Technology and Flow

  Intro:

    Albert Einstein once said "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." Although he stated this years ago before the boom in technology and he was referring to the atomic bomb, many people could feel he was foreseeing the future. Technology has completely changed the way information is exchanged. The internet, social media, and cell phones have connected us all and it's as simple as a click of a button. Although this surge in technology has made life easier, many people feel that Einstein may have been warning humans that although technology may be helpful at times, it may consumes us completely.

  

Body Paragraph 1:

   Internet- Pros vs. Cons

Body Paragraph 2:

   Social Media- gather information, connect with others

Body Paragraph 3:

   Cell Phones- connect/disconnect from others

Chapter 29

   I truly believe that words can have magic wrapped into them. I related to the part when Peter Elbow wrote about literature being an "escape route." I do believe that magic can be carried on through your words. Certain words on a paper can attract your attention and make it worth while to read it. And Elbow explains, with the example of blank checks, that this is what we all wish for as writers. In an entire sea full of essays and poems, we want our work to be sought through and interest the reader. With certain words and a little hint of magic, it's possible to make your work uniquely interesting amongst the rest. Elbow writes, "So maybe that's where the power in writing comes from that I want to call magic: context." Even if a paper has only one thoroughly written part, that short paragraph is enough to capture a readers attention. Elbow explains, "A passage long enough to carry a lot of context." Writing should be an experience and if you're not allowing the reader to join you on this journey, it won't keep their attention for long. Even if you're writing about something you've never experienced before, the magic of writing is that you could have already experienced it in your mind. But Elbow explains that by stressing too much about capturing the magic, you could very well find yourself stressing TOO much over it and not capture your true self or, anything for that matter, at all. I guess the concept of magic is perfectly written in the final sentence by Elbow: "Though you must believe in magic, then, often you must be willing to do without it." 

 

Chapter 25 & 26

   Peter Elbow explains that the one thing many students lack is voice in their papers. Looking up the definition of voice (in literature) is the author's style, the quality that makes his or her writing unique, and which conveys the author's attitude, personality, and character. When I think of voice in a paper, I always think of it as a conversation as I read it. The writer is suppose to communicate through their words and be able to relate to the reader, but in my opinion, be charismatic as well. I always try to write my paper as honest, but without being too blunt or offensive. There's nothing worse than reading a paper that feels obnoxious or even WORSE, a paper that has a nonexistent voice. I suppose there are people that are an absolute bore. But in literature, you can fake a voice and write what you wish you could say. Writing gives you that freedom so why not take it? My voice as a writer is one that tries to relate as much as possible with the reader. Some of my favorite pieces of literature have underdogs as their heroes or heroines because of how easy it is to relate to them. That's what I want to do. The greatest feeling would be to allow someone to find their own voice after reading my work because they know I'm just like them. My voice as a writer conveys that there is a unique and underdog story in all of us and writing allows us to share it with others.

Outline

Thesis: In both The Stranger and One Thousand Gifts, the authors identify that death demonstrates how differently humans attempt to cope with the loss of a loved one.

Paragraph one:Death and Loss

• spirituality
• emotions
• identity

Paragraph two: One Thousand Gift
-examples from the book
-explain how Ann Voskamp coped with death

• her belief in a divine power allowed her to cope with death

Paragraph three: The Stranger
-examples from the book
-explain how Albert Camus' character coped with death

• didn't believe in a higher power
• emotionally numb

Conclusion

   Both of these texts explore the themes of life and death and the thin line that separates the two. Although they both seem drastically different, in each of the texts, they explain that our existence on this earth is the sole balance for the two. Life is the start, death is the end, and our life is the journey. Both of the authors are very sure to be vivid when describing their losses. Their word choice and imagery they convey in their texts, make sure it implants in our minds that death is a reality we will all face one day. It's frightening and devastating, but that's what life is.
   The texts repeat over and over the theme of love and loss and the vastly different ways humans attempt to cope with loss. But the similarity they share with this theme is that: we must move on and go forward in our lives. The death of a loved one may feel like the world has stopped, but the reality is the world won't stop time to allow you to mourn this devastating loss. It's a sad reality, but life is a journey and it's never going to be easy.

