Who am I and How do I define myself as a student writer?
I would define myself as work in progress. As much as I would like to say that I am a finished product as a writer, I am still struggling a bit to find my personal voice. I feel as if I fluctuate between a more informal and formal voice and have yet to reach a happy medium. I believe this variation can be a positive quality depending on what the assignment might be but I do with to have some kind of consistency. However, with that said, I am finding the process of writing to be much easier than in previous years. I am making strides with my organization and my time management which actually makes the writing much easier. I am creating ‘road maps’ before diving right in and this has allowed my to take more creative chances because I am not getting lost or overlapping my thoughts. Despite not fully finding my voice, I feel as if I have found direction. I feel that I am on the correct path for me as a student writer and I am excited to see where it leads. For the first time I am not overwhelmed in the writing process and I feel confident in my abilities to create a quality piece of work. I would still very much consider myself to be a work in progress, but the progress is getting much easier to come by.
Which one of my two essays show my best efforts at using the writing process?
The essay that I believe shoes my best efforts would be my second essay entitled Creation of a Look. The thesis of the essay was “Using specific modes of inspiration and preparation I can create not only my ideal wardrobe but my individual looks that show my individuality and showcase my creativity,” and I actually used this as a blueprint on how to write the essay itself. This was a moment where it occurred to me that the creative process of putting together a look should not be different from my process of writing. I do not just dive into a look so there should be no reason why I would just dive into my writing. The most important process of my creative expression is the preparation and the same could be said about the writing process. The preparation is key when it comes to writing. The formatting and outlining the paper leads to a concessive ‘look’ just as with an outfit. In this essay, I applied this calculated process to the writing and I was very happy with the results. At no point was I overwhelmed or losing direction and it was actually enjoyable to write about my creative process.
Another example of my best create expression?
Going back to my previous essay, I have used the same process of inspiration and preparation to create this document. I have thought about each question carefully and tried my best to map out the most cohesive and organized to answer each questions. Looking at the ‘inspiration’ portion of the process, I went back and read my writings throughout the semester to see both the final product and recall my methods of writing. I saw how it has changed and become easier because of my preparation and organization and wanted to apply the same to each question being asked in this portfolio. In that way, I actually found inspiration in myself as a writer, which was something that I had never done before. This kind of reflection has been both encouraging and eye opening as I see that I still have a ways to go to find my actual voice.
