How to do Reflective Writing: Critical Thinking Versus Reflective Thinking

Reflective writing is an art, but also a unique gift accorded to some freelance writers. How to do reflective writing comes naturally to them because of how they are able to think and translate their thoughts into their written works.    

The article entitled “Reflective Writing” differentiates between two kinds of thinking in our thought processes, critical thinking and reflective thinking and suggests they are connected. 

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/pdf/reflective.pdf

Knowledge based on critical thought differs from experiential knowledge rooted in reflective thought.

How to do reflective writing is individualistic, because no two people have the same, experiential thought processes or exactly the same writing abilities in terms of self-expression. No one can tell another person the best way to do reflective writing and expect the same results.   

Reflective writing in relation to experiential thought processes, real or imagined, is personal and subjective. It is in-depth thought reflecting upon personal observation, previous knowledge and may lead to further inquiry.     

For example, “As I stood beside the placid lake, I could see a perfectly mirrored image of an old, decrepit log cabin, now a relic of historical merit. A lengthy, gray shadow in among the tree branches, created a double image, the first, that of a man lovingly embracing a grieving, young woman and then, that of an older woman, probably my grandmother, who had become a miner’s widow. The imagery stirred up fleeting memories of numerous, old mineral rights documents of the past that originally belonged to my grandfather. Yellowed and torn now, to miners of his era, these documents had signified their right to extract gold from that mine. Rights always came at a cost….in this case the life of my grandfather. Were they still valid, I wondered, as I headed back into reality’s world of placid waters.”  

Creative writing is the heart of reflective writing. By allowing one’s creative energies to flow, it helps to break the reflective writer free from the limitations of critical thought processes.     

To do reflective writing, this article suggests mind-mapping techniques, not unlike brainstorming where every possible idea is written down. With mind mapping, the thoughts and ideas can be mapped or linked together to form pathways that lead to the formation of a creative whole. Feelings and perceptions come alive. Meaning and significance can be arbitrarily assigned in accordance with the preference of a reflective writer.

Mind play allows room for frivolity, fantasy or even sinister thoughts, allowing the reflective writer to delve deeper into the experiential realm. The possibilities are infinite. Perhaps the key to how to do reflective writing lies in the innate desire of the reflective writer for self-expression. A true reflective writer cannot help but write and will write until that desire is satiated.