The Stranger

    Over time, we're force to face our real problems and reality sinks in that we were born to die one day. As I read The Strangers, I got the sense that the Albert Camus vividly sees this reality. Burying the one person that was always there to nurture you and devoted their life to unconditionally love you is a horrific reality many have to face. But on top of that, he describes the sinking fate that life will not freeze for you and allow you to grieve. You have to move on and go back to the real world and the author seems ready to do so the moment he speaks to his employer and explains he has to miss work due to his mother's passing.
    It's a sad fate, as he describes the long walks his mother and her special friend, Tomas Perez, would enjoy. To find something like a bond, or even a love towards one another at their age is devastating, because we know many take for granted what they didn't have: time. The old folks in the Home didn't have time to live life. They are sentenced to a morose path, where they now can try and live the few moments they have on this earth. Even the old woman who sobbed during his mother's funeral felt what many can relate to when they are grieving and attempting to cope with a loss. "She says your mother was her only friend in the world, and now she is all alone." the keeper explains. I guess it's a guaranteed fate for all of us. We are born alone, although we are surrounded by others. And we will die alone, even though we are surrounded by others. In the end, we'll be alone.
   As the author describes leaving his mother behind and never visiting her until now, that he had to bury her, I understand why he didn't chose to view her body. I believe he felt that he couldn't be able to redeem his actions of neglecting his mother. Many realize their faults and actions towards someone when they've passed. The author understands what he did wrong, but in a way feels that he gave his mother the greatest gift of all. Although she cried many days after he left her at the Home, he says he felt she would've been devastated if he would've teared her from her only love, her only friends, her only Home where she even found God and religion. Yes, he should've visited her, but deep down, he knows she was happy. On long walks to nowhere and long talks that only mattered at that certain moment, she finally was able to escape and find a sanctuary in this simple oasis. Although his mother was gone, he knows she was finally Home. 

S. Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick

Audiences everywhere would agree that Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a masterpiece. Its striking cinematography, eerie music, but most importantly, the spectacular directing by Kubrick cemented his status as a visionary innovator. He was a genius, yet never felt that he needed to live up to any expectations. He did once say, "Never put me on a pedestal. When someone's on a pedestal, there's no creativity. “And I believe his films reflected that ideology. Each of his films had puzzling endings that he felt never had to be explained; you could interpret them any way you wanted to. His perfectionism was, at times, intimidating, but his attention to details and most of all, imagery, is why his directing set the bar so high for films. He is one of the most respected directors of all time and I feel that not only did Stanley Kubrick pave the way for other directors wanted to capture life the way he did, his films also changed the way many people interpret life today.

From an early age, Stanley was more fascinated with filmmaking and photography than school. Stanley Kubrick was born on July 26, 1928 in Manhattan, New York. He performed poorly academic-wise, but everything changed when his father, Jack, taught him how to play chess. His father hoped it “would stimulate him mentally and spur him on to greater intellectual achievement.” His father was right. Stanley became a skillful player and competed in clubs all around Manhattan and earned money playing. 

On his thirteenth birthday, his father presented him with a Graflex camera, which further stimulated his fascination with photography.  In 1946, he graduated from William Taft High School, but due to low grades, was unsuccessful getting into college.  With the camera his father had gifted him; he set out to the streets of New York City and began his career as a freelance photographer. He sold many of his photographs to Look magazine and everyone with talent. Much of his skills were learned through self-teaching and the hands-on experience he gained working as an apprentice photographer for the magazine.  As the hype surrounding his photos grew stronger, Stanley began setting his sights on filmmaking. And by 1951, Stanley made that dream a reality when he began making short films.

By the early 50s, Stanley was financing many of his short films, including Day of the Flight and Flying Padre. In Day of the Flight, Stanley was notable for using reversing tracking shots which was one of Kubrick’s signature directing styles that he later on used in many of his films. Also, during the filming of all these short films, Stanley served as the director, editor, cameraman, even sound effects man which he later stated served as an “invaluable experience, because being forced to do everything myself I gained a sound and comprehensive grasp of all the technical aspects of filmmaking.” Stanley soon filmed his first feature film called Fear and Desire. Film historian James Naremore noted that Kubrick was “especially interested in how rational, militaristic planning spins out of control and becomes irrational." This theme is later seen in his other films including Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, and Full Metal Jacket.  

His first film that was met with critical and commercial success was Spartacus, which Kubrick wasn’t originally picked to direct in the first place. He replaced director Anthony Mann after a week of filming but consistently budded heads with producer and actor Kirk Douglas. The film was the first and last time when he didn’t have complete control or freedom as a director, so soon after he moved to England and vowed to never allow anyone to stifle his creative freedom. 

In 1962, his dark comedy, Lolita, was his first film that generated controversy due to the films material, which was adapted from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel of the same name. The movie would serve as the beginning of Kubrick’s devotion of adapting novels into screenplays and also choosing risqué material over “safer” ones. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, adapted from the novel Red Alert by Peter George, followed and was first meant to be a serious drama. But as Kubrick, George, and co-writer Terry Southern began developing a script, Kubrick realized that the more and more they wrote, the more he realized the film would work if it was scripted as a satire.  It was a hit and is regarded as one of his many masterpieces. 

