Clear your fuzzy mind
A love letter to writing
Writing is hard. But you’re driven to do it. Why? What do you see on the other side? Or in the process? And why do authors get so much respect and influence, whether that means they get promoted or invited to speak or to take leadership positions?
Adam Grant, author of a whole bunch of books, most recently, Hidden Potential, has said that one of the benefits of writing is that “what’s fuzzy in your mind is clear on the page.” What he means is that writing clarifies things. I like the quote, but if you’ve talked to me about it, you know I think he leaves out some vital nuance.
Because the truth is that what’s fuzzy in your mind is fuzzy on the page. My professor in English 101, Ron Starmer, said it a little differently. He said something like, “Have you ever said ‘I know it, I just can’t put it into words?’ That’s bullshit—if you can’t explain something in words, you don’t understand it.”
If it’s not clear in your mind, it can’t be clear on the page. How could it be?
So when Grant says “What’s fuzzy in your mind is clear on the page” he’s leaving out the transformative aspect of writing on the author. The work you do to make it clear on the page also makes it clear in your mind. You can’t have one without the other.
Slow, careful, deliberate, perfected. That’s what writing can be. Who wouldn’t want their thinking to be the same? Becoming a better writer will make you a better communicator when it comes time to give a lecture or a keynote, or even just when you’re sending your 1,000th email of the day—because it will make you a better thinker.
What are you writing about? Keep it up and you just might master it.
If you want help learning how to organize your thinking and your writing, come find me at writelikeanexpert.com and check out the different ways we can connect.