College admission - Admission/Application Essay Example

College Admission Essay Throughout my life I have participated in many creative and artistic pursuits. In participating in these actions I’ve come to develop a number of thoughts and perspectives on the nature of improvement and constructive criticism. I recognize that while not all artistic mediums or types of creative expression are the same, there are a number of elements related to criticism that can be extended among many types of artistic endeavor. One of the means of creative expression I have engaged in with some frequency is writing.

In these regards, I participate in poetry, written reflection, and fiction writing in a variety of contexts. Writing has been an endeavor of mine since early childhood and I have given a great amount of thought to the ways that I can improve my ability. Oftentimes I have sought out the opinion of others on my writing. This essay considers one particular time when my work was criticized and examines my specific reactions to the incident. The specific incident involved a creative story that I had written.

The story was a work of fiction and it involved an experimental form of structure and language. My intention with the story was to attempt to develop new ways of advancing the story. In these regards, the structure of the story was greatly influenced by movies such as Memento and Inception, in that the narrative didn’t advance in a strictly straightforward way, but instead jumped throughout different time periods. In addition to the story implementing experimental story structure, at times it also implemented experimental language; in these regards the story was influenced by books, such as 1984 and a Clockwork Orange, because these books also used invented words and different text.

While I recognized that in implementing these methods, the story would potentially be made more difficult to read, I felt they were necessary to add a touch of originality and fresh perspective to my work. However, when I had a number of individuals read the story many reacted negatively indicating they did not like the experimental elements incorporated into the story. My reaction to the negative criticism of my story was complex. Initially I resented the criticism I received from these individuals and began to think that they didn’t appreciate what I was attempting to accomplish with my writing.

I began to believe that if the people who criticized the story had spent more time trying to read it then they would have understood it to a greater extent. I also began to consider the nature of developing my writing style. I believed that if I were to listen to the influence of others too heavily, then my style would just conform to the general concept of what constitutes effective writing and as such it would lack all originality. In these regards, my thought process was that in not following these general trends I could develop a unique style.

As I further considered my work in relation to these individuals’ criticisms I began to reconsider my stance. This was a complex process for me, as I recognized that developing a unique style was an important concept for my writing. I also began to consider that if I were to too stringently cling to originality then my writing would not appeal to many people. I then began to consider the nature of work and entertainment that has popular appeal. In these regards, I recognized that there is a great degree of artistry that is required in constructing work that appeals to many people.

I also recognized that if I truly wanted to express myself and get my message across to the greatest amount of people then I would need to develop more effective means of expression. As a result of these insights I recognized that in developing an effective artistic style and approach one should work towards balancing elements of creative expression and originality. I also began to consider that the most important element of creative or artistic expression is oftentimes communication. Rather than solely attempting to conform my work to an objective ideal of original or unique art, I began to think that originality should exist in terms of expression.

For instance, older forms of writing or filmmaking oftentimes become cliched and viewers begin to neglect watching or paying attention to these elements because of this reason. Originality is then important to achieve more effective expression. Ultimately, my experience demonstrated to me the importance of considering both audience appeal, as well as originality in my writing. As a result, I revised my story and made it more audience acceptable.