Kubrick then turned his sights on a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, called The Sentinel. He spent the next five years developing 2001: A Space Odyssey. Released in 1968, it’s regarded as one of the best sci-fi film ever made and even Steven Spielberg called it “his generation’s big bang.” The film explored the existence of man and the possibility of life beyond Earth. The film’s breathtaking special effect stunned audiences and critics everywhere, and the film was nominated for many Academy Awards. Stanley won his only Oscar for special effects that year.  After 2001, Kubrick continued developing more scripts and after financing for Napoleon, fell through, he began work on a new project, A Clockwork Orange. The novel, by Anthony Burgess, is an exploration of human nature. It follows main character, Alex, whose interests includes classical music and violence. He is later captured by authorities and forcefully entered into rehabilitation for his horrific crime sprees. Just like his film Lolita, A Clockwork Orange was met with controversy due to the graphic nature it depicted. It was said that Kubrick and his family received threats and even had protesters outside their home. Kubrick was forced to withdraw his film from Britain due to many copycat crimes that authorities said where influenced by the film. 

After the controversy died down, Kubrick followed up with Barry Lyndon and The Shining, my personal favorite. The Shining was adapted from t Stephen King novel of the same name. The use of the newly invented Steadicam proved to be effective, with its smooth gliding across the vast, long hallways. It’s eerie music and at times, puzzling story, grasped audiences and left many questions unanswered. Many theories about the film can be seen in the movie Room 237, which explores many of the assumptions towards The Shining. Like many of his films, Kubrick felt that his movies could and should be interpreted in many ways and that the audience should leave the theatre still wondering and yearning for what the film means.  Many stories from the film are legendary today, including that being the perfectionist he was, Kubrick made actress Shelley Duvall, who played Wendy Torrance in the film, had to perform 127 takes of the baseball bat scene until Kubrick was fully satisfied he got it. Kubrick’s The Shining, is regarded as one of the best horror films of all time and one of my inspirations for filmmaking as well. Kubrick then followed up seven years later, with the film Full Metal Jacket. It was an adaptation of Gustav Hasford’s novel The Short-Timers. In an interview with film critic Steven Hall Kubrick stated that his attraction to Gustav Hasford's book was because it was "neither antiwar or pro-war", held "no moral or political position", and was primarily concerned with "the way things are".  The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards. 

Kubrick’s final film took almost five years to develop. It was conceived after Stanley read Arthur Schnitzler novella Traumnovelle. The film stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a couple whose home life is rocked when both character’s dark secrets are revealed.  It was met with critical praise and many friends of Kubrick stated that he believed it was his “greatest contribution to the art of cinema.” However on March 7, 1999, he died of a sudden heart attack in his sleep. Kubrick was able to finish edited prior to his death, but he was never able to see the final version of his film that was released to the public.

Of all the contributions Stanley Kubrick was able to achieve, I believe his greatest was establishing a new faith in cinema. Although many believed his films lacked heart, Kubrick understood that by choosing material that at times was unsettling, Stanley showed audiences the raw and biting truth to human emotion. If all of his films would’ve ended in a predictable and optimistic manner, we wouldn’t be regarding him as one of the greatest directors of all time. Many other directors chose safer paths, whereas Stanley chose to leave many questions unanswered and chose a style that differed from everyone. Those long, smooth takes and the attention to the smallest of details proved extraordinarily important to cinema. Even the subject matter he chose to film was forward and beyond his time. Today we can see his work everywhere, especially in other directors’ films. Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Gaspar Noe, James Cameron, Woody Allen, the Coen brothers, and George A. Romero cite Kubrick as inspiration and a forefather of filmmaking. Stanley Kubrick has also influenced a generation of young, ambitious filmmakers; wanting and hoping for a chance to match the success and genius that is Stanley Kubrick. But there will always be just one Stanley Kubrick. He was one man that always demanded perfection, knowing that it would bring out the best in everyone. Many can regard his films as reason to believe than there is no hope for humanity and even fear our existence in the universe. But his films embodied a discreet ray of light that could be seen if you looked persistently enough. As he once said, “However vast the darkness, we must supply our light.” and I believe that’s enough hope for all of us.

Outline

   Life-

•  Born July 26, 1928 in Manhattan, New York.
• When he was twelve, his father taught him to play chess.
• Taught him patience and used many techniques when directing
• First camera was a Graflex- triggered a fascination with photography.
• Did not excel in school
• Poor attendance
• Poor grades
• Became full-staff photographer at the age of 16 for Look
• Published 900 of his photos

   Career-

• Short films
• Full Length films   
• Co-wrote all screenplays 
• Film success
• Reviews
• $$

 Directing Techniques 

• Multiple Takes
• Perfectionism
• Use of Steadicam
• Music Selection

   Legacy

• Homages
• Influence of film industry

Thesis

Rough Draft Thesis/ Introduction
 
   To me, imagery is the most important thing about a film. It engulfs the audience and transports them to another time or place. That's how I felt when I first saw The Shining. It transformed me; with it's striking cinematography, eerie music, but most importantly, the spectacular directing by Stanley Kubrick. He was a genius, yet never felt that he needed to live up to any expectations. He did once say, "Never put me on a pedestal. When someone's on a pedestal, there's no creativity."And I believe his films reflected that ideology. Each of his films had puzzling endings that he felt never had to be explained; you could interpret them any way you wanted to. His perfectionism was, at times, intimidating, but his attention to details and most of all, imagery,  is why his directing set the bar so high for films. He is one of the most respected directors of all time and I feel that not only did Stanley Kubrick pave the way for other directors who want to capture life the way he did, his films also changed the way many people interpret life today.

