I Hate Snow

It snowed yesterday. A lot. So much that I slid three times in the first mile of my commute. After nearly not stopping at an intersection, I decided that I would let Mother Nature claim her victory and went home.

Illustration

As promised, here are a few of my illustrations from the past. Enjoy!

The Waiting Room

As I sat in a waiting room today, I looked around and noticed that everyone (aside from myself) was busy either playing a Nintendo DS or completely absorbed in their smart phone. I noted one solitary magazine on a table across the room, and a box of not-so-gently used children’s books underneath it. No one was talking. The only sound came from the little boy’s Nintendo game.

As an introvert, I’m perfectly fine with the lack of chit chat in the waiting room, but it leads me to wonder how far this fascination with technology goes. When I was a child (not THAT many years ago) we couldn't watch cartoons in the car while our parents carted us back and forth. We marveled at the little machine that would tell us who called while we were away from the house. Phones were attached to the wall or had super long antennas that would likely put an eye out if you weren't careful. We learned about our friends face to face—or through the rumor mill. We took photographs with a camera, with film, that had to be developed. The one-hour photo service was amazing.

I’m not against technology. I embrace it with arms wide open. However, I do wonder about the kids of today. Are they being exposed to too much technology at too young an age? As these tots grow into young adults, will they possess the social skills needed to interact? Will it even matter?

I guess I’m just an old soul at heart. I long for the days when the perfect afternoon included running around on my grandparents’ farm without a care in the world. We didn't have to worry about our virtual farms or digital cities. Getting a phone call from a friend during summer break was exciting. Receiving a letter in the mail from them was even more special. Declaring boredom got you sent outside, into the fresh air and sunshine, to ride bikes with the neighbor kids.

I often wonder what our society would look like if we all had to unplug for a few days. Something to think about, I suppose. 

My Admissions Statement

Since I'll be chronicling my adventures of online college, I thought I'd start out by sharing my admissions statement. Unfortunately, I was the process of submitting all my information to the college when I heard about the Sandy Hook school shootings. I found it difficult to get the news out of my mind, and it reflected in my writing.

December 14, 2012

As I sit here and try to write my personal statement for graduate school, my thoughts are in Connecticut with the children and faculty of Sandy Hook Elementary School. What has happened in the past twenty years that has led to such a violent society? More importantly, how do we change it?

Today, more than ever, I am reminded exactly why I write. I write to ask individuals to look for solutions other than the most obvious. I write to start a debate about the pros and cons of any situation. I write to open communication between adversaries. And sometimes, I write to express my heartache when violence pervades our lives.

To me, communication is vital, whether it be written, oral, or visual. When society fails to communicate, assumptions are made, decisions are ill-informed and solutions are difficult to find. I’m reminded of a game played in childhood, when one person whispers a sentence to another, who whispers it to his neighbor, and so on, until the last child in the class states the sentence out loud. By the end, the original sentence is so twisted and tattered that it wouldn’t recognize itself if standing in front of a mirror. As children, the game is good for a laugh or two; as adults, the consequences can be much grimmer.

My goal in pursuing a Master of Arts in Professional Writing is to reach people through my writing and hopefully make a difference. One of the causes I am most passionate about is the stigma surrounding mental illness. I have witnessed so much needless suffering due to our society’s view of what it means to be mentally ill. I want to take what I learn at New England College and apply it to writing for businesses and organizations that seek to educate our society on the facts. It is my goal to help others live fuller, more peaceful lives.

My background in writing started out fairly similar to every other American child. Beginning in elementary school, we learned about nouns and verbs and how to form agreeable sentences. In junior high, we groaned about diagramming sentences and conjugating irregular verbs. Somewhere in high school, though, I learned that writing had power. A well-written article on a hot topic published in the school newspaper could set the entire student body abuzz and cause the administration to shift anxiously in their seats. A good essay on an exam could mean the difference between an "A" and a "C". A thoughtful prose about the importance of a college education for a kid raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains could get you a scholarship to a four-year university.

Professionally, my experience in writing has been more on the editing side. After college, I took a position as a proofreader and graphic artist at my hometown newspaper. Since then, I have waivered back and forth between theatre management (not for the faint of heart) and the publishing field. Working in the theatres afforded me the ability to take college classes during the day while working evenings and weekends; yet the publishing industry is where I feel I thrive most. Today I work for a technical communications company, and while my title is Production Artist, I do much more than paginating documents and placing art. I check manuals for style consistency, grammar, and clarity. I also proofread manuals and create final files for the clients. At the end of the day, though, a part of me just aches to write.

A new year. A new direction.

My blog address might lead one to think that I'm all about design and whatnot. Well, I am. But I've decided to put graphic design and illustration on the back burner for a while.

 

I will soon be starting on a new adventure. I have found a college that offers a masters degree in professional writing online. It has always been a goal to get my masters and the college I selected seems to be a good fit for me. I am a little nervous, though. The rest of my cohort started in the autumn and have completed two classes: an introductory course to professional writing and a research course. The research I'm not overly concerned about, as I take pride in being able to sniff out the most obscure information. The intro course, however, is another thing. Part of the program requires keeping an online writing portfolio, which my classmates set up in the intro course. I'm sure someone will help me out and share the information I need, but I hate feeling like I'm behind before I even start. Which I guess is why I'm transitioning this blog from design/illustration to writing. Perhaps it will help ease my mind a bit. :)

 

Don't fret, however. I still plan on posting my adventures in the crafting world as well as my doodles and scribbles. Check back soon!