The courage to write what’s real
Earlier this year, during one of my book club meetings, the author joined us to discuss the book and her writing process. She’s a prolific best-selling author, and something she offered as advice to other writers has stuck with me ever since: Don’t be afraid to write trash. For anyone who considers themselves a writer, that reminder is both liberating and necessary because, in the early stages of writing, it’s about getting the words out without hesitation or over-analysis. Those first unpolished lines often hold our true sentiments. The early unedited drafts are where the most honest, bold, and vulnerable ideas live. Refinement can always happen later, but the essence of what we want to say is found in the sentences we’re tempted to delete.
I’ve realized this principle applies in other areas of my professional life too. When I was younger in my career, I often held back ideas, questions, or perspectives because I edited myself before anyone else had the chance to hear what I had to say. As a result, my voice was softened and my insight was diluted. I was convinced that waiting for the right moment or the perfect phrasing was the responsible thing to do. But just like with the written word, the thought I hesitated to express was often the one that needed to be shared because it revealed something real that allowed others to understand me more fully.
Today, I thrive on communicating with intention and honesty, knowing this approach creates space for stronger collaboration, deeper understanding, and more meaningful connection. Writing requires courage, and we have to write the messy, the imperfect … the trash to get to the beautiful ending. Words carry weight, and when used with purpose, they have power to move us, and the people around us, forward.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to use my communication talents to help elevate brands effectively through honest and genuine wordsmithing, because when the message is real, the audience not only reads it but feels, connects, and responds. And that’s the goal of any good communicator.
