Expression

The following was written by me in 2013. I used to keep this on my social media, and wanted to repost it here so that it is still available for people to read.

Words Are things. They appear on pages and are meaningless shapes with exception to the meaning we assign them. How then is it that words become so powerful? They are the way we share, the way we express, the way we assign meaning. Words then, as an abstraction, are perhaps among the most powerful of forces, free from shape and form, flowing with thought and idea. The use or misuse of words is perhaps the easiest of ways to make or break any situation one may find themselves in. The art of words then, is not a form of wordplay, but in fact the art of expression. One may study these formless things called words to no avail, for it is not the words that they are lacking, but the expression such words represent. One need not be an expert of language to share their ideas, they merely need to know what it is that they wish to say. Expression is an idea not limited to the sounds and shapes of our words. Expression may lie in a touch, a painting, a sculpture, a poem, a story, a picture, or a look. It is not the words that draw the soul, but the expression itself. The expression of a scientist will differ from that of an author, or from that of a mathematician. The expressions of an artist are often abstract, yet manage to say much more than words. The soul of a poem might bring tears that no words can find. I ask again: Why do we assign such power to words? Perhaps the real question lies in another form. Why do we assign such power to expression? Perhaps it is because expression allows one to bare their soul. In this manner two people may draw close to one another. Without expression there can be no intimacy. Without expression there can be no friendship deserving of the term. Without expression there can be no interpersonal society. Expression then, is the foundation upon which the structure of our lives is built. What is a career if not an expression of our talent? What is a hobby if not expression of our joy? What is writing but expression of the things we cannot simply act on? What is growth but an expression of Self? What are tears but an expression of that which cannot be said? Perhaps these things are all ways we have found to feel, to express, to Be. Like so many other forms of expression, this piece will fail to resonate with all, as expressions of various kinds are inherently flawed, ways that we try to get what is in our minds, hearts, and souls into a form that may be understood by others. No statement of words can ever fully explain the inner feeling or knowing that leads to expression. We can only express, time and time again, never really hitting the point on the head, but dancing it in a close enough circle that some may understand. Those who do become our friends, our close family members, our lovers, or our admirers. I leave you, the reader, with this: When you want closeness, when you need to communicate, when you need to make a point, look not to words but instead expression. Whatever form that expression need take, take it. Do not allow words to defeat you. There is always a way to express that which cannot be said. If it takes many words, say them all. If it takes an image, create one. If it takes an action, then take it. Expression brings joy, and much joy can be found from expressing the inexpressible. You create your own limitations. No one can decide who you are, how you express yourself, or in what time you make that expression. To put it simply, Be. Express what you need to express how you need to express it. Through this, you will know who you are and what you stand for. When you know this, you will know what you want to say, and through this you will know how to say it. Leave your mark on the world. Express. Be.

-Andrew Maas, 12/2/2013

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