What makes you want to create? Let us know in the comments or we have a discussion going on right now on our app available free here: goo.gl/ptzhzu

Actually, I want to write because i enjoy creating worlds and stories

"It Was A Bad Idea, But In My Defense, I Hate Myself: An Autobiography"

Message to every writer in the world. Do not lose your drive, do not allow anyone to taint your vision . 📑📖📝

Thanks for ruining my passion by turning it into some deep, psychological problem. I knew I could count on you.

"Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those that do not write, compose or paint, can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic and the fear inherent in the human condition." Graham Greene

We all want to be writers but we still want to afford ramen noodles for dinner.

Writing isn't always a substitute for socializing. It holds its own merit.

I don't agree with this video, but it is an interesting theory. I write precisely because it helps me think. As an introvert I can't really think in social situations. I am too focused on being nice to the other person. But when I write, it is like I have a dialogue with myself. I love it, because it forces me to question my own ideas and get to the core of my emotions. I can allow myself to be vunerable without feeling like a burden to someone else. This video seems to forget one crucial thing about art and dialogue: Art IS dialogue. Just another form. We dont need to choose between having true friends and creating art. Both are very good indeed! Some things are hard to express, we can't just say them. We need time, words, narrative. Writing brings something out of you that you simply cannot force in normal conversation. However, this video is right that we should be more open and patient with out friends. We all have a story in our heart, worth a thousand pages.

Personally, my urge to write comes from my poor verbal communication skill, and the desire to reveal my thoughts to a wider audience, and fearing I will never be heard.

You are associating everything with relationships.There are other reasons for writing too.

I don't agree at all with this one. I don't consider myself lonely, I love my friends and all. But social interaction is not enough to bring you happiness and fulfillment in life. I could never be able to create a world in my mind by "talking". For that I must sit down alone and think, and it brings me much more satisfaction than any direct interaction with a human being. In my opinion, indirect interaction (art, science, philosophy) is greater than direct interaction, even if the second one can be the most appealing...

This is a very closed-minded idea. Not all writers are like this. There are endless reasons to write, publish, or just write for the enjoyment of it. Many people that write journals and/or diaries simple want to record their lives because of the energies they have of life. They love life to the fullest and simply want to a means of recording it. To say writers are depressed isolated individuals is an insult to the millions that write that are not.

I feel incredibly called out

I agree that writing comes mostly from suffering but also I disagree that it would be better or even possible to replace the benefits of reading with the benefits of socializing

As a girl who aspires to become a writer since when I was 11, I feel obligated to say something here. I didn't start wanting to become a writer because I had an unhappy childhood or because there were nobody to listen to me back then, but rather because I was so touched by a book titled "The Happiness of Kati" and really wanted to create a novel that could make people feel touched like what I felt back then. Although I do agree that writing, to many people including myself, is a mean to be heard, I feel a bit disturbed that the video kind of giving off the vibe that writers only write for themselves. I believe that true writers don't just write for themselves, but to serve a bigger purpose like reaching out to those facing similar situation so that they know that they aren't alone. One book that came to my mind is Roxanne Gay's "Hunger," a heartbreaking and insightful autobiography about her relationship with food and her body. A decade has passed since I started dreaming to become a writer. Now I am collecting stories of people I have encountered in my life so that I can all this a plan, and not just a dream. Although I haven't complied them to become a novel, I know that I will do it one day when I've gained the wisdom and insight to crystallize what I have experienced through others. I wish to become a writer who can share stories of those who doesn't have the platform to share their voices to wider audiences. Chimananda Ngozi Adichie once said in her TED TALKS that "many stories matter." If we can live in the world where many people become a writer, people won't feel lonely being alone because they will know through reading that there are many others struggling with similar issues and that many people have overcome those.

I see the angle this video is coming from but I strongly disagree. Writing should be a relaxing and cathartic process. Conversation can often be very manipulative and nebulous. I write to make sense of all the messed up human interactions I have. I'm at my worst when I interact with people without writing about those experiences. Making music is the best way to deal with heartbreak. Additionally, I hold in a lot of anger and resentment so it's easier to express that anger in a rap song as oppose to yelling or getting frustrated with the people I care about.

