This has been one of my tough semesters thus far. This course in general gave me a breath of fresh air every tuesday. With the free writing assignments to interesting reads, its all been a joy from my chaotic classes on behalf of my major. One of my memorable pieces that I can never seem to forget about is this class exercise where we all were given a picture and had to write a story on it. That journal, im guessing 7; was on my most free writing accomplishments not for the class but for me. That writing piece proved to me that I am able to brainstorm ideas and form them into something. A lot of times in my other English class it was a struggle for me to write all my ideas out on paper and for them to make sense. So for me to achieve such a story in a limited time frame was beautiful to me.
Though I’ve had good experiences, they don’t retract the misfortunate experiences I’ve had. Not to say there was any form of miscommunication between me and the students or the professor, but this is a writing class and you are bound to get diagnosed with writer’s block. With most of the assigned journals and our first memoir, I was stuck on what to write. Dismantles any thoughts of ill instructions on the professors part; she made it her goal to give as much clarity on assignments as possible. I just wasn’t sure what to write. I didn’t want to be too truthful and let out all my personal problems but it’s an English class and no one I know will ever read my posts. I got over my writer’s block every time by just simply writing from the heart, letting true unfiltered memories just paint a picture.
In more ways than one I’ve learned that it will take many revisions and time to be able to be content with something. Even if you’ve had a vision of what you wanted to write about it may not come out as such, because there is more than one way to perfect. When you’re willing to be open to other ideas and see things from another lens/point-of-view then your creative space will be more versatile than it was last. For me it was easy for me to accept criticism because of how positive everyone was; sometimes too much; they even gave an alternative suggestion which I chose to implement or alter the way I liked it. Another thing I loved from this class, how comfortable I was sharing life long kept secrets and feelings and sharing them with people i don’t even know and probably will never meet. The space that the professor created was so welcoming and it was easy to be vulnerable and grow in.
There’s always something to learn from, always a lesson in something. As math and science is implemented even in the simplest things in life, so does English whether some realize or are oblivious. In symbolic paintings, in lamented everyday usage of words or facial expressions. There’s a literary element that can be traced in anything. A lot of scientists and philosophers usually use metaphors or analogies to explain a finding so profound into layman’s terms for the everyday man.
What did you enjoy about this reflection?
– One of my favorite things about Tabitha as a writer is how real she is. She’s comfortable writing about personal secrets and stories, and always says how she feels. It’s great to see someone write in a relatable fashion and it makes for an interesting read!
What is one thing the writer has learned about themselves as a writer?
– She learned that she’s much better at brainstorming ideas than she thought. It meant a lot for our writer to come up with an idea from scratch and put it into words.
What is one thing the writer has learned about themselves as a reader?
– Tabitha learned that literature and literary elements are found not just in books and writing, but in all of life. You just have to keep your eye out for it.
How will the writer use the skills they’ve learned in college and/or community?
– As previously mentioned, Tabitha sharpened her brainstorming skills in this class. Whether it’s be for a serious solution, or something silly, having those critical thinking and creative problem solving skills will take Tabitha a long way.