Main points

-Life

-Career

-Directing Style

-Legacy

Possible topics

Topic 1: How cell phones have changed us socially.

Topic 2: Censorship- books, movies, music, even internet.***

Topic 3-Fast food & link to obesity

Topic 4- Divorce

Topic 5- Abstinence programs

Grammar & Revising

   I chose paragraph 3 to revise because after seeing the feedback and learning new grammatical techniques, I was able to apply this new found knowledge into the paragraph and I now think the paragraph flows much more effectively.

   Conserving is water probably one of the most important things to do because water is a crucial element in our lives. Recycled water is useful and beneficial in agriculture, landscape, toilet flushing, and also in artificial lakes. When a person brushes his teeth, he can choose to waste gallons of unused water by leaving the faucet on or instead, he can simply turn it off and use it sparingly. Recycling water not only "decreases the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems," as explained on the US Environmental Protection Agency website, but it also reduces and prevents further pollution by being used for irrigation because the reusable water is rich in nutrients and safer than using synthetic fertilizers. It's amazing how one little drop of water can help in a big way.

Grammar

   On the top of my writing list, grammar has always been something I've focused in on. Like Peter Elbow writes, "Mistakes in grammar lead readers to notice other weaknesses." I believe this is   extremely accurate because if I find a mistake and it's so simple to correct, I lose interest and may assume they aren't as articulate. I'm not saying I've never fallen victim to grammar mistakes, but as I learned in revising my paper, I can carefully spot simple mistakes and correct them. It's crucial to me to have a paper free of mediocre mistakes because it does weigh the paper down and diminished your credibility as a writer who wants to be taken seriously. I believe that because my grade school instilled a lot of attention on grammar, it was easier to grasp once I began writing essays as I got older. Once again, I'm not saying I'm perfect at grammar, but I am that annoying person who spots grammar mistakes in other people's work and stresses on correcting these simple errors! I hope to continue to learn more grammar tricks and tips and hopefully one day have a first draft free of errors.

Final Draft

   "Water is the driving force in nature," Leonardo da Vinci once said. It's true because without water, earth would be cut off from one of the most important resources. Sadly, if humans continue to pile on the trash, infest our waters, and pollute, it will slowly lead the human race down a scary path. It is clear that a lot of people's poor choices in not recycling and polluting has slowly caused negative effects to our water supply and nature in general. If we do not take initiative, humans could quickly spiral into an irreversible future where we may not have any clean water at all. It only takes one person to make a difference and there are many ways to help. Recycling and identifying the importance of conserving water are perfect examples of simple yet effective ways we can help the earth. Humans can sit back and watch the world slowly perish, or some of us can take responsibility and try to make a difference.

   Recycling is probably one of the most easiest ways we can help. We can recycle so many things like newspapers, cans, glass, plastics, cardboard, and even water. Instead, we choose to throw out so many reusable products. It can seem overwhelming at first to try to make it a habit to recycle, but it's so simple! There are tons of websites that help explain the importance of recycling and give many examples on how to recycle pretty much anything. Recycling shouldn't be a chore. Instead it should give us hope that we can reverse many of the wrongs our polluting has done to the earth by just living a greener life.

   Water is one of the most important elements in our lives and it's sad to think many of us take it for granted. Conserving water is probably one of the most important things to do and should be on the top of our lists when it comes to recycling. Recycled water is useful and beneficial in agriculture, landscape, toilet flushing, and also in artificial lakes, When we're brushing our teeth, we can choose to waste gallons of unused water by leaving the faucet on or we can simply turn it off and use it sparingly. Water recycling not only "decreases the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems", as explained in the US Environmental Protection Agency website; it also reduces and prevents further pollution by being used for irrigation because the reusable water is rich in nutrients and safer than using synthetic fertilizers. It's amazing how one little drop of water can help in a big way.

   A lot of people today may not know or even care about the importance of water. It's scary and sad to think that many humans take water for granted, when we all should try to do our best to conserve this important element. I can't stress enough on how simple and effective recycling and conserving water is. Recycling may not be on the top of our lists, but it should at least be included and we should try to make a difference. But perhaps it might be how Benjamin Franklin once said, "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." And we should not be surprised to see that realization soon.

Revising with Feedback & Nausea

   Revising with Feedback

   Finish first draft, revise it enough to make it interesting & readable, and then get two friends to read it and then after discuss it with one another. 

•    The conversation will help you gain a better perspective and even new ideas and hopefully will allow you to decide what you think.

   Option

1. Minimal feedback
2. Little feedback 

• explain idea entirely differently
• more detail and commentary
• remove any bumps (more clearer examples/details)
• rearranging ideas 

This allows to remove unnecessary details, words, or even sentences. And this will allow the paper to flow and even remove parts in the paper that were weighing it down.


 Nausea

   After all this revision and feedback, it might discourage how you feel towards your paper. You or someone else may have marked your entire paper because it had unnecessary sentences. It will most like occur towards the end and you might feel that your paper is short and mediocre and you may have to rewrite the entire thing when you realize how many changes you had to make. But this will only make you a BETTER writer!

****"Now when your mind is clear you can make a simple rule to cling to later when your mind is clouded: never do major revising when nauseated by YOUR writing."****

Chapter 12- Thorough Revising

   The first sentence of this chapter stood out to me the most: The leverage in thorough revising comes from time. I agree with this because you can spend countless hours trying to quickly revise the paper that is still fresh in your mind, or you can push it aside for a couple of days and read the paper with a new perspective because you took time off before you critique it.

My favorite points he made about revising include:

1. If piece is intended for an audience, get yours readers and purpose clearly in mind.

•    Know who you are writing for and what you're going to write about. It's always awful reading a paper that makes no sense and also isn't interesting because not everyone can relate to it. 

2. Read over what you've written and mark IMPORTANT bits.

•      Quick revising, you can go back and quickly change the mistakes.

3.Find main point or center of gravity.

•    Identify why you even sat down to write in the first place! 

4.  Put your parts in order on the basis of your main idea.

•    This allows you to list parts (in no particular order) and then develop sentences when you identify main point of each full-sentence.

When strengthening your language, you tighten and clean up your language.

• Don't have to use fancy words or "explaining" things, just write like you normally would talk and JUST SAY IT! 

The summary of this chapter is that the main weapon in thorough revising is TIME!! The paper shouldn't be rushed and the revising shouldn't be either. If you take enough time to come up with the idea and take time off so the ideas won't be so fresh in your mind, revising will be easy! Revising isn't just about fixing your grammar mistakes, it's also about cleaning and tightening up your language. Write how you would talk and don't get stuck explaining yourself. They'll get it if you just say it!

Draft

   "Water is the driving force in nature," Leonardo da Vinci once said. It's true because without it, we're cut off from one of the most important resources we have on earth. It's similar to the blood in our veins that pump life into us. Seeing the picture of the bird's carcass, I couldn't help but think that we're slowly killing ourselves. Piling on the trash and infesting our waters. Pumping loads of gas into our cars and consuming tons of unnecessary products. It's slowly leading us down a scary path and I wouldn't be surprised to see us leading a similar fate as the one the bird did. It is clear that our poor choices in not recycling and polluting has slowly caused negative effects to our water supply and nature in general. If we do not take initiative, we could quickly spiral into an irreversible future where we may not have any clean water at all. It only takes one person to make a difference and there are many ways to help. Recycling and identifying the importance of conserving water are perfect examples of simple yet effective ways we can help the earth. We can sit back and watch the world slowly perish, or we can take responsibility and try to make a difference.

   Recycling is probably one of the most easiest ways we can help. We can recycle so many things like newspapers, cans, glass, plastics, cardboard, and even water. Instead, we choose to throw out so many reusable products. It can seem overwhelming at first to try to make it a habit to recycle, but it's so simple! There are tons of websites that help explain the importance of recycling and give many examples on how to recycle pretty much anything. Recycling shouldn't be a chore. Instead it should give us hope that we can reverse many of the wrongs our polluting has done to the earth by just living a greener life.

   Water is one of the most important elements in our lives and it's sad to think many of us take it for granted. Conserving water is probably one of the most important things to do and should be on the top of our lists when it comes to recycling. Recycled water is useful and beneficial in agriculture, landscape, toilet flushing, and also in artificial lakes, When we're brushing our teeth, we can choose to waste gallons of unused water by leaving the faucet on or we can simply turn it off and use it sparingly. Water recycling not only "decreases the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems", as explained in the US Environmental Protection Agency website; it also reduces and prevents further pollution by being used for irrigation because the reusable water is rich in nutrients and safer than using synthetic fertilizers. It's amazing how one little drop of water can help in a big way.

   A lot of us today may not know or even care about the importance of water. It's scary and sad to think that many take water for granted when we should all try to do our best to conserve this important element. I can't stress enough on how simple and effective recycling and conserving water is. Maybe seeing the picture of the decaying bird didn't affect you at all. But imagine that one day, all living creatures including ourselves go down a polluted path and lead a similar fate. Recycling may not be on the top of our lists, but it should at least be included and we should try to make a difference. But perhaps it might be how Benjamin Franklin once said, "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." And we should not be surprised to see that realization soon.

