Throughout this semester, my writing journey has been a rollercoaster of discovery. From the initial assignments that made me feel tentative from the beginning to the later ones after building up confidence, I’ve realized that writing is less about getting it right the first time and more about the process of going back and fixing your work. Surprisingly, I found myself drawn to genres I never thought I’d enjoy, such as diving back into history, when we focused on the Black Panther party. I always despised history class, but learning about this topic deeply interested me, and I even found out that 2Pac’s parents were part of this group. Through experimentation with my writing, I found unexpected strengths and weaknesses in my work. The feedback I received from my peers was valuable as I saw mistakes from other points of view. I needed to make sure I was delivering words that were easy to understand instead of only thinking about the way I specifically read them. In addition, I can now understand that writing is not only about conveying information but also about engaging readers and provoking thoughts. This has influenced my approach to other subjects, sharpening my thinking and communication. When I’m watching old movies, or see ads that remind me of topics we have covered, I tie them back into what we wrote about. As I look forward to future writing classes, I’m inspired to set bigger goals, to push the boundaries of my creativity.
One piece of writing that stands out to me this semester is the essay I wrote comparing the Black Panther Party (BPP) and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. As I mentioned before, I was very interested in learning about the topic. Off the bat, I thought I would get bored digging into history, but once I started watching videos and learning more about it, I ended up really enjoying it. I spoke to my parents about the topic and really enjoyed the “Judas and the Black Messiah” film. I am very proud of that essay I wrote because I liked researching about the topic and I believe I delivered it in a way that could really speak to the reader. I feel as though it encapsulated the importance of both the BPP and BLM movements, as well as showing how they are similar. The one thing that I would change about my writing is not to stick to the traditional 5 paragraph essay, but to separate my body paragraphs into more separate ones. I was in the zone when writing this piece and I got it done after restarting a few times. At first, my paper was not coming together how I wanted it to, so I started all over and got into the zone. I let it flow naturally while still incorporating my evidence, so it was easy to go back and revise. Although I did not publicly post my essay, I am still proud that I found joy in completing it.
AlexaBautista-BPP_BLM_ESSAY_FINAL
This semester, the paper that I struggled with the most was the Argument Essay based on our Woman in Red from Wikipedia. It was very hard to find reputable sources to gather my information from, as well as finding any sources at all. Since my woman was an artist, there were articles on her work and style but not so many on her. There was a lot more information online than solely on wikipedia. I also felt backset since I chose my person late due to my own overthinking. I couldn’t decide on who to research, but I am glad with my decision, I just wish I would tie my essay better. After writing it, I realize that it does not have a good flow as I had wished for and I could have improved that. I completed it with the best of my abilities and I tried to plan it as organized as I could. However, this experience has made me become more aware of frequent mistakes I make as well as making sure I get peer review before completion. I intend to seek feedback earlier in the process for future assignments, recognizing the value of outside perspectives in improving the quality of my work.