A wise fellow once told me that our issue as humans is not so much a lack of creativity but a lack of awe. In other words, creativity is that which spills out from a tall glass of adoration and wonder. This sort of captivation occurs when we encounter something worthwhile or interesting, and as G.K. Chesterton noted, “There are no uninteresting things, only uninterested people.”

Reason one: Write because there are things worth writing about

At the risk of sounding like an old grouch, there is a world outside your smartphone. Look up. Look around. Start noticing things both mundane and profound. Perhaps the more you notice, the more you realize that the profound is often lurking in the ordinary. So make it your priority to be inspired by that which is there. A good writer must first be a good consumer. If you struggle to find the type of beauty and significance that causes the stirring of both affection and intellect, then you either aren’t looking or you don’t have the right glasses on.

I’d wager that you don’t like boxes as much as the next claustrophobic cat, so why put yourself in one? Indeed, there are endless things worth writing about so go ahead and indulge. Experiment with different forms—poetry, prose, articles, essays and books. The brain is a muscle, and I’d recommend stretching it. Your writings may very well be awkward, cringy, bad and the sort, but to quote Chesterton again, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” That is to say, perfection is productivity’s enemy. The first steps of any journey are the hardest. Hike for the beauty of the trail, not the perfection of your steps. Write because there are things worth writing about.

Reason two: Write because you really ought to think

We live in an age where we prefer others to do all the thinking for us. But we also live in a narcissistic age, which means that we want to have the acclaim that comes from having “thought-out opinions” without the antecedent labor of actually doing much thinking. Eventually, if we happen to grow the nerve to attempt thinking for ourselves, we very often don’t know how to go about it.

I propose that if you want to start thinking, you had better start writing. This is because writing is a form of thinking. American journalist and prolific author Joan Didion once said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” This, I find, is profoundly true. Sometimes, I do not know what I think until I read what I say. Other times, I find out that I do not like the idea I expressed, which then helps me explore why I don’t like it and further aids me in getting an opinion that I can embrace.

Of course, we must do research. We must read and value the opinions of others. But until we start writing and thinking for ourselves, we won’t be much other than a jumbled box of other people’s thoughts. The dangerous thing is that you may gain fluency in replicating other’s thoughts and be fooled into proclaiming that you have actually thought something of your own. Write because you really ought to think.

Reason three: Write for a purpose beyond the self

All writers are trying to make a point about something or another. Writers make points about various things because they are trying to help the reader find either truth, meaning, beauty, that one apple pie recipe, or, you know, a fine combination of them all.

Your thoughts, expressed in writing, may help others gain insightful answers to the questions they are concerned with. To the contrary, your thoughts may display an opinion that the reader finds utterly distasteful. In either case, your writing ought to help the reader find out something and perhaps cause them to think differently or at a deeper level.

Just because you have thoughts doesn’t mean you ought to share them. There is a certain level of discernment one must employ when considering whether or not to share. Now, thankfully, we live in a country where such thoughts can be shared whether they ought to be or not. In fact, we often benefit from reading ideas that are flat-out wrong or simply immoral. But more importantly, we are not above writing things that are wrong or distasteful and it would be arrogant to suppose otherwise. I come back to the Chesterton quote: “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” Usually, the things worth doing are worthwhile because they concern something larger than yourself.

So there you have it: three reasons why you should start writing. These reasons are certainly not exhaustive, but they are reasons that apply to any Iowa State student, no matter who you are. Lift your eyes from the grip of your phone and begin to notice the beckoning world around you. Think of your own thoughts. Don’t let anyone think them for you. Finally, write for a purpose beyond the self. This world isn’t about you, so why try to make it so?