Blog

As a student within the humanities studying Professional and Creative Writing, the future can be uncertain and frightening. The basis of this uncertainty stems from a suspect that has become a staple in conversations throughout academia and the larger world itself: Artificial Intelligence. 

For the past two months, I have been working at The Writing and Communication Centre here at UW and I have been reminded of one of the main pillars of writing: community! Sharing written works, from lab reports to poetry, promotes discussion, evokes feelings, and leads to inspiration to write more. Even at an individual level— almost all visitors have told me they do write for themselves in private— writing acts as an introspective, personal experience that helps one realize their own voice. This is especially true for free writing. This act, one which I partake in, helps build the confidence to go forth and join that greater writing community. Building confidence in your own work will, in turn, help you develop resilience to criticism when sharing it with others and receiving feedback.

Last month, my fellow Arts First peer tutors and I travelled to Baltimore to host a roundtable discussion at the annual conference for the International Writing Centre Association. Our presentation was on “Embodied Multiversalism in WC Staff: Fear vs Fundamental Duty to Social Justice”. We discussed our experiences navigating the often exclusionary world of academia, and considered how tutors can best support the students who come for writing assistance.

In October, I attended the International Writing Centers Association conference in Baltimore, as a peer tutor working for the University of Waterloo’s Writing and Communication Centre. It was the culmination of many months of work, ending with my fellow tutors and I presenting a roundtable discussion on “Embodied Multiversalism in WC Staff: Fear vs Fundamental Duty to Social Justice.”

When I first started my undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo, one of the biggest challenges I faced was learning how to bridge the gap between the writing skills that I brought with me from high school and the writing skills that were expected of me in university.   

What are English Conversation Circles? A few months ago, I had no idea, but when I started working at the Writing and Communication Centre (WCC) one of my roles was to facilitate the English Conversation Circles (ECC) program. I assumed ECC would be a program that Individuals used to strengthen their English conversation skills, and I was excited to be a part of this support team. Once I started working on the program, I learned quickly that ECC is a support system for international students here at UW.

Have you ever tried getting Google Translate to rap before? It’s probably one of the funniest things you can do with translate, outside of totally messing with Disney songs. When I’m not using translate as a means to laugh though, I’m using it to revise my essay by having Google read it out loud to me. Granted, that usually is also very funny, as the automated voice has a habit for tripping over lengthy sentences as well as butchering incorrect spelling of words. Use that last bit with caution though, Google Translate does have a habit for pronouncing everyday words like “get” very wrong.

When I was younger, the more pieces of punctuation I could add to a written work, the more I felt like some sort of literary genius. “Yeah, I’m ten and can use a comma, period, exclamation mark, and question mark within two sentences. I’m just that cool.”

Why is creativity so elusive? We see artists and poets and marvel agape at their powers of creation, but in truth creativity is a learned thing – a practice of insight and introspection. You too have the potential to produce art almost as good as the greats, if only you look in the right places. It doesn’t matter that no one’s listening.

Visit the place where the magic begins and the fun never ends. Every day is a nail-biting adventure inside A WRITER'S MIND™!

Breath-taking beauty awaits you in this rainbow-land of fantastic ideas and colour-splashed coping strategies. Consider how grand it might be to pitch-tent upon the blissful symbolic plains of the subconscious.

During these past four months, I have had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of students through drop-ins at the library as well as during appointments at the Writing and Communication Centre. Among the teaching and communication skills that I have learned through this experience, I am also thankful for the lessons learned. Here are a few: