A significant experience I've had in my formal instruction on writing....hmm.... This is actually a tough one because my focus has not been on my writing. Heck most of the time I rarely believe that my writing is anything special. I really don't believe I am very good at it. So why am I focusing on an English Masters degree? I know crazy isn't it?
I do have to say that I did have one experience that made quite a difference on me through writing. It was actually a poetry contest that I entered when I was 12? 13? essentially young enough to be completely enthusiastic and naïve. I won the contest, or at least won my section of it....I actually don't remember much about the actual contest. What I do remember is the honor they bestowed on me by having me read my poem at a special poetry reading at Muskingum college (the local college) in front of a whole bunch of people.
Fear, you want to talk about scared out of my mind! I'm still not much of a public speaker, though I am not
in fear anymore.
What I did learn though was that any creative endeavor included presentation and speaking with people about my creation. This is something that has carried over into my art career as I present my artwork to others. I have to talk about my creations for people want to know about my art.
So...if I have such little significant writing experiences what am I doing pursuing an English Masters degree? Honestly my interest in English focuses most on the literary aspect. I love reading other's writing. Stories are works of art created from words. Literature allows insights into the soul of a writer just as much as a painting on the wall can. As Freud taught me last class, even a small novel can allow for some of the greatest insights into the author's mind and the reader's.
Art helps us realize our dreams. It gives us an avenue to express that which is subconscious and conscious. Art also allows us to connect with others that also feel and think some of the same things we do.
The more I read the more I want to write. Often I have considered, and am currently constructing, my own series of literary novels. I know I'll definitely have to have an editor and someone to proofread my writing though!
Okay, I believe I may have become sidetracked a bit. However, now you know a bit more about me, the literary lover. Next post here I'll show you guys how my Equine Jubilee piece is coming along! Until next time!
Works Cited:
Frozen Fear collage. Starwished Dreams.tumblr.com. Published 12.30.2013. Starwished-dreams.tumblr.com/post/7. May 2, 2015. web.
Frozen logo. Disney Frozen movie. 2013. www.fanpop.com. May 2, 2015. web
Sigmund Freud quotes. Meetville.com. 2010. www.meetville.com/page9. May 2, 2015. web
Nicole, this is awesome. Love this, "Stories are works of art created from words." :-) Ang
ReplyDeleteThanks Ang! Can you tell we are Frozen fans? lol
DeleteHi Nicole believe it or not I haven't seen it. I love fairy tales though and I am a very bad fairy tale scholar as I also love Disney/etc movies. Shh, don't tell anyone. :-) I am trying to remember where you live. Last week was such a blur with all the reading for class. I was wondering if you are within driving distance of Saratoga, NY? There's usually a dressage or jumping event Memorial Day week end and in addition to the racing in the summer, there's polo. Have you ever seen a polo match? The ponies are so amazing. :-) Ang
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed reply Ang. Saratoga is actually on the other side of the Adirondaks from me. I'm about an hour and half from Syracuse. However, I fully intend to make a trip over there one of these days! I really want to take pictures of the racehorses. Polo sounds interesting. I've never seen a polo match! It really is amazing the teamwork between horse and rider and what they can do.
ReplyDelete"Stories are works of art created from words. Literature allows insights into the soul of a writer just as much as a painting on the wall can."
ReplyDeleteOh my, yes! Angela shared a similar sentiment in her Getting started intro a couple of days ago:
"If writing is somewhat like painting with words, pictures are like mini-texts, which interact with both the reader/viewer and the text around themselves?"
I think you may have found a kindred spirit, Nicole.
And funnily enough, once upon a time I filled my days with drawing and painting; where or where did that passion go to? I fear I've lost my way in that regard. But it is interesting the parallel between image and narrative. As you can see from my sample teaching activity in the Teaching Activity Draft Forum in the discussion board, I even drift towards visual arts in language and composition courses. In fact, I used to lead a poetry/art therapy group when I was a therapist. I still practice a similar activity with my uni writing students. We began by reflecting on a specific image as a group; each of us (myself included) created a single reflection that I wrote on the board or on the computer to be projected for students to see. We then worked together to rearrange/edit the sentences until as a group we feel we have crafted a poem reflective of the image. We all greatly enjoyed the process; we contracted how each of us use language differently to interpret the same phenomenon.
Okay, I know, I'm selfishly talking way too much about myself.
I guess what I am trying to emphasize in response to your journal post is that there is a HUGE connection between word and image, thought and picture, story and visual, don't you think? Hmmmm, I wonder if you and Angela and I need to work on a fun, edgy research narrative about the significance of visuals for writers...
Warmly,
Marlen : )
Great idea!! Nicole, if you ever make it Saratoga way, do let me know! :-) Ang
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