Extra Credit Blog Post

I have learned a lot about my writing style and my thinking this year. Before this year, I really didn’t think much on analysis, I was always very focused on seeing what is given to me in a work of literature or art. I never digged deeper into not only seeing the message behind a work of art or literature, but rather putting my own thoughts and experiences and accepting how it can influence my understanding or view of a painting or a book that I am reading. I also didn’t quite understand that when looking at a painting or reading a book, everyone has different takes or interpretations that they take away from what they are seeing or reading. Someone from a different background may see or take away something different from a painting where I am looking at the same thing. For example, if looking at ancient Chinese art, someone who is related to Chinese royalty might see something different than I would because it doesn’t quite relate to me. However, if I was looking at a painting of the priests in India I would have a different interpretation then the same girl. These different interpretations fuel what is said as a whole about a painting or emotion that is evoked from reading a book. This is extremely important in articulating my ideas because then I don’t make the assumption that everyone has the same ideas that I do, and that it is okay to be able to first go off of what our initial reaction or feeling is to a painting or a book. I also learned extremely valuable lessons about the way of reading a book. At first, I would just read a book to look at plot or learn about new characters. But, throughout the quarter, I have started to read books to see the underlying message, figure out the author’s purpose of what he is trying to tell us in his book. Furthermore, I have also learned new ways of looking at a painting. It was so interesting how I wouldn’t pay attention to the finer details of a painting and didn’t wonder things such as whether the painting was sublime, picturesque, or beautiful. These aspects add so much to the painting, and in looking at those aspects it makes me wonder what the author’s intention was. My way of writing has also changed. It has evolved from a very structured way of writing to focus more on the analysis of what I am seeing. I also like how Dr. Morse taught us to not always have the thesis first, because it made writing so much easier to develop my thesis after getting all my main points down which is much better for getting a better flushed out thesis. Overall, this quarter has taught me so much about my writing style and the way I thought about writing my essays. Furthermore, this quarter has developed my thought process as well. I am so glad that my way of thinking has broadened substantially as well. Thank you for what you have taught me this quarter Dr. Morse! I am so lucky to have you as my professor.