Thesis

   It is clear that our poor choices in not recycling and polluting has slowly caused negative effects to our water supply and nature in general. If we do not take initiative, we could quickly spiral into an irreversible future where we may not have any clean water at all. It only takes one person to make a difference and there are many ways to help.

A Person

     He wakes up every morning and quickly gets ready for work. He tries to decide if he can squeeze in some time for chess. No, it'll have to wait. He quickly drives off to the studio and as he enters the building, blinding lights surround him like stars. He takes out his camera and begins to think where to start. He doesn't rush it. Filmmaking is like chess. He even said so. " If chess has any relationship to filmmaking, it would be in the way it helps you develop patience and discipline in choosing between alternatives at a time when an impulsive decision seems very attractive." He focuses on every detail. On every strand in his work. He obsesses to get everything right. Like chess, he must not make a hasty decision. It must be perfect. He thinks. What if I use this? What if I do this? He takes a risk with every scene, like every move in chess. And it's worth it. As he yells cut, in the back of his mind,  he can hear his own voice saying, checkmate. 

Water and Life

   "Water is the driving force in nature," Leonardo da Vinci once said. It's true because without it, we're cut off from one of the most important resources we have on earth. It's similar to the blood in our veins that pump life into us. Seeing the picture of the bird's carcass, I couldn't help but think that we're slowly killing ourselves. Piling on the trash and infesting our waters. Pumping loads of gas into our cars and consuming tons of unnecessary products. It's slowly leading us down a scary path and I wouldn't be surprised to see us leading a similar fate as the one the bird did.

   

My Identity

   I discovered my love for writing when I was in forth grade. With writing I was able to gain the confidence I never knew I had and be able to say what I wished I could've said. I was given the liberty to express my thoughts on paper when we were assigned journal assignments during that year. The teacher graded on the substance of our ideas, not the basic rules most teachers zoom in on. There have only been two other instances where I have been given that freedom. When I was in eleventh grade and presently in my English 95 class. As a disgruntled junior in high school, I had lost a lot of faith in writing. The teachers weren't passionate about inspiring the students or giving them the will to write freely. But I was assigned to a teacher who broke that mundane mold. He inspired me to write and never cease that dream. I was also given the option to transfer to an AP English class, but I refused. I knew I wouldn't be given the same freedom in that class. And I will never regret it. I probably wrote the best essays I was capable of and improved significantly as a writer. But three years passed until I could receive the same inspiration and freedom to write and learn to improve as a writer. This happened when I entered my English 95 class and I was asked to explain my identity as a writer.

   When I am given the freedom to write what I want and how I want to, my motivators are largely intrinsic. I write to feel better and express myself. A grade should be the least of my worries because writing exists to not only to inspire others, but most importantly ourselves. I always try my hardest to hand in an essay that not only reflects the effort but the sincerity of my ideas. I don't just write to meet each guideline in an assignment. My ideas aren't watered down to meet the requirements. Instead I always try to give a piece of me in each writing. I want my voice to be heard and writing has always been the only form that allows me to get an idea across. So it's the truth when I say that writing does give me a sense of purpose because you have freedom to write whatever you want to and there's always an opportunity to improve. That's the beauty of writing. I know there's always room for improvement.If you're bad at something, most of the time you'll convince yourself that you will never get better. But writing allows you to make mistakes and always lets you jump right back into it and learn from those errors. And I believe that I am an imperfect writer that's willing to try and learn from my literary mistakes. 

   In the next four years, or even beyond that, I hope to grow as a writer and always stand firmly in my beliefs towards writing. Writing shouldn't be a chore or a ticket to the next class, or job, or step. Instead I want writing to always be a passion and something I can always improve on. I want to inspire others through my work and I'm fully aware that there is inspiration everywhere, especially inside ourselves. My identity as a writer has always mirrored what stage of my life I'm in. I'm continually growing as a writer but also as a person. The magic of writing is that we can always go back and relate to past work and see how much we learned or didn't learn. It's overwhelmingly powerful how much writing has helped me. I owe a great deal of thanks to writing and will never give up on my dream to one day inspire others to write. In the end, the most accurate statement that can sum up my attitude towards writing is that is absolutely saved my life.
  

Courage to Share

   As I reread my first draft of the composition I wrote, I was hesitant to share it with anyone. Although I enjoy and benefit from criticism (positive or negative), I felt that having to read my words aloud made things all the more daunting.

   I have always written and revised in silence, but after sharing my work verbally, I was able to dissect the paper even further and find specific areas I have to work on. For example, I found that one thing I commonly did was use an abundant amount of run-on sentences. The feedback from my sister, who I shared my work with, was very helpful. She had many questions about the class and said I should be more specific when I give examples. She was also quick to point out that I should work on developing a more thorough introduction. And after explaining the terms intrinsic and extrinsic, she said I should have examples of how those terms weave into my writing.

