“To days of inspiration, … making something out of nothing. The need to express, to communicate. To going against the grain.”
–Johnathan Larson- Rent
For me, the summer is a time of expression and inspiration. The bright sun, long days, and warm air allows me to thrive creatively.
Therefore, my experience in writing has not only been practised throughout my academic career. I try to pursue writing and poetry during my free time. In addition, I have had the opportunity to experience writing on the job. Overall, I believe channeling creativity into self-expression serves as a very fulfilling and positive outlet in my life.
Communication is Key
My writing style has definitely flourished throughout the past couple of years. I was always a very concise writer in high-school, sometimes to a fault. Many of my teachers would urge me to be more specific when writing assignments. I have strived to improve and now I often find myself being too wordy and elaborate. I hope to work on being concise and communicating effectively both in writing and speaking during this course. I have already learned a lot, but I hope to continue to practice these skills as I believe they will be essential in my professional career going forward.
Back to Business
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I worked at an accounting firm for the past year and a half. Throughout my time as an administrative assistant, I gained valuable professional writing experience. I practised these skills by corresponding to a variety of emails to partners and clients, as well as addressing the Canadian Revenue Agency in numerous letters. At first, I was very nervous to tackle this daunting task. As we reviewed in class, there are many factors to consider even when writing an email. For example, keeping the subject line brief and informative. Although this large learning curve challenged me at first, through practise, I have benefitted tremulously and now feel more confident communicating professionally.
Media Mogul?
In terms of social media, I have limited knowledge. I use social networking sites daily and believe that they are a great way to communicate globally. However, staying versed in the #follow4follow way of life has become less important to me over time. Many social media accounts illustrate the concept of instant gratification and an unhealthy “fake lifestyle”. Therefore, I have been less inclined to participate. My busy schedule also limits the time and energy I have to keep up with all the latest posts. Instead, I try my best to live life with #nofilter, taking in the present moment and unplugging from cyberspace.
Identifying Inspiration
All in all, writing is such a beautiful way to express yourself. Although it can be challenging to find inspiration, there are so many resources available to assist the writing process. Like I said, the time of year really influences my creativity. Something about golden summer days allow me to put pen to paper. What is your inspiration?
Here is a link outlining “31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing”; https://writetodone.com/31-ways-to-find-inspiration-for-your-writing/.
Ultimately, writing comes from within. It is such an important skill that I really value as a prospective member of the workforce and as an individual. Due to our world’s advancement in social networking, it is necessary that we develop these skills and stay up to date on the appropriate communication practises.
Through all kinds of weather be mindful, be present, be you, because this is me.
Photo Credits
Seasons of Love 
Hi Felicia, I really enjoyed reading about your writing journey! I liked how you structured your post to include an introduction that referred to your past writing experiences in high school, and then proceeded to talk about your current writing aspirations and successes. It was nice to see that in your post, you mentioned the challenges you faced as a writer and how that fluctuates. Writing is almost like a roller coaster ride!
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Thank you for your comment, Christine. I love using a roller coaster as an analogy! It is true in this case as the writing process is filled with triumphs and challenges. I structured my post as a time line to show that although time passes, there is always room for improvement.
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