How often is it that I don’t know what I think and feel until I sit down and put pen to paper? Have you had that experience? I believe that the explosion in the number of people who want to write books is due in part to the way that writing helps us to discover ourselves. That self-discovery can happen sometimes in conversation too, but writing has a power that helps to heal and to also discover what’s going on in the sometimes mysterious workings of our inner self.

It’s said that the modern novel gained popularity in part because in it we can observe what’s going on in someone else’s head. This isn’t something that film allows. It’s only possible to have this experience of knowing someone else’s inner workings through writing.

And so it is with ourselves too. As a writer I love to write. I find my notebook (no lines please!) is one of my best friends. It listens without criticism. It allows me to express what I feel. It never ever chides me for being wrong, or mean, or gushing, or anything else for that matter.

Writing is especially helpful (I find) to help me sort out big events and traumas. When I can explore them on paper it’s a way of finding revelation. When I can get the words out of my system it unlocks pain and frees my to be more content. My words are not always pretty and positive. They reveal fear, pain, depression, despair, but they also reveal moments of transcendent joy, an appreciation for beauty, and love. Without words on paper it would have been much harder for me to understand my experiences and paint the shades of my emotions.

Writing as a therapy is more and more recognized as a way to grow and heal. I highly recommend it either in an organized group setting or on your own. At its best it can open the way to a deeper experience of life.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is the award winning author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life and “Garden of Bliss”. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices, writing and creativity in the U.S. and Europe. More at http://www.awakeintheworld.com and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/DebraMoffittAwakeintheWorld