Creative Writing

As a Pisces, I am artistic, musical, and intuitive. I know some people might think horoscopes and astrological signs are a bunch of baloney, but I happen to think otherwise.

On whatever device you are on right now, open another tab and look up your astrological sign. Read your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and see if any of them are true to you.

Are you a passionate and creative Leo?

An independent and progressive Aquarius?

A loyal, hardworking Virgo?

According to my zodiac sign, Pisces, I am creative and enjoy freedom to do what I want. When it comes to my writing I feel the same way. In class this week we had a brief discussion on how ‘writing requires no template’. All throughout my years as student I have been told how to write. One intro. Three body paragraphs. One conclusion. This standard form of writing is so ingrained in the mind of students that it is often hard for them to stray away from it. When told to write expressively, many students are at a loss. This box we have been confined to as young writers gets harder and harder to break out of as we write more structurally and concretely.  

In the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman (an Aquarius) he illustrates his father’s memories of the holocaust in a way never quite seen before. In the frame shown below, Spiegelman's father says that it would “take many books” (12) to explain his life during the war. Maus creates a movie on paper for the reader, depicting life during the holocaust. This non-traditional way of displaying the events of the war does Spiegelman's father’s story justice.

Now I’m not saying that we should have no structure. Of course we need some sort of  template when writing research papers and others works of that nature.

       Creative writing is not for everyone. What if you’re a Taurus and you’re practical and like structure? Or you’re a Scorpio and love factual evidence? Then so be it!

      Every once in awhile it is good to be pushed out of your comfort zone. But when it comes down to it, writing is all about expressing who YOU are. Yes, there might be a template to follow, but your writing style will always be personal to you.

We might all have two hands and ten fingers, but everyone one of our finger prints leaves a different mark (super cheesy but you get the point).