Jane and I began posting to IndexCardCure (ICC) in 2014. We don’t do it for the money (none earned) or to have essay go viral (we may need some cute kitten videos for that). But it is nice to have readers. According to the stats WordPress keeps on this site, I’ve published 142 essays and the blog has had over 4000 views. Some writers would cringe at that small a number, but I figure that we have reached more people through ICC, than we could otherwise.

Periodically, we check-in. Why should we continue writing? What motivates people do things when they aren’t getting pay or recognition?  These are my reasons.

• I write to collaborate: Jane and I have been friends since high school. Until we launched ICC, we were Christmas card friends, with intermittent contact. With this shared project connecting us, we have committed to writing and talking weekly.
• I write to clarify: Sometimes I can’t make sense of a topic until I write down my thoughts. The process makes me more reflective and controls urges to rant.
• I write to express: Whether anyone reads what I write or not, ICC give a platform for my voice to be heard. The discipline has also been a good practice for writing academic papers too.
• I write to leave a legacy: It captures stories I don’t want to forget.  Writing lets me track the evolution of my thought process on an issue or helps me remember moments in time.
• I write for change: When I respond to an article in the newspaper with a letter to the editor (LTE), my perspective may not alter anyone else’s mind, but writing and sending it to the Washington Post acts like a relief valve for me.

As has been apparent lately, what we say can build bridges or can inflame. Written or spoken words help to make sense, make meaning, and make a difference — worthy why’s, seeking first to understand, then to be understood.

© Joan S Grey, 17 Nov 2016
IndexCardCure™: writing with courage http://www.indexcardcure.com