We were asked to prepare a short summary of why we want to write. She called it an "artist's vision statement".
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First off, a disclaimer: I don’t write much, but I want to write more.
I have a few concise reasons why I want to write: I think it will improve my ideas, my communication, and my mental habits.
The clarity that the exercise of writing gives to ideas is unmatched. It is obvious if you are thinking soundly and consistently, and it is difficult to double-speak in a written document. The process of choosing words is good for communication skills in general, and it makes you look for new ways of saying things.
In short, I want to supplement my brain with the skill of writing, and I am looking forward to doing it in a group like this.
One note: you have probably noticed that there isn’t much of the artist in my desire to write. I would love to be a better storyteller, and I may write some stories, but I don’t do poetry. I expect to write much more left brain style essays and short articles to help hone my communication skills. Plus, I think a lot more about facts and ideas than I do about feelings and stories, and I feel that expressing the things I discover is a good thing for me to do relationally. So, you have been forewarned: my writing will probably be very dull compared to what other people have to share here.
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