What Does It Mean to Write During 2020?
Ananda Griffin
Pandemics, uprisings, Kobe and Gianna died, murder hornets (whatever happened with those?). Try as I might, it feels impossible to name all of the atrocities, unrest, and trauma we have collectively gone through this year. It’s overwhelming. With all of this going on, there is still a push to be busy. To keep working, keep moving, start an LLC (huh!?). All of this adds to the anxiety, stress, and other emotions we’re experiencing. Starting a student-run blog at this current moment even seems like a lot. However, the necessity of writing right now cannot be denied.
Whether it’s journaling, blogging, or poetry, what we write during this time is crucial for a myriad of reasons. The first being to just get our emotions out. We’re all feeling so many different things. Put it down on a page, or record yourself in a voice memo if that’s more accessible. Writing is a great coping mechanism, especially since no one can judge you in your notebook or on your Google Doc. Also, many of us have been using quarantine to reflect, myself included. When you’re alone for an extended period, you’re forced into introspection. How can you keep up with yourself? How can you track your moments of growth? Writing is the best way to keep up with your evolving identity.
When I ask how you’re keeping track of your growth, I’m also asking, “What are you leaving for future versions of you?” As I flip through my journal, I’m blown away by how much I’ve grown in eight months. We are all very different people now than who we were in January. In The Blue Record’s “Unexpected Reboot” episode, guest Autumn Simmons (Spelman ‘20) talks about how knowing that we’re documenting our feelings gives us solace and perspective, which are essential during this time of uncertainty. Along with reflecting on progress, our writing shows us that certain moments we’re experiencing now aren’t new. Occasionally, I find myself in anxiety and grief so raw that it feels unique. My journal often proves me wrong. I know that I’ve been there, and I also see how I got through it. Breaking unhealthy patterns requires looking to the past. Sankofa. And what better way to do so than to have it in writing.
Your writing serves as an archive for yourself and for those who will come after you. One day, someone will ask you what you were doing and feeling in 2020. Having your own words to pull from is the best way to respond. The Blue Record is all about archival work and looking at what past Spelmanites have written so that we can learn from them. This blog is an opportunity for you to do the same if you feel so compelled to submit something (no pressure). Whether you submit to us or not, your writing has its place in history. Your perspective is vital to how the story of 2020 will be told for generations to come. Make the archivist’s job easier and write things down.
This blog post was inspired by the second episode of TBR and my experience with writing in 2020. Taking the time to write has been truly transformative. So, to answer the question, “what does it mean to write during 2020?”: writing means coping. It means survival, and it means joy, and it means reflection. At least, that’s what it has meant for me. For you, I don’t know. It depends on what happens when you pick up the pen.
Ananda Griffin
Co-Editor in Chief, The Blue Record Blog
