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@phoenix I actually just got back from a writing conference where I sat on a session in this exact topic! I thought the session was about writing characters with tragic backstories. It was not. (Note to self: Read the descriptions carefully when choosing what to go listen to.)

The writer said that there are two ways to write about trauma. There is writing for yourself and there is writing for others. One is not better than others, but it is important not to confuse them. When you are using writing to work through trauma, that is writing for yourself. As I am sure you have found out, there is something about putting your feelings into words that allows you to process them better and move past them.

However, this is not the same as writing for others. When you write for others, you have to think about things like pacing and word choice and all these other things. People need to be able to critique it. They need to be able “I thought X didn’t work” or “I didn’t connect with this piece”. And when you are writing about something raw and personal it feels like they are insulting what you went through. Both of these things are real and valid, and that’s why we need to be careful about conflating the two.

So to your question, does working through trauma with writing produce un-God-honoring art? My own answer would be that it is not supposed to be art. Art was made to be shared with others and when you are writing for yourself it isn’t meant to be shared with others. It’s something else and when it is done in a God-honoring way then it is God-honoring.

And if you want to write for others, to share your experiences and bring encouragement to someone who may have gone through the same things, you can totally do that, but it will be better for everyone when you have some distance from the traumatic event. You will have some clarity that comes from distance and you will be able to look at what you have written objectively.