Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson first coined the term “creative writing” in his “The American Scholar” speech in 1837, according to cerj.educ.cam.ac.uk.  Since the Trandscentalist period, the expression has evolved to describe any writing that displays imagination and originality.  However, in a world where STEM subjects and Advanced Placement (AP) courses dominate school curriculums, creative writing has become “a little more than an afterthought,” according to washingtonpost.com.  Although educators often prioritize English composition because of a limited amount of time in the classroom, schools should work to make imaginative writing a mandatory part of English education as it helps students explore their identities and the unique beauty of language.  Students cannot appreciate the full potential of the written word unless they understand the process of creating it themselves. 

Often, schools think of creative writing as a waste of time compared to conventional language learning when, in actuality, it builds vocabulary and teaches students how to articulate their thoughts eloquently, according to writingcenter.mcdaniel.edu.  Moreover, it increases literacy rates in the classroom and decreases students’ anxiety surrounding reading and writing.  The art form is an especially effective tool for students whose first language is not English, as it improves their skills by associating vocabulary with personal experiences, according to degree.astate.edu.  Essentially, creative writing is a way to explore new meanings of words and play with syntax, allowing individuals to understand the English language more deeply.

While responsibilities increase as a person ages, high school students still do not have complete control over their current decisions and future.  Nonetheless, writing creatively creates a space for individuals to be authoritative and decisive, according to writingcenter.mcdaniel.edu.  Writers have a poetic license and can choose with what words they tell their story.  Students can also explore their voice on the page and invent original text.  Dr. Cristina Baptista, Sacred Heart Greenwich Upper School English Teacher and Perspectives adviser, discussed how writing helps students discover new parts of their identities.

“Creative writing is where we find ourselves,” Dr. Baptista said. “We write to know our inner truths.  The best feeling is the unsettling and shocking one.  It is when some odd image, perhaps a fragment, spills out of us, and we have to stop in our tracks and figure out what we mean.  How many times have we written something […] and we ask ourselves, ‘Where did that come from?’” 

Frequently, students find feelings and ideas difficult to express verbally.  However, writing can help release pent-up emotions and organize thoughts.  More so, it allows individuals who suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to be cognitively present and focus on one task at a time, according to bolton.ac.uk.  In a study about the effects of types of writing on mental health, Dr. James Pennebaker, a professor in social psychology at the University of Texas, found that “emotional writing” has both physical and psychological benefits, according to hbr.org.  Thus, if students wrote a little something every day in their English classes, they would gain more clarity and concentration not only in class but also in their lives.

Dr. William Mottolese, Sacred Heart Upper School English Teacher and English Department Co-Chair, believes that creative writing benefits students interested in all fields of learning as it provides a safe space to reflect on life overall.  He remarked on the value of journaling every day.

“Writing on a daily basis not only keeps you fresh and generates ideas, but also can be therapeutic, can be a great way to vent, and can become part of your spiritual and contemplative life that you’re constantly collecting and reflecting your thoughts and ideas in writing,” Dr. Mottolese said. “All my raw materials for poems come out of things that I collect in my journals […], so you want to try to write a little bit of something in your journals every day.  […]  And all of a sudden, over time, you begin to build up this body of writing that you shape and craft and turn into creative material.  Non-writers probably don’t write every day, but I still think writing creatively every day is a great thing again for the therapeutic, health, and spiritual benefits.”

Not only does creative writing benefit personal development, but it also creates a passion for learning among students because they can use their imagination to be innovative, according to washingtonpost.com.  Literature is art, and art is expressive and stems from a place of love rather than structure.

Creative writing also establishes a sense of community, according to washingtonpost.com.  In a classroom setting, students can receive constructive criticism from peers on their pieces, strengthening their writing.  Additionally, receiving feedback and not taking edits personally are vital skills that all students will need both in the academic world and the real world, according to writingcenter.mcdaniel.edu.  The task of developing each piece of writing into something of which the author is proud is a group effort.  Peer editors and their critics are a crucial part of the advancement of each student’s work.  Through these workshops, individuals learn to support each other in the drafting process, which can foster deep connections. 

While many individuals strive toward unattainable perfection in their writing, at a certain point, each writer must learn to let go of their pieces.  Dr. Baptista commented on how writing can teach individuals to understand reality’s imperfect nature.

“As educators, we must guide students toward being okay with dwelling on potential and possibility,” Dr. Baptista said. “We must help them learn to recognize when we can let go of our work and understand that we are not seeking perfection but reflection in a particular moment, at a certain time.  Creative writing is messy, complex, diverse, and even chaotic.  It makes us let go of the myth of ‘perfection.’ Creative writing makes the comfortable uncomfortable and the uncomfortable comfortable with what lies within us.  […]  Those who are comfortable always, who only have their eye on perfection, and who thus never feel motivated to change or seek alternative options that may be better, are destined to exist in a single life.  Whereas creative writers live in a multi-faceted, colorful, and rich world.” 

Ultimately, students should have more exposure to creative writing in English classrooms to improve their literary skills, understand the richness of language, and see the world internally and externally through different perspectives.  Like all other art forms, literature exposes the beauty and ugliness of the human experience.  Schools should encourage this imaginative thinking to build strong and innovative leaders for the future.  Dr. Mottolese explained why literature is a powerful way for students to learn about the world around them.

“We talk a lot in the English department about how our job as teachers of literature […] is to bring students into the messiness of life,” Dr. Mottolese said. “There are so many things in each book that are so messy and ugly and yet also things that are so beautiful and uplifting and powerful. That’s what literature does.  So, the creative writer is writing literature in a sense or their own version of literature.  And for it to be authentic and powerful, it has to be real, it has to be in touch with the heart, and it has to be in touch with the complexities of life.”

Featured Image by Emily Shull ’25