Journal 1

     Writing is one of the most important fields of study that exists in the world. No matter which area of study one chooses to go into, they will always encounter writing. You must always read for your classes, write essays, and so on. Writing allows us to pass on information for generations, express our creativity, and bring the thoughts inside of our heads to life.
    Some words that define writing include reading, editing, creativity, expression, relaxation, and timeless. Reading is a given, because there is simply no writing without reading. In order to become a better writer, you must read and read and read. Editing also goes hand-in-hand with writing, because once you get your thoughts on paper, you must edit them to make it more understandable and reader-friendly. Creativity and expression come to mind when I think of writing because it allows us the opportunity to show off what we have going on inside of our heads. Personally, I don't find myself to be creative in terms of art and creating things with my hands. But, I can take an idea and turn it into something amazing simply by using my words. It puts a different spin on what the traditional "creative" person is. When I think of writing, I also think of relaxation. To me, reading and writing is a time that I get all to myself, to wind down from the day and clear my head. When I read, I feel like I'm inside the book - I can see the images of the characters, the setting, and so on - so this is a relaxing time, like someone else's version of watching a movie or laying on the beach. And finally, writing is timeless. Although this doesn't count as much with the transition to e-readers and e-books (which is another discussion I don't want to get into right now), physical texts will remain forever. We look at first editions nowadays as a piece of history, and that's why I think writing is so important. It allows us to transport ourselves into another point in time, and get a first-hand look at what was going on in that time. We will never stop using books, magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias, and libraries and colleges should be treated with the utmost respect for this reason. That is why I think the art of writing is so powerful, and it is why I chose to study it during my time at Florida State.