How putting pen to paper can make you feel more like yourself

When was the last time you wrote something just for the sake of it?

We write to reply. To plan. To get something off our plate. Writing has become functional and often transactional. It’s a means to an end. Something to skim, send, tick off, or delete.

But writing wasn’t always like this.

Before ‘Corporate’ entered the chat with the endless emails, Slack messages, Teams messages, WhatsApp groups, project management tools and endless to-do lists, many of us wrote simply because it helped.

Diaries. Notes to ourselves. Doodles in the margins of schoolbooks that turned into song lyrics or angry rants or daydreams. Writing was an outlet. A tool for working things out (or letting them go).

Somewhere along the way, that got lost.

But it’s still there. Beneath the surface of all the purposeful writing we do each day, there’s a quieter voice that doesn’t care about structure, grammar or audience. Just expression. And when we make space for that voice to speak, we often find something surprising - not just on the page, but within ourselves.

That’s where creative writing for wellbeing comes in. And no, you don’t need to call yourself a writer to try it.

What is creative writing for wellbeing?

This might blow your mind, but… writing isn’t always about the words. It’s about the attention you give to yourself while you write them.

Creative writing for wellbeing is a gentle, open-ended way of expressing your thoughts, feelings, experiences or imagination. It doesn’t follow rules. It doesn’t need a plot. It doesn’t care if you don’t finish the sentence.

The only thing that matters is that you show up and let whatever needs to come out, come out.

That might be:

• A letter to someone you’re not ready to talk to

• A memory you haven’t thought about in years

• A list of things you wish you could say out loud

• A messy paragraph where you try to name a feeling you haven’t quite figured out yet

It’s not about writing something people will read. It’s about writing something you needed to write, whether you keep it, burn it, hide it in a drawer, or never look at it again.

There’s no ‘end goal’ to this kind of writing.

The process is the point.

Why does it help?

Writing like this has a way of letting us hear ourselves more clearly. It slows things down. Gives shape to the swirl of thoughts in our heads. And sometimes it names things we didn’t even realise we were carrying.

It can be grounding when the world feels too loud. Calming when the pace picks up. A small moment of quiet honesty in a day that’s been all noise.

There’s something about seeing your thoughts written down that changes the way you relate to them. They feel less tangled. Less abstract. Less like they’re stuck on a loop in your head.

It also gives you a place to say the things you might not say out loud — not because you’re hiding, but because you’re exploring. You don’t have to know what you’re writing for. The act of doing it is enough.

And the best bit?

You don’t need a fancy notebook, a rigid routine or a ten-step system. Just a pen, a scrap of paper, and a few minutes of your own time.

“But I’m not a writer…”

Good. That’s exactly who this kind of writing is for.

Creative writing for wellbeing isn’t about turning yourself into a novelist or producing something for others to read. You don’t need perfect punctuation, a poetic vocabulary, or a grand idea. You just need a willingness to be honest - even if that honesty is unclear or a little uncomfortable at first.

We’re so used to writing with an outcome in mind (a blog to publish, an email to send, a post to schedule) that it can feel strange to write something that’s purely for ourselves. But that strangeness wears off. And what’s left is a sense of freedom that most of us don’t get often enough.

Some days you’ll write a full page. Other days, a single sentence. Either way, the act of writing is still doing something good for you, even if you don’t realise it at the time.

If you can write a list, a sentence, a half-thought in your notes app - you’re already doing it.

Want to give it a try?

You don’t need a ‘writing prompt’ in a formal sense. But sometimes, a little nudge helps open the door to your imagination.

Here are a few ways in. Each one is low-pressure, and has no right or wrong:

• Write a letter: To your past self. To your future self. To someone completely fictional who’ll never read it. Start with “Dear…” and see what happens.

• Make a list: Of everything you’re feeling right now. Or five things that made you smile this week. Or things you wish people knew about you. Write it like no one’s watching (because they aren’t).

• Describe a moment: Choose a five-minute window from your day - your walk to the shop, your first sip of tea, a song that played in the background - and describe it and how it felt in as much detail as possible. Not for style. Just for presence.

And if none of those hit the mark, try writing a single sentence starting with: “Right now, I feel…”

Then see if another sentence wants to follow it.

There’s no need to polish it. No need to even re-read it. The value isn’t in what it becomes. It’s in the fact that you gave yourself space to write it in the first place.

Writing doesn’t need to be polished or published to be powerful

When everything in life feels like it has to be shared, writing for yourself can feel a bit pointless. But it isn’t. Some of the most important things we write are never read by anyone else, and that’s what makes them honest.

Creative writing for wellbeing doesn’t ask for a big commitment.

You don’t need a routine, a ritual, or a resolution to do it every day. You just need a moment, when you’re ready, to put pen to paper and check in with yourself.

It’s not about having a story to tell. It’s about giving yourself the space to notice what’s already there.

And if you’d like a little company while you do that, The Write Place is always open. It’s a monthly creative writing session for beginners, returners, and anyone who just wants to write without pressure. No expectations. No judgement. Just a place to explore where your words might take you.

Want to explore writing for wellbeing in a safe space? Join my Creative Writing For Wellbeing Day on September 21st at Calderstones Park in Liverpool.

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