The art of keeping it real.

aug 4, 2022 | English, Insights, Personal, Purpose and Meaning, Typically Me

In theory, it would be fairly simple to write blogs as I do.

If you analyze them there’s plenty to hold on to.

Let’s go through the different requirements and elements that are obviously there, and see where it takes us.

In general and without compromise: only use single sentences, with white space in between.

So no paragraphs.

Write frantically and be confused and write frantically about that.

Be curious, be unapologetic, be confused again, be deeply relieved and grateful, and be especially unconcerned about whether all of that’s interesting or not, or if it makes sense.

Just share that shit.

Curse a lot, and curse fully and openly, for f*ck’s sake.

Did I mention the single sentences?

I did?

And the space between them?

Okay.

Use single words as sentences.

Use words in CAPITAL letters, here and there, now and then.

And sprinkle the whole enchilada with things like ‘hahaha’, ‘yeah’, ‘uhu’, or ‘ugh’.

End it with an extra bit of space, and then REALLY, ultimately end it with a provocative question, remark, or conclusion.

That’s about it.

The Marnix formula.

Simple and straightforward, right?

Yeah.

But here’s the interesting thing: do you think that a person who’s used to reading my blogs and appreciates them, would know the difference between a story I personally wrote, and something that’s written by someone else, using this set of rules?

I guess you do, right?

Uhu.

That’s exactly where formulas fall apart.

They might be accurate in a black and white kind of way, but they probably lack the essence and the spirit of the real deal.

They’re simply reverse-engineered descriptions of steps.

And that’s not how it really works.

You see, I don’t follow the rules I just pointed out to you.

I HAVE no rules (that’s also why I can’t teach writing, I guess).

All the things you normally find in most of my blogs are spontaneous inventions, things that somehow grew from my explorations, and stuck around.

Greatest Hits, you could say.

Those things arose and arise from my state of being when I write, but they’re not essential for the end result, and I’m sure I could write a blog without most of them.

The quality and energy of my writing come from what I feel while writing, not from rules.

Now I guess you can see what I did here, regarding my blogs and how they come about, but there’s a bigger point at stake.

This whole formula thing is universal.

Trying to look or sound like somebody else will only work for the appearance of the output, but not for the unique energy behind it.

Extraordinary painters and poets and musicians don’t consist of their works of art or their creative pieces: those things are infused with their soul.

It’s not math.

It’s not just mimicking brilliantly.

And it’s not ‘blogging by numbers’.

The one thing that makes creations interesting and striking and impactful, is the clarity and power of the source.

The output is merely a container for freshness.

(Photo by @jeancarloemer, for Unsplash)