I am not too certain that I fully comprehend exactly what I am expected to do but here is some introductory writing I have completed. There are a few ideas that I used from no Techno-literacy narrative here but I felt it was appropriate for what I am trying to convey.
According to
Dictionary.com - art·ist [ahr-tist] – noun
1. a person who produces
works in any of the arts
that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
To take it a step further, I believe an artist is someone that performs an art. In my exploration into this craft, I have made the choice to try some new things that I never gave much thought to that could potentially help further my appreciation for writing. All of the arts work collectively and by having open mind, one becomes open to endless possibilities. I thought of ways to enhance my experiences and decided to take an unconventional approach and the result was a collection of ideas, arguments, letters and poems that seemingly connect through my love for food.
I have always been an advocate for the arts but little did I know about or recognize that there was a starving artist within me. When I thought of the word artist, I instantly imagined a painter, someone who drew very well or a singer but never a writer. An artist is someone who is skilled and gifted in a specific area of art and often it is something out of the reach of the average person or so I thought. After wrestling with my own preconceived notions and sharing them with family and friends, I soon realized that I was not the only person that thought and felt this way.
I always enjoyed writing but it was not until later in my life that I actually began to appreciate and understand exactly why. I have always maintained the ideal that other than cooking, writing is the most intimate way for someone to highlight his or her creativity and style through personal expression. Writing, just as cooking, is complex in its development; it goes through stages before it is complete. Writing, for many is the catalyst of their personal freedom and liberties. I particularly find writing very therapeutic and satisfying because it follows the lead of the writer and takes on any form or idea in which they choose; it allows you to go the distance where nothing else can take you.
The idea of writing a book came to me in the form of a dream, which, when I think of in hindsight, retrospectively was the outlet for some pinned up frustrations I had due to my second semester of college English. Even now, I am amazed at how that course had completely thrown me off and disrupted my confidence in my ability. If nothing else, I learned that it takes strength and endurance to be an effective college student.
My first semester of English was the most inspiring class I have ever had and it was not so much of the class as it was my professor and the positive aura that she projected. She was phenomenal, rich in encouragement and energy, which she generously extended to the class. It was a writing course and we wrote about everything in this class; it was very therapeutic.
In my second semester, it was the complete opposite in that we read and did not write at all. I had just gotten used to the idea that I could possibly be a good writer and to have it all flipped upside down was not very reassuring or enjoyable, at least not at that point of reference in my mind. People so often get comfortable with things and/or situations that if anything comes along and threatens their security, it usually is not well received or embraced. That was no exception for me.
In my dream, I did not recall the preceding events but I remember awakening with a constant thought in my mind and I knew instantly that GOD was speaking to me. What I remembered was a very good feeling, a sense of euphoria. I felt He was reassuring me and telling me that it was okay that reading was all I did in this semester of English because I would need to read more to write more. The more I thought on that idea, the more excited I became because I felt it was a true statement and I knew if anyone had the audacity to believe it, surely, I was that person.
This is my conscious attempt to recap my recipe of enrichment and allow the readers into my mind, to explore my concepts and ideas about my interaction with the arts from the perspective of a student, a writer, a critic and ultimately an artist.
