WRITING

WRITING

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Reading enlightens, entertains, enraptures and infuriates. Words have this power because language exploits its own direct link to our creative mind; it is then the power of our creativity that involves our emotions.

When we first begin learning spoken and written language, we learn by association; thus, the word 'lemon' becomes more than five shaped characters. It becomes at least an image of a bright yellow, spherical fruit. For those of us who have touched, smelled and tasted a lemon, the word transcends simple imagery, and we immediately recall the scent, texture and taste.

Language engages all the elements necessary to mentally participate in a situation or experience, as long as we understand the words and have something to associate with. In today's world where we can see and hear so many different things from around the world with our Internet and television and radio, there are very few experiences that are completely foreign to us - where we would have no ability to imagine them even with the help of language.

Because of this, we can easily allow ourselves to get 'lost' in a good book or caught-up in the emotion of a tragic poem. And when you think about this (as much as I have), it is quite amazing just how POWERFUL words and language really are for us. Phrases like 'raspberry oils and cinnamon sticks' should create a whirlwind of activity in our senses, evoking images, scents and tastes, and quite possibly memories or nostalgia - association, association, association.

But language's ability to draw our minds into a story to the point where we can simply understand, acknowledge and relate to it is NOT what I have become fascinated with over the past few years.  Actually, something even more powerful about words has me excited about my capabilities as a writer, and about the future of writing altogether.

It is not that words are simply powerful, it is that they can be OVERPOWERING. Using words effectively can, in some cases, completely replace the act of real experience. Of course, this type of situation is dependent upon so many factors, and everyone can react differently to a specific set of phrases. But the idea that words can evoke real reactions and true emotion is enough to focus my creative energies toward writing in such ways. Whether it be excitement, fear, loss, arousal, love, anger or numerous others, the reactions induced by language are simply amazing to me, and that is what I look for in my own processes now.

It is a good example of the "power of the mind" concept, but people tend to overlook letters, words and sentences to the more obvious forms of creative stimuli: audio and visual. Pictures and sounds have been shown countless times influencing people's emotions. Once we realize that words really are translated by our minds AS pictures and sounds, then it is easy to see how a tragic poem can create a true sense of loss and may even induce real tears of sadness.

WORDS ARE POWERFUL!

And once we accept this, there truly are no limits to what our minds can experience.

Featured Writers:
Don L. Waddell
Troy E. VanEngelen
Ithami Sanfo
Tóta
Dragana Rajkov

If you have poetry, stories or miscellaneous ramblings, email them with your name or a "handle" and I will consider posting them in the expanded coverage pages!  I will ask permission to edit or clip content before posting, if necessary.

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