   All in all, I felt that sharing my work verbally helped me understand the areas I need to work on. I should also be more inviting towards feedback and criticism, even if it's negative. I want to be a more articulate and especially confident writer and I feel that sharing my work will help me to do so. I can't be afraid of what others think or say about my work because it's only going to help me improve. One of my favorite quotes on literature says it all: "Writing exposes what the heart refuses to acknowledge," and I feel that's the beauty of writing. It envelopes all the words we can't speak and all the feelings we can't describe. It's a miraculous gift to be able to sit down and write whatever comes to mind; and an even bigger gift to share it with others. And the outcome of exposing your feelings and relating with others is the biggest award of all. It's simply magic. 

"Never be bullied into silence. 

Never allow yourself to be made a victim. 

Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself."

Sharing

   I've always felt writing is a way to express myself. If I couldn't find the words to say aloud, I'd write them down. I'd hope my writing would touch other people who feel this way. People who are wallflowers, taking in their surroundings quietly; and rather than being social butterflies who can confidently walk into the room and say what they feel. I'd want the underdogs to feel like they can relate to me when they read my writings. It would benefit sharing my ideas because they would see that they're not alone and other people go through the same things as them. Sharing is a way to connect with others when speaking or actions isn't enough. And that's the beauty of writing.
  
    I've always leaned towards oddball characters like Carrie White from Stephen King's Carrie or even Alex DeLarge from Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange. They were the outcasts, the social misfits, the delinquents, the nobodies. These are the characters I could relate to because I never was the prom queen or the perfect "A" student. And I assume that not everyone is. So these are the characters and some of the writings that I've benefited from reading. I don't agree with a lot of their actions or even with them in general, but this is what I loved most about these novels. The characters in them weren't perfect either.

An approach to writing

   Reading Peter Elbow's book, "Writing with Power" I could relate to how personable his approach to writing was. I never felt like I was reading a strict guideline with endless rules. His approach helped me understand that not only is writing suppose to be fun and easy, but also with a good method like his, the rules can be also simple and enjoyable.
   What really stood out to me was the part that talked about creative writing versus expository writing. The best quote from this part was "a good essay or biography requires just as much creativity as a good poem; and that a good poem requires just as much truth as a good essay." You can't have one without the other. If an essay states all the correct truths and tons of information without having a bit of creativity, it falls flat. Yes, it will be accurate, but who wants to read a boring mess? But this also goes for a piece of writing stuffed with tons of creativity. It can be imaginative, but if it's lacking basic structure or any form of facts, it can be brushed aside as nonsense. I guess what I gained from reading that part was that I must find a balance between the two. I can be as creative as I want to, but I should also remember that I have to make sense and also follow a basic outline to have a creatively accurate paper. And that is the best of both literary worlds. The creative and the formal one.

Indentity as a writer

   I was in 4th grade when I realized I loved writing. I was able to express myself and have my voice be heard when I was too timid to say what I wanted to. Writing has always been an escape and a place where I can harvest my thoughts and be able to free my mind and create new worlds and new characters when living in reality isn't enough. I had an English teacher in 11th grade that encouraged me to continue writing. He consistently tried to convince me to drop that class and transfer to an advanced English class. I refused. I loved that in his class, we were able to write without boundaries and our grades would be based on our writing, rather than if you showed up to class and followed the rules. I was afraid that by going from that class to an advance one, I'd lose that escape because those classes only provided the formal setting for writing where they spent most of their time learning about the rules. There was no freedom to write and I'd be resentful towards the one thing I loved. So I stayed. I felt that by giving us this freedom, it allowed me to grow as a writer and continue to pursue this passion for writing.
 
   A lot of my heroes and heroines are writers. It's inspiring to be able to pick up one of their books or any material they've written, and be transported into their minds. These are masterpieces that once were just simple ideas. It's comforting to know that not all author's had easy starts. They all weren't experience and well respected scribes. They didn't have every single person backing them and their ideas up. They probably still don't. But I believe that's what makes them unique. That's what makes someone a writer. As a writer, I don't want my ideas and stories to be watered down and conform to what's "in" at the moment. My identity as a writer will be about how much it moves a person and inspires them, not about how many people read it or how many copies it sold.

   Given an appropriate environment where an idea can flow freely will produce better papers. Encouragement from teachers and even society, when rules and society weighs down individuality, I believe can help make better writers. With writing I am able to gain the confidence I never knew I had and be able to say what I wished I could've said. I can be anyone when I sit down and write. In the next four years, or even beyond that, I hope to grow as a writer and always stand firmly in my beliefs towards writing. Writing shouldn't be a chore or a ticket to the next class, or job, or step. Instead I want writing to always be a passion and something I can always improve on. I want to inspire others, but also be inspired by others. I'm fully aware that there is inspiration everywhere, especially inside ourselves.

