Over the past year, my writing has been greatly influenced by several collaborative ventures that changed the direction of my focus from writing as a solitary pursuit to writing as social interaction.

            This summer I took Introduction to Creative Writing with Dr. M. Lee Alexander. Her class taught me the value behind continuous dialogue and interaction throughout the creative process. She was able to bring to life some of the discourse on creativity and collaboration, and I have remarkably benefited from her instruction.

            Sometimes, however, the general campus atmosphere can be detrimental to that sort of mindset-- encouraging individual excellence to a point of self-sufficiency exclusionist in scope. I believe that collaborative projects can be broader in vision and more successful in implementation than projects undertaken by a single individual. The same sort of cohesive effort can create truly extraordinary papers, which is why I admire the policy and mission of the Writing Resource Center so much, and why I wish to be a part of that effort as a writing consultant.                        

            You may also be familiar with the creative writing peer review group critINK, which I founded and directed this past semester. Being able to participate in an atmosphere such as critINK has been a wonderful experience, and I have benefited greatly from the position of director as well as of reviewer. I would like to be able to share what I have learned from this process with others, and I would like to be able to pass along my love for social interaction during the writing process.

             I love writing, and I love every aspect of the creative process. I write, I've been taught, and I have taught others. I informally edit and review others, but I've never held an official position as a writing consultant. I would love to be a part of the collaborative creative process in an academic setting for a student here on campus.

        In conclusion, the ability to collaborate artistically is one of the most beneficial and enjoyable pursuits available, and I have determined to spend my life in that environment. A consultant position at the Writing Resource Center would fall perfectly within that vision. I would take the opportunity of the Writing Resource Center consultant as a chance to continue my writing and my writing career creatively, academically, and professionally, and I would be very happy to be considered for the job.  Thank you very much.

 

Respectively submitted,

Shelly Holder