So I wasn't hired for the church magazine internship. I'll admit I cried when I got the email. I was really, really disappointed. But I'm fine now. After a day of feeling upset, I just let it go. I obviously have other things to do this fall. Since I'm sure that the hiring committee listened to the spirit in their hiring process, God must have something else for me to do. I don't know what that is yet, but hopefully I'll figure that out. Ironically, in the week since I didn't get that job, I've had no fewer than 5 job recommendations sent to me. Jobs that I don't want and don't have time for right now. I mean it's nice to know that people are hiring writers and that my teachers think of me when they hear of jobs, but it's also frustrating because I'd rather be paid for working hard right now instead of paying someone to make me work hard. It just makes me wish I wasn't in school.
Which brings me to my second thing I've wanted to blog about. I registered for my last full semester yesterday. I'll take 14 credits, and then I just need 2 more classes to graduate. It's kind of freaking me out a little bit. On one hand, I'm thrilled to be done with school. I'm so tired of doing homework and listening to lectures and taking quizzes. I'm tired of such a life-turnover every semester. I love working and learning on the job and feeling like I improve the company. But I'm also feeling nostalgia already (Is that even possible?). I really enjoy working with my professors and working on campus. I know that I still have a lot to learn as a writer (Like, a lot). I love this campus. I also have always really resisted change in all forms. I don't quite know what I'll do with myself after graduation. I mean, I'm sure I'll do great things, but I don't know what yet.
On a relatively related note, as I've been pondering graduation, I've been thinking about my expectations coming to college my first semester. I expected to become a great writer. And maybe I have. In my 450 class, we've read a lot of the philosophy of writing. Writing is an art and a skill. Because it's an art, it can't be taught. But because it's also a skill, it can. There's a duality to writing (and most other things) that makes education in that field tricky. I was expecting to be taught the art of writing. I expected to emerge from my education inspired, filled with ideas, writing brilliant original sentences that made up brilliant original stories. But what I've learned is the skill portion of writing. I know how to follow rules now. I can make something look and sound pretty and professional. I've become a more skilled writer, but maybe not a "better" writer. When I first realized this, I was really frustrated with my education. But as I realized that the art of writing can't be taught, I'm more ok with it now. My teachers can't give me the gift of good ideas; they can only teach me how to effectively shape my ideas. And maybe that's the point of education. To shape what's already there.
3 comments:
"Writing is an art and a skill."
Same as music. Musical skill can be taught, but I've always believed you either have the talent or you don't.
Yeah, it's a really interesting concept. I'm of the belief that skill will always bring someone to a higher level than art. Art/talent will always plateau, but skill is virtually infinite. Also, I find it interesting that I'm a super skills-based writer, but I was expecting to become an art-based writer. I'm taking a class from a professor who teaches and grades writing as an art, and it terrifies me. Completely. I can't handle the qualitative-ness. So weird that I used to expect it.
I've always loved comparing it to Marty Friedman (who is self-taught and pure art) vs. Chris Broderick (who practiced 14 hours a day, plays 5 instruments and has two performance degrees) vs. Jason Becker (who was taught the concept of art playing my Marty, and also turned down a scholarship for Julliard).
Sounds like I've got my next blog in mind...
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