Final Reflection

A Successful Writing Class

As I walked into my first writing class, I was not excited at all. I asked myself: why do I need to take this class in an art college? However, as I attended class everyday I found myself enjoying the assignments. I learned plenty of things I had not mastered in high school and improved what I had learned.

I am not sure how much my writing has changed, but I know my feelings towards writing have changed. I am accustomed to writing without emotion or opinion but in this writing studio class I was able to express myself and grow as a writer. I no longer complain about essays but find myself engaged in them, buried deep in research, reading and writing.

My first formal paper about the Wendell Minor exhibition was one of my favorite essays. At first I was skeptical about how it turned out but once I revised it with my instructor I felt confident about it. I realized this was another way of writing. I realized I could express my feelings about the painting and share my opinions on what I thought about the Two Mice in the wonderful painting done by Wendell Minor. My second formal paper, in which I compared Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing, came together quite well. I relished researching all the information I needed to make a successful essay. I read the plays, which I love, and got the chance to watch the movies based on Shakespeare's plays. It was awesome finding all the links I did between both plays because, without analyzing them, I thought they were completely different. It was the most challenging because there was so much research involved but it also showed how much my writing has improved during these few months. My third and last formal paper was also a joy to write. The performance I chose to write about was the New Shanghai Circus. It was my first performance and I was mesmerized by it. It had everything I would want in a performance. It was funny and made me laugh but also dangerous and kept me on the edge of my seat. This essay was also challenging because I had to remember the performances and try to explain them while making sense.

One of my favorite activities in the class were the free writes. At first I was confused about what I should write about and if I had to link it to previous readings and talks. However, after a few classes of doing free writes, I became more loose and started writing about anything that came into my mind. My favorite free write was based on painting my nails. As I read it now, I feel like I should have written more because there is so much to say about how nicely painted nails create a good image. I was not very fond of the Sakai discussions but they were quite helpful. It was a productive writing activity that served as practice while we were not writing essays. The presentations were also quite productive. It helped me feel less nervous while speaking to a crowd. It also forced me to read topics I would not have read otherwise and that I learned to like.

Creating my portfolio was easier than I thought it would be. The formal paper I had to choose for myself was the Two Mice because I thought the words I used to describe the image were strong and vibrant. I also thought it was a well organized essay and that it would show how my writing improved from the first formal paper to the second formal paper. Other than that, I chose the free write that sounded most class-related and that I liked writing. The Sakai discussion post was the one describing myself. It was the first discussion post and the one that shows best how I write and how I am.

Walking into this class, I expected something completely different. I thought it would be a strict, difficult, writing class. Instead I looked forward to it each week because it was a class in which I could relax in and let my creative mind fill with new ideas that I could put into my writing. The class overpassed my expectations because I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.

After reading through the course syllabus, I am sure that my writing studio class has met its goals. My communication, thinking and collaborative skills have improved. I am able to talk to a crowd without stuttering. I'm able to research and think creatively while maintaining a writer's view topics and I'm also able to work with other students and take leadership of a project if needed.