Wednesday, November 11, 2015 // The Statement
7B

Personal Statement: Getting it on paper

by Mayank Mathur, Daily Arts Writer

W

riting isn’t easy. Hell, I’ve been writing this
piece for over an hour now. I might have
been staring into empty space for most of

that time, but it’s all part of the process, isn’t it?

It’s not.
It’s funny how I find myself in the same position

almost every time I sit down to write something. It’s
not like I don’t have ideas — they hit me so often during
the day that I can’t keep count. In the shower, on the
bus, in class, before I fall asleep … the opportunities
are endless, but none are taken. I’ve always thought
that college students take a certain amount of pride in
procrastinating. It makes us feel kind of cool.

“Dude, I had a totally unproductive day today.”
“My week has been so unproductive.”
“I should have started this assignment five hours

ago, but then I opened Netflix…”

How many times have these statements been made,

and how many times have we actually felt a little good
saying them, instead of feeling a great deal of regret?
I’ve done it a few times. And so have you — don’t lie.
The fact of the matter is that procrastination is wrong.
It’s a horrible thing to do, we should be glad we have
the time to do anything, really, and we should make
the best possible use of it. Carpe diem the shit out of
everything.

This is pretty rich coming from a guy who’s basically

been sitting around for the better part of the day
thinking of something to write about. I guess what’s
making me regret it now is that I’ve actually had ideas,
things I want to write about … it’s just that I get too
comfortable too quickly. Dreaming out the perfect
idea is so satisfying I forget to actually write the idea
down. And really, what good is thinking of everything

within your head if you don’t have anything to show
for it in terms of tangible creative output?

I’ve always thought that writing is a two-part

process. Writers have to be good thinkers, and they
have to be good writers. Surprising, isn’t it? For an
idea to be worth writing, it has to be well thought out,
original, and interesting. That is the job of the thinker
within the writer. The writer half is responsible for
effectively translating thoughts into word. Crafting
out the sentiment that you carry within you is what
makes you a writer. Without it, you’re just a dreamer.
That’s obviously not a bad thing; it’s just not what most
writers want to be.

Writing is a skill that needs to be nourished and

polished over time. And what’s the best way to do
that? It’s to actually write. It’s absolutely essential for
writers to devote time and energy to their craft and let
it blossom over time.

Again, I realize this is priceless coming from me,

someone who’s literally writing about how he cannot
write, but I’m preaching to myself. I’m writing down
what’s on my mind at this very instant, and after all —
didn’t I just say that’s what I’m supposed to do? (Wow,
talk about a self-serving piece.)

I remember watching a TED Talk a few years ago,

which connects directly to this moment and this
piece. I don’t remember who the speaker was, but it
was a really successful and famous author. She spoke
about how every writer, or every aspiring writer, has
a “friend” that helps him or her write. She referred
to this “friend” as a creative genie. Now this genie
is a funny little guy. At random points in the day,
whenever he chooses, he’ll climb into your ear and
whisper brilliant ideas that you’re supposed to turn

into brilliant stories. Technically, the only real job of a
writer is to listen to the genie and write. But the catch
is that if you don’t listen to your genie instantly, it’ll
run away with its idea and you’ll never get a hold of
that idea again.

I thought that this was the most ridiculous TED talk

ever. I couldn’t believe I had wasted fifteen minutes of
the time I usually wasted on PlayStation listening to
this.

Fast forward a few years and I’m sitting here,

writing this, to tell you that the genie is real. I’m
serious. And he’s a slimy little bugger. Every time I
was hit with an idea in the shower, bus or wherever,
I really should have been writing it down. Writing
isn’t easy. An idea might seem brilliant at one moment
and ridiculous after a while, but that’s because in that
moment, you’re able to really see the idea for what it is.
You’ll be able to plan it out perfectly in your head and
really feel it. It’s then that you should put pen to paper
and write something, anything. Once the moment’s
gone, it’s gone forever and you’re probably never going
to feel it again.

The reason I’m talking about this is because I’ve

just realized how many times I’ve been struck by
something seemingly inspirational, but I just get so
content with the idea itself that I forget to write it
down. The thinker within me effectively lulls the
writer into a false sense of security and subdues him,
and the idea gets lost within my head. It’s a wonder
that my genie keeps coming back to me because, really,
I’m not a good friend to it. But I’m done messing
around now, I’m ready for a serious commitment and
I’ll be waiting for my genie with a pen and paper in
hand. (As long as I’m not in the shower.)

ILLUSTRATION BY CHERYLL VICTUELLES