I just woke up, and had an intense desire to write. This notification came up.

"Literature's loss might, in the end, be humanity's gain." I want to remember this.

I've read that 1 in 10 Icelanders is a published author, but Iceland is always in the top 10 in happiness related lists. I believe that writing can offer a degree of creativity and meaning in an otherwise quite meaningless life and if that's the case more people should practice writing down their thoughts on various topics, not to be published but to get a better view of themselves. Don't take my word for granted, I have no experience on the topic but I'm actually thinking of buying a notebook naming it "meditations" and start writing.

I think people may have misunderstood the point of this video. Wiring is an art form with many of its own merits and motivations, but a common underlying one that's found in many modern writers is that isolation. Many of those writers would give up the ghost if they attained what their hearts yearned for, but the ones that loved writing as advertised would keep at it nonetheless since they truthfully love it

I'm not lonely, you're lonely.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just like your opinion man...

Whenever I watch this channel, I feel like a moth to a flame. Even though I’m always drawn to the content it always leaves me hurt but still I come back

I write because I desire to create what I want to consume. As pretentious sounding as that is it's true. There are stories, characters, ideas and whole worlds that I want to read about that it doesn't feel like I can find anywhere. Of course nothing I create will be something that hasn't been done before, something that doesn't have a near identical copy. But it hasn't been done in this specific way with these words and these exact intentions behind them. I want to bring that into the world.

For me, I can not help but write. I do not force it. It just happens. I think it depends on the person and the message. If I was forcing myself to write that would be another matter. We are each unique and words are a work of art.

I can attest to the fact that writing is a major substitute for me. I’m a terrible speaker and my voice with spoken words compared to written words is about the equivalent of an eight year old to an English major. Writing gives me confidence in expressing what I have to say without the embarrassment of stuttering, stumbling on my words, forgetting which words I’m trying to use, and having to slow down to make any sense 😂

Personally, this is very relatable. Though to others it might be too closed of an idea. I started writing around when I was 11 when our family faced problems. I wrote about a world where everything I wanted was. I finished a book impulsively because of that desire to live in a world far from home. I didn't write again until a year and a half later, but everything I wrote at that time was self-indulgent. It wasn't satisfying anymore, it was miserable. I knew I didn't have the things in those stories and got jealous. That stage lasted for two years and I kept ransacking my mind for the reason nothing was working: Did I not want to be a writer anymore? If so, what do I want? Turns out I still did want to be a writer, I just had to change how I viewed my writing. I slowly tried to improve myself to make myself less "lonely" in ways subjective to me in order to separate myself from my main characters and tell honest truths (themes) without being pretentious and envious. It hasn't been long since I started that process and I've struggled a lot, but I am doing my best to keep gong so I can write the story explaining my emotions and thoughts in a way that I myself know how that story ends because they are a part of me. They always will because those emotions are my past and they made me who I am. I know the process will have to keep going so I can finally, confidently say I've done it, I've written a story that I loved again, but I will endure. This is my personal experience. If this does not apply to you, that's fine. We all live, feel, and think differently. Write if you enjoy it. Write if you're happy doing it. Write for whatever reason you have. If it soothes you and helps you sort out your emotions like it does for me, just go and write. Writing is an outlet for everyone and everything.

I can attest that some of my desire to write comes from a need to feel heard. We live in a world where everyone is rushing about and it's difficult to get anyone to sit and chat with... well scratch that to have meaningful conversations with. I write so that I can order my thoughts, so I can tell of my experiences and I write for the challenge of creating something. Writing has bridged the gap between me and others many times and has allowed me to be heard. As much as I would love to somehow magically have the time and the right people to talk to it's something I still lack. I am making efforts to reach out to people more, join groups, call people on the phone, go to see people in person, etc. because I do recognize that I need the connection in real life... but I don't see a time when we will return fully to a face to face, slow paced time, so I will keep writing.

same with vloggers.. that being said.. I survived cancer twice while having half of my face amputated in the process.. a tumor destroyed my jaw and changed everything I once knew.. I decided to start my own channel to inspire others who feel ugly and not good enough for this world..I moved to Barcelona to build a new life. I want to show others that it's all about positivity and energy.. and that with the right mindset, you can overcome any mental or physical hurdle if u just learn to love yourself! positive energy trumps any physical shell! go check me out and subscribe if u want to help me reach my goal of helping others who lack self-love.. it would mean the world to me!!

