For a long time, I struggled with writing. It wasn't the process itself but the feeling that writing somehow meant claiming my ideas were absolute truths. That just didn't sit well with me. I've always been someone who enjoys exploring and learning, knowing full well that I don't have all the answers. How then could I write with such certainty?

My breakthrough came from absorbing insights from thinkers who understood the real essence of writing. Shane Parrish, drawing on Carl Braun's thoughts, hit home for me with the idea that writing isn't about showing off how smart you are, but about being clear and helpful. He said, write to be understood, write what you'd want to read. It's straightforward advice, yet applying it isn't always easy.

Tom Critchlow expanded on this, introducing the concept of 'small b blogging' - writing in a way that connects and evolves with your network. It's about creating content that you can refer back to, allowing your ideas to grow with your audience. Tom’s article also led me back to Venkatesh Rao's classic piece about using writing (rewriting, referencing, and releasing) as a life navigation tool. It’s this navigation metaphor that really unlocked my writing process. The concept of 'wayfinding' – determining where you are and plotting where you're heading – resonated deeply with me and helped me develop what I now call 'waywriting.'

Waywriting is fundamentally about charting my intellectual journey. It's a way to mark my current position on various ideas, acting as a personal marker and a signal for others on similar paths. This method frees me from the burden of needing to be definitive; instead of proclaiming unchangeable truths, I'm noting down my thoughts at the moment, giving both my ideas and myself space to grow. It's a continuous dialogue, both with myself and with my audience, as we navigate through a world of ideas, ready to embrace new perspectives and insights.

So, why do I write? I write to document my exploration through the realm of ideas. My waywriting is a humble recognition that learning never stops and that our understanding today might be reshaped tomorrow. More than anything, it's an open invitation to a dialogue, a space where ideas are not the end but the start of more discovery.