Writing as therapy

Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #186

Writing as therapy

I write for many reasons.

Partly as an act of defiance.

Sometimes as a release.

Other times, to inform or to share an opinion on something or other that I think someone, somewhere might find interesting, or valuable, or entertaining.

Mostly though, I write out of frustration.

Frustration at not being farther along in the journey.

Frustration at the years where it felt as if I was screaming into the void.

Frustration at knowing what I wanted to say, but not knowing quite how to say it.

Which brings me to the wonderful quote from the late Anthony Bourdain (below) about his initial stabs at writing and at how his life changed because for one reason or another, he didn’t do what countless other would be writers do.

He didn’t quit:

“So, there I was, age 44. I was still dunking French fries at Brasserie Les Halles, which I thought was a pretty good gig at the time.

But, there was this little free paper they gave out on corners in a little box called The New York Press. I thought, I’m going to write something that will entertain other cooks, maybe I’ll get a hundred bucks, and my fry cook will find this funny. So, I wrote that first piece, that first version of [Kitchen Confidential] with the intention of being published by the New York Press and making 100 bucks, and being a hero to a few fry cooks in New York.

I wrote it and I sent it to The New York Press… So, every week I’d run to the corner. ‘Oh, I’m gonna be in the free paper!’ and I wasn’t in there. And, in a moment of frustration and possible inebriation, I mentioned this to my mom who said, ‘Well, you should send it to The New Yorker. I know somebody there. They’ll read it.’ And I’m thinking, what is the statistical likelihood ever, even if you’re represented? There’s no chance. Ever.

Out of alcohol-fueled hubris and on the insistence of my mom, I stuffed a copy, a print of this thing I’d written into an envelope and sent it off to The New Yorker, and thought that’s the last I will ever hear of this. Then, a month and a half later, the kitchen phone rings, and it’s David Remnick, the publisher from The New Yorker saying we’d like to run this piece.

And when it ran, it transformed my life within two days... Everything changed. Everything. From that point on.”

–Anthony Bourdain

Writing as therapy?

Yes.

Write for the joy of sharing your story.

Write for the thrill of seeing your thoughts in print.

Write to get things off your chest and up and out into the world.

You might think no one is reading or that no one is paying the slightest bit of attention.

And then one day, the phone will ring and your world will change, forever.

One of my current side projects is a copy-editing job for an associate and a long-time and dear friend here in the United States.

To protect his privacy, I’ll call him Harry. I have his permission to share what follows (thank you, Harry).

Harry had been talking about his memoir for several years and last November he approached me to read his draft because he said I was the only person he trusted to take the project on.

Several years ago Harry was diagnosed with a serious neurological disorder and the project is as much a memoir as it is a therapy project, with the point being for Harry to create a record of his life for his daughter, Annabel.

To say that Harry has had an exciting life is an understatement.

The tale includes larger than life characters, attempted murder, biker gangs, multiple brushes with law enforcement, a few stints in various jails, and a plea-bargaining deal that resulted in service in the Navy (the alternative being a long stretch in prison).

Added to this there’s an extensive description of what it’s like to drive a limousine for a swanky hotel resort, and how things work when it comes to providing what are best described as “certain services” for various well-heeled and well-connected clients, including well known movie directors, actors, musicians, and politicians, and a few gentlemen of Italian heritage who could make you an offer you could not refuse, if you get my meaning.

It's a fascinating and eye-popping read and while it’s my role to copy edit, I know it’s not my role to embellish the narrative.

It’s Harry’s story, not mine. I’m sharing this to illustrate the point that writing CAN be therapy.

So, write for whatever reason suits you, but for God’s sake, write.

As always, thanks for reading.

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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Overcoming content loneliness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.