2:50 Somehow I believe that Socrates would dominate any conversation, and in so doing, be unaware of the torture of a one sided conversation. XD

Damn... this hit home hard.

This certainly rings true of musicians, who I've long had to see first-hand in their infuriating, paradoxical mix of self-loathing and arrogance. One might suggest a simple, yet classic, manifestation of the anxious-resistant attachment model.

Writing is a very polite and artful revenge against a world too busy to listen. How beautifully put

Very vague description of what literature and writing really is. Some authors write for passion of the subject and pass an important message to other people, as a form of advice. Self-centered, diary type writing works like a freeloading of our own problems and worries in life.

well some of us prefer isolation over crowds and some of us love to be alone over being with anyone else. the world is just not the place we relate to anymore it's a place pre-programmed and our imaginary wants to be let free to expand endlessly. we do not need love nor do we need anyone to talk with, we simply do not belong on earth ... i mean HELL that's why we leave to our own worlds which we build by our own hands and place their rules as we see fit!

Perhaps an intriguing hypothesis presented here, yet isn’t it also true that writing serves as form of thinking by which we are able to categorize our multi-layered, complex cognitions into a synthesized version of what enables us to reason and view the world independent of scattered ideas within our mind?

Socrates was against writing for basically the same reasons that older people are against social media today. The "whiny old man" syndrome isn't anything new.

I agree... I’m a poet, and people were cruel and left me in silence. So, I’ll leave that past, and keep creating, because I’m Human. Aren’t You?

I write since I'm 9... Almost everyday and it is true, I wrote because nobody was there to listen to me. In the other hand, that was my tool to understand myself and talk to my demons, this inner dialogue made my outer dialogue possible, stared my process of self knowledge. I was my own therapist. Writing is wonderful and I love books way to much to agree with this nonsense. Most part of art came out pain and that is beautiful 😍

This video really resonated with me! I definitely agree, I write when I'm feeling extreme emotions that I need to express somehow. Talking with someone during these times is rarely something I am able to do. Another great video, as always.

I disagree that the primary reason why we write is because we are trying to cope with loneliness. In my experience, writing doesn't take away the pain of loneliness, though, as a solitary activity, it can be a productive use of time spent alone, so one might be motivated to do so. The video claims our true calling is to "talk to our fellow man;" I don't disagree with this notion, but it's the idea that writing is a less fulfilling substitute that I do find unconvincing. Rather, by focusing our thoughts, writing helps us to know ourselves, our values, and what is truly important for us to share with others, so that we may be more deliberate in our interactions and relationships as a whole. Writing gives us the opportunity to listen to our own voice and thereby take control over our identities and how we want to be known. This is not an argument for caginess. This is an argument for having a deeper understanding and mastery over oneself in order to have more meaningful conversations--to better carry out our purpose as social AND creative beings. Attaining self-mastery can actually help to defeat loneliness, as it can help one to navigate life in a way that will lead one to building more numerous meaningful relationships.

I wrote books because it's what I love to do. I've always loved creating stories and characters. I'm not lonely by any definition, I just love doing what I want to make money doing.

This couldn’t have come at a more relevant time. You’re amazing as always!

Wow. Just wow. This makes sense 100%. When I look at it this way, my whole "writing life" makes so much more sense. I always felt like I wanted to "be a writer", but I delete almost everything I write and feel foolish sharing most of what I write. This has lifted a lid to that feeling. Thank you so much for posting!

Maybe they just want someone to listen?

I love reaching for a word then it just pops into my head. It's magical to me.

This channel daily saves my sanity and restores my sense of equilibrium. A great gift . Thanks.

This is one of my favorite videos! It's a bit true for my situation when I find writing to be a friend to express my thought, well i did not know there is writer want to write to not get "lonely" or to get out of the world where the screen and 5G is everything. As always, great video!

