The Next Steps (GSU Blog Post #4)

Setting goals and having a plan for the future are common tips for success because they work. As I reach the end of my junior year in college (which feels strange to say), it’s time to take a step back and assess how I will be entering the workforce once I earn my diploma. The industry I’m interested in is booming, and I’m hoping the skills I’ve been developing will be in high demand once that time comes.

COVID-19 has been incredibly disruptive for a variety of reasons. Besides sending me packing from school and distancing me from some of my loved ones, this coronavirus pandemic also put a halt to multiple potential internship opportunities which had presented themselves to me at the beginning of the year. Hopefully when things return to a new normal, I will be able to secure a position at a company where I will get my foot in the door as I take steps toward my eventual career in digital content writing.

Success for me will include incremental steps toward the unforeseen future. I hope to obtain a job which where I can use my skills of effective writing, collaboration, editing, and research. I’m taking all the right steps by giving my schoolwork a lot of attention and maintaining a personal blog. In the coming years, I’d like to work my way up in content writing and editing position, eventually into content management and strategy. The field I’ve chosen is somewhat interrelated with marketing, which opens a lot of doors for me. I’m excited to continue on the journey I’ve started, and update you on how that is going every step of the way.

Was Social Distancing Always An Option? (GSU Blog Post #3)

One of the few silver linings which has come from the otherwise tragic COVID-19 pandemic is our collective reflection on our social and workplace norms in this country. For the sake of safety and self-preservation, most governors and mayors have implemented some sort of shelter-in-place order for “non-essential” workers across the nation, leaving many unemployed, but an even larger portion of the workforce logging into Zoom and hopping onto conference calls from home. While I think we can all agree that going out recreationally is missed dearly and should come back as soon as responsibly possible, this situation makes me ask the question: Was social distancing always an option?

I’m not sure if there’s a clear answer to this question, or that there will be for a very long time. It seems that companies and organizations have done their best to transition their business to an online format of some kind, with universities and school systems doing the same. Besides disrupting the social norms of going into work and school for forty hours a week, could we always have done this? Working from home offers both freedoms and challenges, but in this post, I’m going to make the argument that in-person interaction and working is better in the long-term than socially distant contributions.

The sense of purpose and belonging associated with working or learning amongst colleagues cannot be replicated through chatrooms or instant messages. It is too easy to become distracted, fall out of routine, and not have access to the necessary technologies to get work done when working from home. Even in my practice, digital content writing and marketing, I enjoy interacting with others and communicating in-person as much as possible. As social creatures, interaction is a necessity - and that’s coming from an a very introverted person.

So yes, we probably could have been socially distancing all this time, especially with recent advancements in technology and computing power. It’s my belief, however, that solely working from home is damaging for some, as it removes much-needed social interaction and that there are too many difficulties associated with conducting business remotely in the long-term. Hopefully we can get back in-person, in a safe and responsible way, as soon as possible. Now go wash your hands and maybe put on some actual clothes while you’re at it so that jeans aren’t such a shock to the system once all this blows over. Thanks for reading.

Why I Chose To Be An English Major (GSU Blog Post #2)

College is strange. After spending the majority of your academic life studying a wide variety of subjects, you’re told to choose one to study even more in-depth, which will then define which career path you are going to follow, and ultimately how you will spend the rest of your life. Usually these decisions are made before you have the ability to vote or purchase alcohol, but they’re made nonetheless. So, as logic dictates, we make as much of a well-informed decision as possible given the absurdity of these circumstances. We choose subjects we’re naturally inclined toward. Those who didn’t enjoy analyzing novels and writing essays are likely to veer toward a STEM field, and those who need a calculator to verify that 9 + 7 does in fact equal 16 are more inclined to study the humanities. As someone who has a natural inclination toward language and communication, I made what felt like a reasonable decision by choosing to study English in college.

And that’s when the questions came flooding in. And the funny looks. Not just from society and the internet where an English degree has a bad rap in general, but from people face-to-face who I actually knew in real life. Questions like “So you want to teach?”, “Are you trying to write the next great novel?”, and “How are you going to get a job with that degree?” were both discouraging and exhausting to hear, and became frustrating to be asked over and over. Until I came up with answers.

At least a version of answers. They’re ever-changing and audience-dependent. They also took a long time to come up with, and funnily enough, are influenced by the things I learn in college. Finding out that I could concentrate my degree on “Rhetoric and Composition” was a game-changer. The courses associated with the path that I’m on focus on practical writing and thinking skills used every day in workplace settings. Despite what many think, effective written communication is actually becoming a scarce and highly-employable skill in most workplaces. Most people aren’t aware of this, so I forgive them for comparing my English degree with the typical pejorative Underwater Basketweaving trope.

I’m still not exactly sure what my future holds, but neither is anyone else. All I know is that I’m succeeding on my current academic path, which provides enough challenge to prevent me from getting bored, but not so much to the point of frustration. To anyone trying to figure it all out at once - stop. Appreciate every day for what it has to offer, run toward what makes you happy, and ignore the naysayers. They just don’t know it yet, but you’re going to prove them wrong. Thanks for reading.

My Writing Process (GSU Blog Post #1)

I’m finally starting to settle into my Spring semester of classes here at Georgia State University, which means syllabus week and the accompanying icebreakers it has to offer are finally out of the way. I’m now figuring out what’s going to be expected out of me throughout the upcoming months, and so far, I’m liking what I’m seeing for the most part. In my Business Writing course, one of the assignments given to us was to create a blog. As you probably know, I luckily already have one of those, one which is becoming quite established at this point. I’ve been told by my professor that I will be allowed to use this site, which is a nice bonus. Throughout my semester, I’m going to be posting academic-based pieces on this site explaining things like my process as a writer, how I decided to pursue an English degree, and other similar topics. Don’t worry, I’ll still be writing posts about the usual topics on a regular basis. Today, however, it’s all about how I sit down and turn my ideas into words ready for mental consumption. Let’s get into it.

Conventional wisdom (and practically everyone I’ve ever met) encourages us to approach writing in a very particular and replicable manner. That process includes brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, peer reviewing, editing, and eventually reaching a polished and thoroughly examined final product. I generally don’t adhere to these literary conventions. I’ve grown to describe myself as a “lightning-in-a-bottle” writer, as I generally set the spark of an idea ablaze by sitting down in front of my computer and just letting the language flow through me. I edit as I go along, and never stress if the stream of consciousness runs dry for some reason, as I’m certain things will starting flowing agin soon. I’m not sure if these practices will eventually prove to be detrimental as there is no real stability in how I write, but so far, following this model has led me to better results than over-planning used to.

The details of my process and ideal writing environment are specific, however. I like to seclude myself to my room with my laptop, a candle lit, music playing, a glass of water (or other beverage of choice now that I’m twenty-one) nearby, and with red light surrounding me. Weirdly specific, I know. This environment is the most conducive to me being able to produce effective writing. I’m sure that each writer’s process varies, and that’s why I don’t like to prescribe my methods to others. Instead, I believe discovering one’s writing process should come from trial, error, and practice all while trying new things until settling into a comfortable routine. Maybe most things in life are like that.

Or maybe I’m crazy. Either way, I’ve found success and improvement through my current writing process, and have no plans to change it. Does your writing process vary from mine? What do you think of taking this sort of approach? Be sure to let me and the world know. Thanks for reading.