It’s not everyday that we learn something about ourselves. It is on that rare occasion when lightning strikes or the light bulb flickers on. All too often, the instances of genius that we all experience are never realized simply because we aren’t ready to accept them.
It’s not all that often that we are reminded of just how much impact we can have on others. It wasn’t until I heard Robert Redford talk about art, its impact and his contributions as an artist that it dawned on me that we are artists.
When I say that we are artists I mean that we, all of us are artists, but right now I mean we, the student-journalists of The University News are artists and have the opportunity to affect others. We lose sight of that sometimes. We go about our business because we think we need to. But that shouldn’t be the reason that we do what we do. We, journalists, are given the opportunity to communicate to people who don’t have the benefit of being informed. Every word that we write should have a purpose. If it doesn’t, then why write it? Whether it is informative, inspirational or humorous, your words should have a purpose. It’s that split-second when you realize what you are writing is the sole reason you should write. Writing isn’t always about making a statement or changing the world-but sometimes it is.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to use the medium of a newspaper get to convey our thoughts and feelings weekly. But we shouldn’t be the only ones. Every week, events happen on this campus and across the world that affect someone. That’s what art is about isn’t it? Being affected by something and then conveying those thoughts and ideas to others. Whether it is love, hate, sorrow, remorse, pity, fear, lust, anger or joy, art allows you the opportunity to convey those emotions.
I never thought of myself as an artist. I write because I enjoy it. It’s an escape and an opportunity to let others see into my soul. It’s a love, and that is what some people have forgotten. Everyday, news is being reported that has no purpose. It is published or produced for no good reason. And anything that is written without a purpose shouldn’t be written at all. It’s time that all writers remember why they write.
All great writers wrote for one reason-they loved it. They loved orchestrating the words on a blank piece of paper in a way that created a symphony in itself. It wasn’t about deadlines or assignments, it was about the words. On every page that a writer writes there is a melee of words yearning for cohesion. The true test for a writer isn’t getting the words down on paper; the true test is actually knowing why he created them.
The answer to the question, “What is great writing,” is simple. Great writing transcends inspiration from the writer to the reader. If I don’t have a reason to write, then I shouldn’t do it. If the reader doesn’t have a reason to read, then he shouldn’t be doing it. The true artist doesn’t have to be gifted or eloquent. The true artist has to be inspired.
The inspiration to write isn’t always going to come easy, but the writer must sense that it is there and then seek it out. And if writing doesn’t knock, build a door. Never let a lack of inspiration keep you from finding inspiration. It’s out there, but you have to be willing to look for it.
Thus, to my colleagues at The University News, I simply ask you to give your writing a purpose and remember why you write in the first place.
Derek Johannsen is a junior studying criminal justice.