Isn't it controversial? I am pretty sure this video was written before being plotted out, the argument is sound but there's too much generalization Writing is a preserved record of thoughts that can't otherwise be put into words as well, i don't know maybe writing at Socrates time was slower and less efficient

I started writing because I couldn't easily speak about my problems to anyone. I never thought I liked it or that it was my hobby because it was always like an escape or something I needed. Three years passed for me to realized it wasn't just a need but also something much more. I no longer have communication issues and I am very happy with my life. So I think it's true that many choose to write to cope with other problems but if you stick with this for some time it's definitely because you actually find it enjoyable. My opinion at least...

i love this. This is honestly what I needed to hear especially since I've been thinking of posting some stuff on my blog. I felt like there was a part of me that just wanted to be heard and that I needed gratification.

I think I´ve watched almost all your videos, and I must say this is the one that has spoken to me the most. I complain often about wasting my time talking with my friends, meeting them and enjoying a maybe shallow life, not always close to culture. I always felt like a frustrated writer but this video gave me now a different perspective. Thank you for teaching us how to live and diverse our thoughts!

Imagine if George R.R. Martin , Stephen King and Dan Brown were convinced by the logic in this film . Thank you though , great as always

Thank heavens Charles Dickens was lonely! A lot of creativity stems from quiet time, time to think, instead of the non-stop banter exchanged at parties and other 'social' gatherings.

Writing can be an enjoyable act of creation. We don’t imagine that people who garden or make pottery are doing so because they are lonely. You can also want to write because books helped you from a young age to think beyond your four walls - and maybe even gifted you life-changing wisdom - and you hope to pass that on to others. Or maybe writing is a meditative form of self exploration that cannot be done with others. This video takes a very dim view of people and the desire to create - storytelling extends well beyond recorded history. Keep writing, people :)

I can't say I fully agree as I need to think more about this and now it feels like it hit right at home , making me not objective at all. But still, the video , the idea and the writing was beautiful. Thank You

I want to be a writer too because I see writing as an emotional catharsis. I always admire people who can express their thoughts and emotions through written words. They share some things that are personal, yet you find a piece of your self in them too. Isn't that wonderful?

Although the attempt is valiant, there are somethings that I don't agree with this. Firstly not all writing inspiration comes from a sense of desolation. Secondly, writing is a healthy coping mechanism for people who are dealing with various issues because it helps the person to figure things through their issues, since writing creates self-awareness and clarity. Thirdly, it's a great way for self exploration and discovery because you can write the most darkest inner parts of ourselves in a safe environment. While there are writers who do seek refuge in their stories, I do agree a person should not depend on it and seek help but writing really provides support for those who need it.

This was an incredibly insightful video. It gave me lots to think-and write-about.

Not just Loneliness will make a person to think of writing... There is something called Passion within a person which drives him to sit, nd to do writing... I feel Writing is more special than having conversations with somebody uh love in person. Writing is the sweetest Hobby which makes a person's heart happy nd satisfied. For me, writing is something which gives me peace and it makes me to be connected with me deep inside i become my bestfrnd and i feel i got the bestest company. Writing literary stuff is not normal thing... It is a creative work and totally amazing talent of the individual ❤

This reminded me of Marcus Aurelius. The story behind "Meditations" confirms your perspective. Such a virtuous man had no other company but his own thoughts, and the pressure and the responsibility of being an emperor pushed him to write. He wanted to destroy the book before he died because it was the most intimate and honest collection of his thoughts that he didn't want anyone else to see. You can see it in the way he structures his sentences - he was writing only to himself. And it is truly a shame that such a man felt so alone, but otherwise, there would be no "Meditations". I truly don't like self-promoting like this, but I have a philosophy channel as well. If you like the content of TSOL, you might like my content, too. Thank you!

Anyone noticed 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson? Buckos?

I was just trying to research and answer this question the other day... now it all makes so much sense. Thank you. :)

Very useful insight. I'm glad he mentioned the exposition dilemma.

I would say it's more likely to do with rampant narcissism. Everyone thinks their thoughts are unique and profound.

