What do I know now?

I have always believed that words have the power to draw people in and make connections, to fuse emotional ties between authors and audience and to provide an outlet of expression. What I have learned, however, is that there doesn't have to be as much of a "lost in translation" moment.

Often when I write, I put onto paper the closest representation of what is playing in my head and hope that people are able to understand it enough. Now that I have some different tools to play with, I don't have to settle with a veiled understanding of my work. I'm never going to show a completely clear picture, but by incorporating images, sounds and animations, I am able to focus the lens a bit. The picture is less fuzzy for people. They can understand my voice and to be heard is a wonderful thing.

I understand this process as freedom. Words don't have to live in tiny boxes. Sometimes the bold face type just doesn't cut it, but enlarging a word or accompanying it with a hard-hitting sound might make my point. I am free to give my own definition to words in a way, amplifying or softening as I need, expressing what I'm feeling without the confines of language and without a string of adjectives a mile long.

I have also learned to look at writing differently and to see how very specific choices can convey a specific message. I don't just look at the words anymore. There is depth and meaning behind them and so I search for the clues that will lead me to that.