I'm always doubtful of how much I really improve, but one look at my first news brief makes me realize how far I've come. I'm not sure why every paragraph has some sort of dramatic ellipses, especially when it's just about how fun Marching Band is.
Over time, I've broadened my scope from fluff pieces and profiles to topics affecting the school and happenings in the world. I've branched out into Op-Eds to share my view of the world, Spotlights to investigate local and worldwide topics, and editorial cartoons to complement editorials.
My drawing style has matured and changed. I'm experimenting with textures, and I've dropped the gradients I tended to overuse earlier. I've learned to love simple blocky designs (a big thanks to the polygonal lasso!) and explored Photoshop further for ventures such as image editing and graphic design. My previous views of art as a singular medium were shattered – I realized that I could use my artistic vision for layouts and infographics as well.
My most recognizable contributions have to be the covers – they're the first thing readers see, after all. They're the thing that draws students in and sparks their curiosity; it's much more than just eye-candy. However, my favorite article has to be Want Score / Have $. It's a topic very dear to me, and the Spotlight team and I labored long hours after midnight to perfect the layout and writing. Worth it, though – it helped confused students plan how much time, effort, and money they should spend, as well as start to think about the score they should aim for. I'm honored to have highlighted and started conversations about the relationships between money and college.
Overall, I've really grown from my shaky beginnings in news brief writing to encompass all mediums of journalism.
Four years have passed in a blur of fun, stress and lovely chaos. I can finally count the days of school left on a single hand – exciting but also daunting. Although I most likely will not be pursuing journalism, I'm still excited to use my passion for telling stories through writing and art.
Over this year, I've truly come to appreciate the intersection of articles and graphics. While each on their own are powerful, once combined, they can be even more potent.
I went through a bit of a crisis in my art around the end of third quarter – while I loved using blocky shapes and fun colors, I also felt cornered by sticking to one particular art style. It was nice to play around with textures and palettes, but I wanted to go back to the 3-dimensional feel of my other artwork. I worked around with a cacophony of artistic outlooks, and eventually, I decided to settle down on two styles – one with a messy line art and solid colors, and the other with a more painterly style. While I'm mostly satisfied with these two styles, I definitely won't feel like I have to stick with them. I've dabbled a bit in animation this semester as well, thanks to online articles.
I've also fallen further into the Op/Ed wormhole, because I've found that writing down my opinions is a great way to collect my thoughts, and even better if I have an audience. Since I'm now experienced™ in life (am I really?) I find that I can write about complicated topics like self-esteem and hopefully drive others to think about their perspectives as well. That's the sort of change I've seen in myself, and through my work, I want to give others the chance to see how it speaks to their experiences.