The Art Of Communication pt 1: the Healing Perspective

Prompt# 2 Tuesday, September 2, 2014 How do you communicate best? Speaking or writing? 

 The word communication comes from Latin communicare, the meaning being to share. It is the sharing of thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions etc. When communicating, there is a receiver - a listener, a reader, a somebody.

I often like to think of communication in terms of language learning. How much does one need to know in order to be able to communicate fluently? Why is it easier to write than to speak? How does communication differ between languages and cultures? After all, language is communication. Now that I write this, I realize that there are two posts to be written. One on language and the other one on healing. 

So. Let's begin again. And write about healing. 

The pencil. And then the pen. They have always been my best friends. Whenever something has been bothering me, or saddening me, or even made me happy. Pen and paper have been the first friends to know. Why is this?

My theory (with no basis in research) is that writing is more of an internal kind of communication, the receiver is often... me! While talking almost always requires a listener (speaking to oneself is however an option), nobody needs to see the written words. That's why journals are such a great tool. I see that many need to talk about their experiences, they need feedback from their surroundings and they need ideas to move forward. They need to hear comforting words and they need to feel loved in order to deal with their problems and to heal. Ultimately, I have seen people who have used the written word in social media to get their message through (dangerous, by the way, if you ask me). 

I think that writing is more personal, maybe it's something introverts turn to. There is rarely external feedback. There is nobody giving you a hug. But for some of us, it is the way to heal. My opinion is that the truth starts existing when it's on paper. When that paper is filled with my doubts, fears, indecisions, problems, anxieties, troubles etc., that's when they turn into a tangible issue that I can change. Indeed, the best way to turn that gnawing feeling in the gut into some productive is to put it down paper. Preferably in some lovely colour.