I don’t know about you, but I find it challenging to write honestly and believably while also tailoring the content to appeal to a wide audience. I have no idea if anything I write is all that engaging, although I hope I am improving.
Regardless of quality, I write because I like to express myself in written form, and it usually doesn’t get me into immediate trouble. I was an avid journaler in the past because of my upbringing. I was raised in a strict Vietnamese household where kids weren’t allowed to speak back to their parents. I had to take it when it came to punishment—to be quiet and internalize my punishments. So, how I dealt with my childhood trauma was to write extensively in journals.
That being said, it's easy to write garbage. Many people, myself included, have found it relatively easy to produce trash of all shapes and forms in the past. I mean trash in every sense of the word. We are drowning in our trash, physically, psychologically, and metaphorically.
Do we really need to keep adding to the world's pollution when we fully know that what we're broadcasting is subpar and essentially rubbish? I am disheartened to see the amount of desperate low-quality content in the world, especially now in our AI-driven economy. Can't something be done? There's the rub: we don't want to go down the path of censorship and restriction either. What a challenging world we live in!
Another counterargument to this position is sometimes we don’t realize the quality of our work that we post or put on sale. It is the best work that we have at our stage of artistic development. I suppose we get free passes for these times.
Even so, I still strongly believe in encouraging everyone to write, as it is how we express our soul and our life experiences. There are numerous other ways to express what’s inside of us through art, poetry, music, and performance arts. So long as people are allowed to express themselves authentically and respectfully, society will thrive. Some fortunate people will get richly rewarded for these artistic endeavors. For most writers and artists, the rewards are measured more in personal satisfaction than in financial gain. Guess which boat I am in?
However, not everything written needs to go public. We all have written or produced content in some way that should be private and not broadcast to the public. We may come to regret these posts later. It's important to keep in mind that things posted on the internet tend to persist.
There have been many embarrassing and scandalous occasions where a celebrity or politician has written or said something offensive in the distant past that has cropped up for public disdain. The chastised individual may have changed since those times when they made the offending comment. Or they may not have changed but want the public to believe that they have.
If you have written something or produced some artwork to hate on or smear a person or a group, I say go ahead and write or use whatever art media you wish on your personal computer, tablet, or even paper—yes, I still use real paper on occasion. But might I suggest that you don’t let it go live right away in whatever account you use to post your thoughts. Let yourself cool off.
A personal side note: Years ago, I found myself wanting to post essays about a situation regarding a professional who had caused the death of a close family member. I decided to wait for about a week to cool off. Eventually, I ended up writing a poem expressing the same emotions but keeping the person's identity anonymous. I don’t think many people even read it, but that I used a poetic structure to express my thoughts was somewhat satisfying. The cooling-off period enabled me to find a more controlled method for releasing negative emotions and thoughts.
Anyhow, writers and content creators everywhere, let’s remember to be thoughtful, respectful, and kind when sharing our work with the world. Even when we have to write about controversial topics, it’s crucial to be as respectful as possible when addressing them.
While I understand the urge to attack and sling dirt at the opposing team, let us be the true peacemakers in the world. I will strive to make my art not stoop to the level of mudslinging but rather serve as a peaceful protest of their wrongdoing.
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