I was nervous and afraid when I was first given the assignment of writing an essay. I would stare at a blank page of writing hoping to appear for an excessive period of time. I was hindered in my progress and my creativity was limited by the expectation to create flawless writing right away. But after reading Shitty’s first draft article, I developed a new perspective on first drafts. I also realized that the goal of a first draft is not perfection but rather idea exploration, trying out various formats, and letting ideas flow free onto the paper.