allows me to listen for the Way, to explore what is living and breathing within me, and what might be next.

Antonio: I am exploring a collection of stories that revolve around the odyssey of a set of vinyl records. Told through three interwoven "episodes", the sole thread linking these narratives is the vinyl record, which drifts in and out of the lives of characters, marking its presence as they serendipitously come to own it at various stages of its voyage.

So why write?

From all us at L+D, we encourage you to incorporate writing, reflection and creativity into your daily lives. Even 5-10 minutes makes a difference in enhancing your well-being and tending to your soul.

For More Information about our upcoming program Write Your Journey, visit this link.