A writer's struggle

   To some, writing can be a hassle that feels like hard work, rather than it being something enjoyable. I've always loved writing, but after reading Mike Rose's blog, I realized I am a victim to a lot of the struggles that come with writing. First off, I ramble on and on and sometimes don't take into consideration that I don't have to fill an essay with unnecessary details. That doesn't mean I have to sum up an entire paper in one paragraph or leave out details. Instead I have to plan ahead before I sit and begin writing. I should outline what are the absolutely important details to make the paper flow and be interesting, but most importantly, still allow it to sound like me. He described a student that refused to write a first draft. The student jumped into the final draft because he wanted his fresh thoughts to be poured onto the paper, without considering how crucial it is to make sure what you're writing makes sense and doesn't jump from point to point and back to the original point. I am guilty of this. I've always despised having to write a paper and then revise it and then do that process another two times, until FINALLY, I can write my final draft. But to be an effective writer and produce a high quality paper, you MUST do this. It opened my eyes and made me realize that by doing this process, I can not only be myself and express my thoughts clearly, but I can also follow the basic rules of writing.

Indentity

   The one thing I could always identify with would have to be writing. Everything I could have and wished I would've said could be poured onto paper. I've always been painfully shy, so being able to create a whole different world where I was the main character and I could transport anywhere and be anyone was always a beautiful release.

   I've always been passionate about books, music, but especially movies. All require practice and especially a passion to create something different. I really doubt any artist would want to be a carbon copy of someone else. I believe movies especially let someone step outside of the norm. Look at surreal films. It's something you've probably never seen before and it sticks with you. I'd hope to one day be able to do the same. Be a different kind of writer. Not be able to boxed into a certain genre. It would be amazing to be able to create a new kind of genre. Writing allows you to create new dimensions and unique characters and push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable.

 

    I've always been interested in screenwriting which is completely different from regular essay writing. In a screenplay, you can write minimal details and dialogue, while an essay would require it to be stuffed with details and most likely more dialogue. I love writing that requires no structure or rules because the best kind of writing in my opinion is the one that is a little off. Being unique should never be written off as being wrong. I would want to be a different kind of writer. A visionary. Some of the greatest (also my favorite) directors were originally written off as crazy and their movies as trash. Take Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Which he directed, produced, and co-wrote with Arthur C. Clarke) When it was first released, it was received mixed reviews. Now it's regarded as being possibly the greatest science fiction movie of all time. He was ahead of his time and people were afraid. But that's sometimes the outcome that comes with being a different writer. Personally, I think it's worth it. Because I would want it to inspire others to also believe in their stories. My hero Stanley Kubrick helped me realize this, and hopefully one day someone reading one of my stories or even hopefully seeing a film by me could be inspired to be themselves and write about what they love. Because in the end being a little different is what makes a writer great.

"If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed." -S. Kubrick

Autonomy. Mastery. Purpose

   As I watched the video of Mr. Dan Pink's speech, three main points stood out to me the most. Three points that I could very well use every day and hopefully use for the rest of my life.

1.  Autonomy: the urge to direct our own lives.

   That's a strong point for someone who one day hopes to direct films. For the longest time, I've found it difficult to make any simple decision, let alone decide where I want to direct my life. Even if it's as simple as telling myself to do a good job in everyday situations, like school or work, I honestly have no motivation if it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I need to know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, because at times it feels like I'm slowly sinking into a dark abyss under my feet. Which lead me to the second point he made.

     2.   Mastery: the desire to get better and better at something that matters.

   This point is what really reeled me in. Knowing I could put my mind and dedication towards something that matters to me is what hopefully most people wish for in life. Why be stuck doing something that is remotely bearable and instead get better and better at something that matters? For some it seems too perfect, or like Mr. Pink said, "utopian." But even if it did seem too perfect and far fetched, there's no hurt in just trying. I'd rather struggle towards my goal and not have a safety because at least I could sleep at night knowing the next day won't be just another day at work. Instead it would be another day in life. It's a scary risk to drop everything and focus on the one thing you'd want to get better at, but at least in the end, you can know what it feels like to be your own master inching your way towards your dream.

   3.   Purpose: the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves.

   I believe that this is what should motivate everyone. The purpose in our lives is that we have purpose. Instead of asking why we're here, just accept it and do. Help others, motivate, be positive. Knowing that this is an inspiration or not is what should keep us sane. As simple or as complex, there's a bigger goal to every person's dream. Your one simple idea could one day employ thousands of people. Your one song or short story or even film could one day inspire millions. Instead of thinking why, think why not. Know that there's a bigger picture to be drawn and as vibrant or transparent your color is, it will still be apart of a masterpiece.