Seal Unicorn?!

Watching a Discovery Channel commercial...

Me: What IS that? It looks like a seal with a big rope sticking out of its head.
Jeff: That's a narwhal. It's like a seal unicorn.
Me: A seal unicorn. You're totally making that up.
Jeff: No. Actually it's more a dolphin or a porpoise, with a single horn like a unicorn.
Me: Mmmmkaaay...

Actually, he was right... mostly. It's a whale and the horn is actually a tooth/tusk, but yeah. Amazing! I'd never heard of it!

Sunday Seven

We all write. Some of us do it better, or at least more often, than others. Many experts say you should write every single day whether you feel like it or not. I belong to that rare breed that is willing to give anyone permission to not write now and then if their creativity can be better fueled by actually getting away from the keyboard and experiencing something firsthand.

Here’s a list of 12 Compelling Reasons for you to Write, from 12Most.com.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
Name the seven reasons you find to be the most compelling and enjoyable reasons to write.

1. Writing can be a vehicle to express your creativity without bounds
When I'm writing fiction or songs, it's a freeing feeling to be able to take a single moment of inspiration to its full and complete expression, limited only by my own imagination.
2. Writing brings clarity
There have actually been several times, particularly with complicated social or political issues, that I have changed my opinion during the process of writing out my thoughts here. Sometimes you catch fallacies in your thinking when you organize your ideas on paper.... or screen.
3. Writing makes you think
Even these silly survey things make you stop and consider your feelings about things to which you may never have given much thought.
4. Writing gives you ME time
You're definitely not interacting with anyone during a writing session. It's quiet. You're thoughtful and settled. It's pretty nice.
5. Writing facilitates learning
Soooooo much learning. Researching issues to be informed on a topic. Seeking the opinions of friends. In the case of writing a new style of composition, like a musical or a screenplay, you learn new techniques of writing.
6. Writing is therapeutic
Writing out a factual account of a negative experience and/or your deeper feelings about it is sometimes a great way to organize your thoughts. Writing can free worrisome, angry or other negative feelings and reign them into a neat and manageable space on paper, giving you invaluable perspective- almost that of someone completely outside the situation, looking in.
7. Writing gives you a chance to leave a legacy
Blogs and journals can provide actual recollections of days gone by. Books or songs or plays stand forever on their own, as a creative expression of the author. Even letters- remember those?- are so fun to go back and read. I have my mom's collection of letters from all sorts of people in her life, and also my own collection from back in the snail mail days. Now that we mostly communicate in little text messages, long letters (emails too) are even more precious.