WP 4
Coming into this course, I felt a sense of uneasiness and dread for what was to come. I had never been a fan of writing as I never really could articulate my thoughts well. I thought this course would be something I would struggle through and not learn much from. In reality, my experience was entirely surprising. I did indeed struggle a lot but in a way, I had never struggled before. I was forced to think inward and write at a level I never thought I could write at. It was a good struggle, one which lead me to become an entirely better writer. My journey this semester really allowed me to find my own authentic voice, one which I will carry with me in my future endeavors.
The writing projects forced me to think very deeply about aspects of myself that define my personhood and essentially what’s important to me. This writing journey helped me to discover why I act the way I do as I really had to unpack the thought process behind myself to get into that sense of deeper understanding. I discovered that I like writing with a sense of vulnerability and authenticity, a stark contrast from how I portray myself on the outside. Although I’m typically a very closed-off person, this writing journey showed me that in order to write my best work I have to be painfully vulnerable leaving nothing unsaid. Writing played a role in helping me find my inner voice through personal self-discovery, one which I had never really been given a chance to explore. My writing often was very limited and systematic, confined to a box of rules as that’s what I had been taught my whole life, but this writing journey gave me the freedom and flexibility to express myself without the limitations I’m used to being constrained by.
The flexibility in my writing projects this semester has been the most instrumental thing in helping me develop as a writer. At first, I was terrified when I read the prompts and realized I genuinely could write about whatever I wanted. The lack of structure scared me and pushed me out of my comfort zone. However, this is when I truly was able to develop my writing.
Without any boundaries, I let my thoughts and ideas flow freely and was able to write in a new voice. This writing journey helped me discover what makes me the person I am, which I never would have explored without these projects. The projects shed light on my sense of inward chaos as I was forced to continue to question why I am the way I am. Once I discovered what made me the way I was, I related it to a larger discourse which ultimately helped me truly understand how I have been shaped both by my past and my present experiences. By relating personal aspects of myself to a larger discourse, I was able to improve my critical thinking and analysis skills tremendously. Through deeper critical analysis, I was able to improve my writing skills to allow myself to write for larger academic audiences while bringing in aspects of my personal identity.
This writing journey ultimately taught me how I define my own sense of self through deep self-examination. By reflecting on personal experiences and my thought processes in my projects, I was able to analyze my sense of being and write both analytically and authentically. I never really thought I could combine the vulnerability that comes with personal anecdotes with writing academically, but this writing journey helped break down my preconceived notions and blossom as a writer.
This course played a large role in teaching me what’s important to me and how I think as a person, by providing me the space to explore those parts of myself. When I explored those parts of myself on this writing journey, I learned that my mind plays a balancing act with itself because I constantly balance two sides of myself, and the role femininity plays in my life strongly impacts the person I am. After discovering these things about myself, I now have a strong desire to continue to explore those parts of myself, as this writing journey opened that discourse. As it turns out this course taught me so much more than how to unlearn the barriers I used to write within, it also facilitated a sense of self reflection, which allowed me to develop my voice as a writer.
