So as you are well aware I have decided to go back to college, aka Columbia. And I need to apply. So I am posting my application essay, so could you please, please tell me what you think. Even if you don't normally comment, could you do me a solid and tell me what you think? It would me much appricated.
THE QUESTION
Your essay must be at least 400 words, but no more than 4,000 characters. The essay is an important part of your application. Please take time to complete it in a thorough and thoughtful manner. Please select one of the questions below.
Risk-taking is a part of the creative process. To break new ground or to veer in a new direction requires a certain blend of courage and "blind faith", a hopeful confidence that your message will be heard and understood, and - most importantly - valued by others.
Many successful artists, musicians, performers, writers, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, producers, etc., take creative risks to move their artform forward, and, while many risks have proved successful (maybe even revolutionary), it's also true that just as many have flopped. Whether exploring a new idea or form, proposing a show, writing a grant proposal, or presenting their work to the public, the greatest artists have faced rejection and were forced to find ways to persevere.
Big or small, tell us about a time in your creative or artistic life when you were criticized for your creative decisions or told "no". Did you abandon your new idea? Refine your new idea? Or did you reject the criticism and proceed full speed ahead? Tell us about your though process during this time. Do you regret not following through on your idea? Or are you now grateful you didn't go out on such as precarious limb? How do you think the criticism or denial affected the further development of your creative work?
MY ESSAY:
Once I was taking a creative writing class in community college. Every two weeks we would eighter bring in a short story, or bring an installment of a bigger story. Then after a few days the whole class would critique the work in front of the author.
For the first session I brought in the first installment of "Jamison Parker... Is a Real Boy." The class got together and critiqued my work. It was a pretty greusome critique to take. They said my charecter development was off. They told me an American girl shouldn't be writing a novel about a British boy. My main charecters outlook on life was too bleek, etc. etc. It was pretty brutal. So the next day with my pen to paper, I had a choice to make. Continue my story, which I knew had potential, or start anew from scratch. After much thought, I decided not to change my idea nor my charecters. If my Titanic accoplishment was going to sink, it was going to go out in style; full steam ahead in the iceberg infused waters of my classroom. I figured if one group of people didn't like my work, that doesn't nessisarily mean it was awful. There might be one person out there, and this story could possibly change their life.
Two weeks later I brought in "Jamison Parker... Is a Real Boy: Part Deux." The mood of the room had changed by the time it was my turn to be critiqued again. Once the teacher asked who would like to speak first on my work, everyones hand shot in the air. My first thoughts were, "they can't wait to bash it again, maybe it wasn't such a good idea afterall." To my surprise everything I heard was not only a good review, but they actually loved it.
One student in particular had previously stated that my novel was "garbage," and that he wouldn't even have read the secound part even if it wasn't required. But now he was singing a frightfully different tune. He said that by the time he got to part two, that he was so mesmorised that ge was actually infuriated when it ended on a cliffhanger.
I didn't learn anything technically about writing, from that class. But I did learn a valuable lesson. Wether being a writer, musican, journalist, or dancer, there will always be someone who tells you that your album sucks. A magzine giving your movie a one star review, or someone telling you that you don't have the proper technique to be a dancer. But that doesn't mean you should give up. You can always deleted a paragraph here, a sentance there. You can always rearrange a song, and write a new riff for verse two. But if you don't write it in the first place, not only will there be no sense of accomplishment, but there will always be that "what if" factor. If I would have given up, I wouldn't have the amazing novel I have today.
From that one lesson I gained the knowlage of following through on your vision, of any work. Sure you can make alterations here and there, but your vision is what makes you an artist. That is the greatest lesson an aspiring writer can learn. Its something that the best proffessor, in the greatest university could never teach.
Current Music: Destination: Beautiful- Mae
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