[One Thousand Characters a Day] The More I Write, The More I Become Myself <2>

Editor's NoteIt is often said that you can tell who wrote a piece of writing by reading it. This is because the writer's thoughts are naturally embedded in the content, and their personality is revealed through the style and format. Writing and life resemble each other. Just as writing that reveals oneself has the power to captivate readers, being honest with oneself and others makes life whole. Even a piece that has been revised countless times can miss what is truly important, and being stuck in the past only exhausts oneself. Choosing sentences with one's own breath and shaping the structure of the writing is no different from living an autonomous life by finding meaningful beginnings-development-crises-climaxes within the reality reduced to mere survival. Word count: 981 characters.

Picasso, Van Gogh, Dal?, Kandinsky, Modigliani, Munch, Mark Rothko, Monet, Chagall….

I remember these painters by their styles. The fact that each painter has a different style, a distinct painting style that clearly sets them apart from others, is as fascinating as watching magic. Isn't it wonderful to be remembered by one's style? Even if I have never seen or heard of Picasso's painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, if I know his other works, I can instantly recognize that it is Picasso's painting because I have seen his Guernica.

Picasso's paintings are valuable because they are unmistakably Picasso's. If we say a painting has a style that can be described as '~like so-and-so,' then writing has a style too. Having 'my own style' has been my long-cherished wish. When a person shows clear uniqueness in the speed of sentences or rhetorical devices, we can say that person has their own style. Style reveals the writer's values, personality, tastes, and individuality, so it ultimately reflects one's true self. Therefore, the process of finding one's own style is no different from the process of finding one's true self.

(Omitted)

"My life is my message."

This is a quote from Gandhi. By observing how someone lives, you can understand their mindset and values. Like life, writing reveals its message simply by adopting a certain form. My style is a mirror reflecting the thematic consciousness of my writing. For example, if someone wants to live boldly, they will write in a straightforward style; if they want to live with deep sensitivity, they will write in a romantic style. Ultimately, the way I pursue life is revealed in my daily behavior but also on paper through my style.

(Omitted)

Continuously pursuing what should be pursued and continuously discarding what should be discarded. This is the method I have taken to establish my own style. If I uphold the values my soul pursues and consistently eliminate those I do not, eventually only what is truly myself will remain, and that will be my philosophy, essence, individuality, and spirit.

- Son Hwa-shin, The More I Write, The More I Become Myself, Dasan Chodang, 14,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.