I realised I’ve been rebelling for 15 years.

I ducked under the bridge and couldn’t believe it.

A full-grown man, older than me, was spray-painting graffiti in the middle of the afternoon.

And the art was beautiful.

His friend watched on, smoking a cigarette. Hip hop blaring from tinny speakers.

I always pictured graffiti artists as grumpy youths with too many piercings.

But this guy could have been someone’s dad.

This activity’s appeal can be perplexing, but on closer thought, it makes sense.

Humans have been drawn to leaving their mark since stencilling hands on caves thousands of years ago.

We do it to express ourselves.

We do it to tap into a sense of immortality.

To claim territory.

To rebel.

To make sense of the world through expression.

Ultimately, to feel a part of a world that might forget you.

Graffiti may seem pointless, criminal or deviant.

But the drive to do this is in most, if not all, of us.

It’s freeing.

It makes you feel like you belong in some way.

I understand it.

Why?

Because I write.

All writing is a form of rebellion. Because expression in a world that wants everyone the same is a rebellious act.

And it’s enlivening as F.

The only time I feel truly alive is when I create anything.

When I write one of these emails, I do it for the same reasons as spray-painting pops.

But, depending on my mood, I am usually less at risk of being locked up.

I leave my mark, feel like I’m contributing, and make meaning in a confusing world. I could use AI, sure.

But then I’d lose all the benefits that have kept me energised and connected to people over the years.

I write to make sense of the world.

It’s my therapy.

I get to have a mission.

It leaves a legacy.

And I get to be a rebel.

I work with people who write for all the above and to build their rebel brand. But they struggle when they don’t know the secrets to writing stuff others actually want to read.

Consistent writing makes so much more SENSE when you get what works.

Online Writing Alchemy shows you what I learned in over 15 years of writing online, so you don’t waste time.

Learn more here (explore your rebel).

Alex