Exit Essay: The Joy of Writing, a Self-Portrait

 

It's easy to feel the agony of writing like the man pictured above. We've all been there. For some of us, the agony is fairly constant. We hear nagging voices from past teachers, parents, various authority figures, that tell us, "You're no good. You can't write. You're always making the same mistakes." Sometimes these voices whisper, and sometimes they shout. Everyone hears them if they're listening closely. They become internalized, so they seem to come from within ourselves. These voices make us want to flee, to escape, to avoid the act of writing. See the man above? He has just had enough.

Well, why don't we flip the script? Let's silence those voices of unrelenting negativity. Let's focus on the other side. Let's approach the act of writing with radical positivity.

In your exit essay, focus only on aspects of writing that bring you joy. When you write something that you love, or maybe that your classmates, instructors, friends, or family love, how does it make you feel? Is it a different feeling from creating a work of visual art? How is it different? What actual strategies can you employ to get to this place of positivity? Be really specific using examples from your lived experience. This is an opportunity to tell the story (or stories) about particular times in your life when writing brought you joy, made you feel proud of your intellect, wit, humor, political beliefs, etc. Remember that writing also takes place outside of school and work environments. Think of all the writing you do via texts, message boards, social media, etc. You can also focus on academic writing and approach it in chronological fashion beginning with learning how to write your ABCs in Kindergarten, through grade school, middle school, high school, and now at DCAD. What have you learned to make the act of writing a positive and affirmative experience? 

Today in class you'll have 90 minutes to write and edit the first draft of this essay. Upload it to Populi by 12:30.

The final version should be single-spaced, one column, and fill a single page (use 10-12 pt font). Proofread the final version carefully. Catch the easy mistakes. 

Questions:  csmith@dcad.edu

The final version (docx please) must be uploaded to Populi by 9:00 am one week from today, December 8.