DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Context

My study abroad blog is the only piece included in my portfolio that I developed purely for pleasure. My other documents were either assigned for class or my internship. Though those samples provide very important insight into my traditional writing process, the types of writing they represent are not all-inclusive of my strengths. In fact, my choice to publish this blog online reaped an influx of positive feedback for my creative writing talents which hitherto I had thought were unremarkable. My blog posts are emotionally-laden, dealing with themes such as homesickness, euphoria, cultural appropriation, expatriate identity, wanderlust, and the general inner-conflict that nipped at my heels as I walked through Europe. Let this serve as a warning to my readers that "Miranda is in Florence" is a deeply honest reflection on not only my opinions on Italian culture but also my emotional reaction to my situation and ability to document this in writing. It is a powerful and intimate exhibition of my writing abilities.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
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DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

 

Rhetorical Decisions

Studying abroad was at times difficult for me, as evidenced by my blog posts. I needed this creative outlet not only to communicate with those at home but also to put my thoughts into a more tangible vessel. Writing my emotions as opposed to feeling them made me feel in control. If I documented my homesickness on a page I felt removed from the heartache as well as justified in sharing a very human experience with other humans. At times, my writing is profane or comical or both. It was freeing to choose to use curses as an outlet for my feelings within a more liberal context. This would rarely pass in academia, but is a legitimate method of expressing ideas in creative writing.

 

Blogs place increased emphasis on visual design – often the success or failure of a blog depends on its textual design, page layout, interface, and photography and graphics. I experimented with paragraph breaks and formatting as well as diction and imagery. Some posts are only a short quote ("La vita è bella") or a bulleted list of observations ("Miscellaneo") while others are lengthy descriptions of my travels ("Grecia"). As a fun bit of linguistic play, I peppered posts with Italian phrases as well as titled my site and posts in Italian, which I was studying at the time.

 

I fussed with my page navigation at length, finally settling on a beautiful template that I altered to suit my needs. The layout features sliding cover photos for each post which enabled me to highlight a few important photographs from my complete album, which contains approximately one thousand edited images. Each of these images is the result of laborious rhetorical decision-making that is specific to the artistic principles of photography. This process is a useful parallel to my writing process in that both require a conscientious deliberation of each stage of development and editing. This piece gives texture to my portfolio as a whole by showcasing my creative writing as well as my photography. 

 

The blog format is interesting because I created the rhetorical context for myself. Typically I work within the rhetorical contexts set in place by institutions, such as academia and the workplace. While I was influenced by the popular culture of blogs and online communication spaces, my creative decisions were driven by my own organic force. Within my definition, the rhetorical context is measured chiefly against my own satisfaction. I decided my audience by making my blog public and sharing it to my followers on social media. I revised drafts of my posts until I felt confident that I would enjoy reading them if I was on the receiving end. I wrote when I was compelled to, so the arching narrative follows the emotional peaks and valleys of my trip.

 

Evaluation

This piece showcases my creative writing as well as my photography and in this way gives body to my portfolio as a whole. As I have mentioned, photography is a highly effective means of communication when paired with text. Stretching my creative muscles leads to rewards such as positive exposure and an additional component to my PWR knowledge. I now feel more confidence in myself as a writer which manifests also in my academic and professional work, so here I fulfill another PWR goal which states that students will "see themselves as experts." In addition, I feel it is most important to cultivate as many aspects of my PWR identity as possible. This piece best shows that I approach PWR as an artistic discipline.

 

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Please click here to view: 

http://mirandaisinflorence.wordpress.com/

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.