On Writing Well
The Artist’s Journey of Finding Their Voice
When I started writing, I often wondered: What does it mean to write well?
In the beginning, I believed it meant using complicated language and tongue-twisting words. Later, my definition evolved. I thought the more profound a piece was, the more insightful the writer must be.
Now, having written for the past ten years, I’ve come to realise:
What constitutes good writing has as many answers as there are writers out there.
Over the past decade of exploring two art forms, writing and photography, I’ve witnessed a natural progression in the creative process. Much like Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the artist’s journey also seems to unfold in three phases.
1. Departure
The artist feels a deep, inexplicable pull toward an art form.
For me, it was photography and writing. I loved the marriage of intentional, beautiful photographs with honest reflections in words.
2. Initiation
The artist rushes to find their “voice.”
They imitate mentors, take inspiration from everywhere, and often believe they’ve “found it” until they haven’t. Through experimentation, mimicry, and trial-and-error, the artist moves closer to something that feels like their own.
3. Return
Eventually, the artist drops the idea of having to find a voice.
In a quiet, Alchemist-esque shift, they come back to themselves. The influences they once copied become a part of them. Their voice no longer feels like something they’re searching for; it simply emerges, feeling natural and second nature.
Like most natural processes, this journey is cyclical, not linear.
Artists go through spiral patterns, departing into new territories, immersing themselves in fresh influences, and returning home to a self that is always changing because of the journey they’ve just been on.
Personally, over the last few months, I’ve felt myself ascending toward that return.
Ever since I began writing on Substack a year ago, publishing one piece every week, I’ve gained something I didn’t even realise I was looking for: my voice.
This weekly commitment forced me to show up regularly, to go deeper into the process, and to notice what comes most naturally to me as a writer. Feedback from readers helped me refine, pivot, and arrive at a better understanding of my strengths.
What comes most naturally to me and what I’ve been most lauded for is writing with vulnerability and openness.
My most-read newsletters and the ones I’ve enjoyed writing the most have luckily been the same. They’ve been pieces where I’ve allowed myself to speak freely, feel deeply, and share honestly.
Writing well, for me, has meant wearing my heart on my sleeve to such an extent that sometimes, after hitting publish, I want to erase myself from the internet. That’s how I now measure the success of my Substack posts:
The more I want to disappear after publishing, the better I know I’ve done.
For someone else, writing well may mean being detailed about the world outside. Or using ornate, literary language. And that’s completely okay.
There are enough readers in the world for every kind of writer.
No reader can be interested in everything, and as writers, we’re not here to write for everyone.
Writing for everyone is writing for no one.
What I’ve come to understand and accept is this: My writing process is a painful one.
It means staying vulnerable. It means sharing things that make me uncomfortable.
It means writing what feels most true.
Even if it makes me want to hide after I’ve shared it.
And that, to me, is writing well.
I invite you to reflect and write on the following prompt:
Describe your personal "departure, initiation, and return" in your creative journey. What called you to this art form? How did you try to find your voice? And where do you feel you are now?
As a feature of all my newsletters, I share one blackout poem, song, one book, one plant-based meal, one film/video that inspired me, and some photographic updates from my life.
Blackout Poem:
Song:
Book/Newsletter:
Meal: I was travelling for the past 2 weeks across Karnataka and Maharashtra. Loved having local delicacies and tons of fruits.
Film/Video:
Photograph(s):
Bhoomi Eco Village, Gummalapuram, TN
Read my other newsletters :
Why I Ran From Vipassana
The story of moving to the mountains
My relationship with failure
Photography, my first love
Read my short stories :
Socratree
Quenched
Chetak
Coronaceptive
Compilation of all recommendations :
Video recommendations
Music recommendations
Books read
Free Journaling eBook:
Last year, I compiled a journaling ebook for myself for times when I feel I have nothing to write. I am offering it to you for free. Whether you’re starting your journaling journey or feeling stuck in a creative block, this guide will help you find your way.
Download your journaling eBook here.
Thank you for reading my work
Always a delight to read your words Rishabh :)