179. Writing as Exorcism – Puloma Ghosh

We often chide ourselves for becoming too fixated on any one thing, especially if it invokes a strong emotion. But art—the creation of words, images, music, etc.—is a safe and private place to let out your ghosts, beautiful and ugly.

So much of my impulse to create art has always been about giving form to the thoughts that haunt me and releasing my obsessions. It can be as simple as making a character eat a meal I’ve been craving, or as complex as turning a recurring nightmare into a short story. 

It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I wrote stories that imitated the books I loved reading over and over. As a teenager, I drew pictures of people who resembled my crushes. As a young adult, this took a darker turn, manifesting in strange artwork that mirrored my own tumultuous thoughts. We often chide ourselves for becoming too fixated on any one thing, especially if it invokes a strong emotion. But art—the creation of words, images, music, etc.—is a safe and private place to let out your ghosts, beautiful and ugly.

There are nights when I can’t sleep unless I’ve exorcized whatever is inhabiting my thoughts on paper. But once it’s out, I can see my obsession for what it really is and have a conversation with it, which helps me connect to the why behind my preoccupations. Only then can I gain a better understanding of myself—the hopes and fears and passions that drive me—and recognize the context for my creative work.

Prompt:

Write to exorcize what’s haunting you. Write about whatever it is you can’t get out of your head—a person, a place, a fear, a fictional scene, a memory from your past, a fantasy for your future. Allow yourself to think obsessively and shamelessly about only that one thing for as long as it takes to get it down on paper.