WP4: Writing’s Role in Shaping Identities
When I was younger, I loved to write. I would write fictional stories that I thought I would turn to books one day, I would write biographies on the people I thought were amazing and inspirational, I would write poems and jingles. I wrote as a way to help me escape from the stress and pressure of the world. Writing allowed me to exist in a space created by me for me. It was something I could always rely on as a stable presence in my life. I found myself and defined myself through my writing.
Somewhere along the way I lost that passion. I didn’t write as much. I lost track of those stories and poems that I was so proud of. I found myself getting lost in my studies and the work I had to do instead of the things I wanted to do. It’s not that I grew out of writing, I just had no more time for my passions as I aged. School became the thing that would make me successful so in the eyes of those around me, it was the only thing worth doing. Even though writing classes were mandatory in school, the prompts would be so confining and limited that you could only write what the teacher wanted to read and not what you wanted to say so the writing felt really meaningless.
That being said, when I came to USC and found out I had to take this class I was disappointed to say the least. I had taken AP English Language to make sure I wouldn’t have to take an intro level writing class so that I could focus on STEM based courses instead. I came in as a Human Biology major with the plan of eventually going to med school. I thought this writing class would be like all my other ones: a distraction meant to waste my time and effort. Contrary to that belief, this course was a breath of fresh air. I was able to write what I wanted and make a small impact on the world through my discoveries.
Writ 150 allowed me to find my passion for writing again as well as reminded me that I have a voice and opinion that is valuable and impactful. This semester writing has taught me that there is no particular way something has to be done in order to accomplish a goal. This was groundbreaking for me because I was taught to follow a strict formula of writing in high school that was able to get the job done quickly with little to no personality or originality in the writing. Writing has taught me that I don’t have to put on a facade and use big fancy words that aren’t usually used in normal speech to sound intelligent and make a point, all I need to do is be authentically me, say what I need to say, and impact the world. All the other superficial stuff like picking and choosing the best sounding or biggest words is just another unnecessary step that plays into removing the personality in writing.
Writ 150 also reminded me of the importance of having passions outside of the work you need to do. When I lost my passion for writing, I didn’t really have anything that I could do for me that would make me happy and decrease my stress. By giving me the chance to write about things that inspire me, I was able to see why I liked writing so much in my youth. Despite this rekindling of my interest in writing, I don’t find as much joy in writing as I used to and I frequently found myself struggling on what to write about because the prompts were so open ended. However, I can recognize that having a passion is something that is essential to thriving in life.
This semester I had mostly STEM courses and I felt really overwhelmed even though I want to make a career out of science. Writ 150 was a class that allowed me to explore the things I wanted to explore and talk about the things that mattered to me. This semester I explored the Black existence in America, and I loved it because it wasn’t something I was allowed to talk about frequently. The second-hand treatment of Black Americans is something that has been swept under the rug in America since its foundation, so I felt like I was making an impact when I brought these issues to light. In this way, Writ 150 also allowed me to discover other passions of mine like social justice; because I was able to explore the Black experience I wondered what it would be like to explore other acts of discrimination that have occured in the world that interest me.
Overall, Writ 150 taught me the value in balancing the things I have to do with the things that bring me joy. Before Writ 150, I didn’t have very many things that made me feel alive and in touch with myself. This reflected in everything that I did in life. While other people saw my work and were amazed by it, I thought it was incomplete and underwhelming. I wasn’t able to put my whole being into my work because I didn’t know who I was as an individual. Exploring the topics that engaged me in Writ 150 let me reconnect with myself and helped me with defining myself as an individual. Writ 150 helped me realize that if I wanted to create holistic work I had to find time for myself and do the things that made me happy so I could put my whole being into the things that I did.
In my opinion, writing is a powerful tool that has the ability to awaken parts of people that they’ve never explored before. It is a way to be real and talk about things that matter to you. The role writing has played in my life this semester is reminding me of my passions and their importance in my life as well as reminding me that I don’t have to fit in anyone else’s box to make powerful content.