I think most of my friends have mentioned at some point or another that they want to write a book someday. You’ve hit the nail on the head!

Both the text and drawings are sad but beautifull, full of sens, thank you for that

I never understand why people say the "want" to be a writer, wanting to be a writer is ridiculous, you should simply write.

We need more autobiographies of non-celebs.

that ending conclusion is so dumb

This is a very interesting video. Thanks for your well-done job.

Damn this video makes me rethink my decision to become a writer. I've wanted to be a writer my whole life... I've always felt lonely even when with other people. This video is eye opening but still hurtful. LOVE IT!!

I write because I think I can do better than the authors of books I read. Lol.

I write because I want to help, but yes I am lonely.

This is one of my favourite videos of yours. The sentence about 'very polite and artful revenge' is so incisive

That is life man, well done, compassion via the arts. Thanks.

Not only isolation but the pleasure of creation is what pushes most writers. Loneliness is sometimes required to hear what you say. It is one of the shade of the craft but not its entirety.

Writing is a form of reflectiveness and daydreaming. Some of us aren't great at using our actual physical voice, but when it comes to blotting down on our free rein of creativeness, it's healing. This is a hobby and some people do things in solitude not because of loneliness. Some temperaments thrive off of making our own realities and sharing them with others in our own way.💌📝✒📚

i've learned from this video few things , thank you for uploading these videos

And I'm here watching it while having a writer's block.

How about people who are perfectly content in life but still write? The poor souls...

Writing has definitely helped through more lonely time... It helped me understand my own thoughts and feelings on certain situations.

It is so vitally important to get what's in your head out onto paper it is so very therapeutic

all creative things may come from problems.

0:23 J.P xD

This is difficult because by Freudian philosophy, most of us will feel eternally unheard and misunderstood if it was so in our own beginnings. One cannot go back or give up the drive to resort to writing... Great video. Helped me remember why I write in the first place. Helped overcome a major writer's block.

Writing helps me seal unfinished threads of thought through immersion and striving for clarity. I feel that when something is not written down, dialogues and inner conversations either fall apart or get derailed, just to be rebuilt from scratch again and again.

Y’all need to stop exposing me like this, damn

Jordan Peterson easter egg :D

I ended up writing novels, poetry and essays because I always needed a means to vent my frustration with my environment. Focusing on words and dialectics reveals all kinds of hidden motivations in people

Could not have said it better. Such an amazing anology of how creativity works. Because all we as humans beings want in life is to be heard.

One thing writers could do is try to get entry through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. You can do long form posts there that do quite well. Might be great if you are writing a short story or a series.

So in other words, you write because you’re lonely.

I think that the urge to be a writer for me (haven't achieved that yet) is because I have so many ideas and points of view I want to spread and show to the world. That's all.

Thanks, I needed this.

*To generalize, the drive to 'be a writer' is about remaining 'alive' once dead, for about half of us; and for the other half, it simply makes us see ourselves as more attractive/alluring, as that's simply how society has made things. The same goes for painting, music, film, most art; driven by a need for acceptance, as, as social creatures in a society, acceptance is what we crave and need most. If we feel society won't accept 'us', we reframe our thoughts and being, pouring ourselves into some sort of art form, with the presumption that one day we'll have effortless love from people. Rarely is it driven by something else. Rarely. It boils down to Survival and Sex. The 2 most basic fundamentals of our species. Sustenance and Pleasure; we cook for Survival of the stomach and Sex for the tongue; we have friends for the Survival of a pack and the Sex/ecstasy of community; we exercise for the Survival aspects of an able body, while also going for the Sex-like endorphins released from the act. Survival and Sex. All of our actions, all of our insecurities, all of our goals, come down to those 2. Other motivations are at play - but not so essentially; not as the foundation. Survival and Sex. In this instance (writing), we Survive by remembering and being remembered; Sex comes from both Mental Masturbation + literal sex which comes from fitting into a more sexy stereotype. We want Survival and Sex, and that is what we write for, to enhance our experiences of both.*

the entire wattpad community lmao

Your observations are incisive, sir. Your work is an inspiration to me personally. God bless you.

Very thoughtful!