I just wanna write. I just wanna keep typing. It always feels like typing and sticking all these words together will help me feel better, but I was always skeptical if what I am writing ever made sense. I tried a lot to take online courses, ask friends whom writing is their source of income ……and sanity.
But what to write about? NO CLUE.
I know how well to write a concept note, a proposal or a business email. But when it comes to anything social...emails for long-distance friends, writing a status or a tweet, talking on phone or anything that has to do with social interaction that requires plenty of energy...I become mentally potent.
Recently, I was in a residential camp outside of Alexandria with a group of activists, civil society gurus and social innovators under a network called "Selmiya" (Meaning Peace in Arabic). The vibe being around people who believes so much in mindfulness, serenity and peaceful solutions to help our every aspect of life was such tremendous effort. Trying to break out of the very hectic, on-going, busy schedule of someone trying to build up her start-up wasn't easy; let alone someone who over-thinks all the entire time. But the atmosphere was really encouraging to try something new, and learn as much as possible from these peaceful guerillas :)
On the second day of the camp, there was an open space, where every person/team had to showcase their entity's activities or field. After finishing my turn, I joined the "Peaceful Journalism" group. The next 40 minutes were the most extraordinary 40 minutes I was ever pleased to spend since a very long time. Hanan Mosallam works as an anchorwoman in BBC Radio and Professor of Peace Journalism in Egypt and Jordan. And she was the facilitator of this session. Hanan teaches this subject using art and meditation. She is the kind of people who you want to sit and listen to for hours, not only because she is very charismatic and her voice beholds immense power and a character you want to know more about, but also because she is the kind of people whom her actions and words are on the same pattern with her beliefs. And God knows how very little those people are in our world now.
The session started with meditation and then we moved and did an exercise where we change our voice tone accordingly saying "أنا موجود وصوتي أقوي من البارود" (I exist, and my voice is more powerful than a bullet).
Just saying it again now makes me shiver, let alone being amongst a group of people saying it once on a very low tone and then from the top of your lungs.
Then, Hannan talked to us about the most headlines that provoked us, we all mentioned the news from the last 4 years since the revolution. Her example was “Egypt on Fire”; Hannan explained that such a headline made her very furious due to the incredibility and the extravagation in showing that all of Egypt is on fire because of what happened in Mohammed Mahmoud Street in Tahrir Square. People kept on saying what news made them very angry and they still can’t forget it. For me, it was “Why did she go there?” which was said about the girl who was shredded of her clothes by the police force during the revolution, and then people blamed the girl for not wearing adequate clothes.
Hannan concluded briefly how we should be aware of the type of news we follow, what sources can we call reliable, how many people could be affected negatively just by a click of yours or what you write on any form of media.
This session, this talk just changed my perspective on writing as a whole…I have been in the dilemma of what to write and who should see it for almost 2 years now, but this activity although was very short but ignited the spark of being responsible for what I want to share and write….which pushed me to think that I always loved new ideas and fell in love with conversations with different people from various aspects of life. Why not write about that?
I still have no clear vision of what i want to write about; especially that i am not sure whether i will commit to it; but what i know is writing this just helped me a bit. Atleast to clear some spaces in my mind from all the topics i ever said "I can write about this!"
Your support and feedback will mean so much to me.
Have a great week y'all!
But what to write about? NO CLUE.
I know how well to write a concept note, a proposal or a business email. But when it comes to anything social...emails for long-distance friends, writing a status or a tweet, talking on phone or anything that has to do with social interaction that requires plenty of energy...I become mentally potent.
Recently, I was in a residential camp outside of Alexandria with a group of activists, civil society gurus and social innovators under a network called "Selmiya" (Meaning Peace in Arabic). The vibe being around people who believes so much in mindfulness, serenity and peaceful solutions to help our every aspect of life was such tremendous effort. Trying to break out of the very hectic, on-going, busy schedule of someone trying to build up her start-up wasn't easy; let alone someone who over-thinks all the entire time. But the atmosphere was really encouraging to try something new, and learn as much as possible from these peaceful guerillas :)
On the second day of the camp, there was an open space, where every person/team had to showcase their entity's activities or field. After finishing my turn, I joined the "Peaceful Journalism" group. The next 40 minutes were the most extraordinary 40 minutes I was ever pleased to spend since a very long time. Hanan Mosallam works as an anchorwoman in BBC Radio and Professor of Peace Journalism in Egypt and Jordan. And she was the facilitator of this session. Hanan teaches this subject using art and meditation. She is the kind of people who you want to sit and listen to for hours, not only because she is very charismatic and her voice beholds immense power and a character you want to know more about, but also because she is the kind of people whom her actions and words are on the same pattern with her beliefs. And God knows how very little those people are in our world now.
The session started with meditation and then we moved and did an exercise where we change our voice tone accordingly saying "أنا موجود وصوتي أقوي من البارود" (I exist, and my voice is more powerful than a bullet).
Just saying it again now makes me shiver, let alone being amongst a group of people saying it once on a very low tone and then from the top of your lungs.
Then, Hannan talked to us about the most headlines that provoked us, we all mentioned the news from the last 4 years since the revolution. Her example was “Egypt on Fire”; Hannan explained that such a headline made her very furious due to the incredibility and the extravagation in showing that all of Egypt is on fire because of what happened in Mohammed Mahmoud Street in Tahrir Square. People kept on saying what news made them very angry and they still can’t forget it. For me, it was “Why did she go there?” which was said about the girl who was shredded of her clothes by the police force during the revolution, and then people blamed the girl for not wearing adequate clothes.
Hannan concluded briefly how we should be aware of the type of news we follow, what sources can we call reliable, how many people could be affected negatively just by a click of yours or what you write on any form of media.
This session, this talk just changed my perspective on writing as a whole…I have been in the dilemma of what to write and who should see it for almost 2 years now, but this activity although was very short but ignited the spark of being responsible for what I want to share and write….which pushed me to think that I always loved new ideas and fell in love with conversations with different people from various aspects of life. Why not write about that?
I still have no clear vision of what i want to write about; especially that i am not sure whether i will commit to it; but what i know is writing this just helped me a bit. Atleast to clear some spaces in my mind from all the topics i ever said "I can write about this!"
Your support and feedback will mean so much to me.
Have a great week y'all!
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