Everything that we encounter in life is a learning experience. Whether it be an obstacle we must overcome or a moment of gratitude. That is why it is so important to take a moment to slow down and reflect on our past experiences, take what we learned, and apply to the future. Over the past year I have not only grown as a writer, but also as a person. I want to take the time to reflect on my five biggest takeaways from this year, not just regarding my writing, but also my growth as a person.
The biggest and possibly most important lesson I learned this year was to push the boundaries and not stick to the norm. As I looked through all of my assignments, videos, and work that I completed, I noticed that they all had something in common. Each assignment assessed a norm within society, and encouraged me to reflect on that specific norm. From breaking apart a famous New Yorker image to assessing a documentary on minimalism; each video, article, or image that I was directed to analyze addressed some sort of social norm. Having this opportunity helped me to expand my thought process and reflect on what social norms I perpetuate in my life. One film that had me reflecting beyond my writing and into my daily life was the film Tough Guise 2. To this day when I see certain behaviors being displayed I think back to the film that addresses the idea that it is acceptable for men to behave inappropriately. Along with sticking to the norm regarding social issues, there is also an idea that you have to stick to the norm of writing. After realizing that you can not only push the boundaries regarding social norms, you can also push the boundaries of writing. Such as writing in an unconventional style and writing about topics that others might shy away from. I hope that in the future I find the confidence to push the boundaries in my writing as well as daily life. Hence, it is important to take the road less traveled.
To take a step back and reflect can not only be one of the most difficult things to do, but also the most rewarding. Throughout the year I was directed to reflect on my writing, to analyze what I did well, and what I could improve on. As much as I hated doing this, it helped me grow tremendously as a writer. Looking at what I needed to improve on helped me to improve for the future and allowed for maximum growth. I also learned that it is not only important to reflect on my writing, but also on who I am as a person, and certain situations. Just like reflecting on writing to help improve for the future, looking back on past experiences is just as important. I hope to carry this lesson with me throughout the next few years. As I enter the next stage of my life, I think it will be important to reflect on my past experiences and learn from them so I can improve for the future.
Throughout each of the assignments, there were many possibilities with what we could do. This allowed for maximum creativity and allowed me to incorporate my passions into my writing and work. This helped me learn an important lesson. That lesson being that you should try incorporate your passion into things that may not directly involve what you love. When you feel that you're working on projects that you enjoy it not only makes the process much more enjoyable, but it will also make your work that much better. When you truly care about your work, it shows. In the future I hope to take this lesson into my everyday life. Although this can not be applicable to all situations, it can help to make those assignments that have leniency much more enjoyable.
One of the worst things is when the ending of a movie or book is obvious and predictable. You want the book to keep your interest from the first to the last page. This same idea should be applied to your work. When creating a thesis you don't want it to stop at the end of the first paragraph, you want it to continue throughout your paper and keep the reader interested. One of the most difficult yet important things I learned this year was how to do an evolving thesis. While using an evolving thesis is important and will come in handy in future writing pieces, the idea of evolving can be applied to the real world. Just like your writing should evolve, so should you. It is important to not keep yourself close minded and restrict yourself, but rather to evolve your thought process and continue to grow. As I continue in my journey as a writer, but also as a person I will remember to keep an open mind and continue to evolve.
Confidence is key. Not only should you be confident in your writing, but also in yourself. Throughout my writing process I learned that the more confidence I had in my writing, the more successful my writing was. When I felt that I did a great job writing my piece, I ended up doing a great job writing my piece. But, when I felt like I did a terrible job on my work, I did a terrible job on my work. This helped me to recognize that the more confident I was in myself, the better the outcome was. Not only does this apply to writing, but also to everyday life. The more confident I feel in myself, the better of a day I have. I plan to take this lesson and apply it to my writing as well as my everyday life.
As I reflect on the past year and all of the lessons I have learned I have come to realize that the past year has been an opportunity for growth. I am forever grateful for all that I have learned and all of the learning experiences that have not only helped me grow into a stronger writer, but also a better person.
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