The end.....

I cannot believe this is the end.....

I knew that this week would come, but I still can't believe it is here. When I decided to go back to school I knew that I would finish but it seemed so far away. I remember looking at all the classes and dreading the math I would have to get through. And it is all done. I have to say that I am proud of myself. I am excited that I did this. It would have been so easy not to. To just work. To just go on with my life and say, "You know I really should get a bachelor's degree someday." I am proud of myself.

Wait a minute, this isn't the end. I haven't done the credential program yet. Damn. I was so sure this was the end. Now is the moment where I feel that I will be in school forever. I have to remind myself that the hardest part IS over. I will get the credential program done just like I did with my B.A. I will do it. I will do it.

Since going back to school I have been divorced, performed in many a play, started a new career, moved four times,had a traumatic break-up, and I am now engaged and getting married again November 2nd. I have been living my life while going to school. It has been a journey that is not over yet. And I must remember when life seems hard and school seems never ending, that it is the journey and not just the destination that is important. That is your life. And right now I am so excited about mine.

Writing Fiction v.s Writing about Fiction

So, as I have been saying all semester long, what I truly love about this class is that I have been required to be creative. This has really been a treat, and for me has not felt like work at all. So, I have to say that I enjoy writing Fiction more than writing about it. However, my favorite genre of Literature is short story, so I also enjoyed writing about Aidoo's "No Sweetness Here". There was so much to write about with that story. I could have gone on for pages.
This class has given me the thought, "I wish I had gone the route of creative writing and not literature." But the truth is, I think I am better at creative writing and so I did major in the place where I needed more work. Now my knowledge of Literature is at a level it never would have been. And I guess I am now better at analyzing text and writing about it, so...no regrets.
I hope that I remember after this class is over how much I enjoy writing fiction, and make time to do it. It is hard when you are living your life to try and make time for things out of pure pleasure. I am going to make it a point to write for fun because it really makes me happy. This assignment has me really wanting to write a full short story. I think that would be a good place to start.
I also really liked the way we worked on our fiction in class. It reinforced my opinion that this class does not feel like school. I never mind going and I really like being there. It has been great to see other people and their creativity. Each member of my group had a creative, clever and entertaining piece to read. Fun times......
I will keep writing, I will keep writing., I will keep writing. Even when I'm tired and no one is paying me to. I will keep writing.

Good Times

It took me a bit to come up with a myth. I am most always in my head when it comes to writing. I cannot stop the judging. Anyway, I have really enjoyed the whole myth process. I was not sure in the beginning that I would like the section on Mythology, in fact I was not looking forward to it at all. I have now come to really enjoy Mythology and would like to learn even more about it. I have now a whole new outlook on Myths...thank you Professor Clark. But seriously I do, I don't hate it anymore, so that's good.
What I have loved the most about this class is the creative aspect. I am so thrilled to have a reason to do creative writing. I have loved being forced to write creatively because I don't make any time for it if something is not due. I am a Literature major and so most of the writing that I have had to do for all of these years has been analytic.That can get old and this has been refreshing for me. I did not know what to expect with this class. The amount of creative writing has been awesome for me. That's right, I said awesome.
Creating my own Myth and website has been interesting. Yes, interesting. I am what you may call "technically challenged", so the fact that I have learned to put a website together is exciting...and surprising. When we first had the lecture in class I was worried because the instructions sounded like a different language to me. I had no idea what the man was talking about and I know that it was not his fault. I did not even really know what "blogging" was until we had to do it. My first thought was, "Should that be allowed in school?". But now I am a master blogger and in the process of creating a website. Weird.
My myth on the creation of Wonderland has been a lot of fun. It is nice when school can be fun too. I have told many children my story and they really love it. They have told me to make it into a movie, a book, and a musical. But many of them warn me not to make it too scary. But sorry kids, I like the scary parts so you're screwed. Writing this story has been so much fun that I am now writing again for pleasure, not grades. It is nice when a class makes you motivated. That is what I keep feeling after these assignments. Motivated and excited to create. I don't even know if my stuff is any good, but it has been a lot of fun. This class is a great way to end my experiences as an English major. Wow, I am graduating in about a month....good times.

The Best Weekend Ever!

So, if I could pick one person in the world to meet, be in the same room with, listen to them sing, and actually get to ask them music questions it would be Adam Duritz of The Counting Crows. I have loved and admired his words and music since High School. I have had the chance to see them play about seven times now, but never like this.

This past weekend I went to visit my sister in San Fransisco, she is a big fan of Counting Crows too, and when we found out that the weekend I was planning to visit was the same weekend they were doing a free show at the Apple store in S.F, we were so excited!

We got to the Apple store at 7:00 a.m on Sunday morning, for a show that started at 4:00....we are die hard fans. Long story short, we got in and the venue was like watching them in my living room. He called on me to ask him a question and I kid you not, he was singing a lot of the songs to me. I thought that I was possibly imagining this because it would be like a dream come true, but my sister confirmed it. When I spoke to him, my heart was beating out of my chest and according to my sister I turned into a tomato. This has never happened to me in this way before....a bit embarrassing. But I got out my question and just kept on breathing.

This was like, as I explained to my Mom, if she had this experience with John Lennon. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a day that I will never forget. A seriously cool day.

Creating Wonderland

This is an exciting assignment. It took a little while for me to figure out what I wanted to create for my Myth website. But in a instant I knew that I must write a creation story about the creation of "Wonderland". I don't want to spoil the story by writing all the details. I will only say that I hope the result is as cool as the ideas are in my head. We can only hope.

I have always had a fascination with wonderland and as a child I loved to pretend that I was in fact.....Alice, in wonderland. I would play in my backyard and pretend I was Alice and the backyard was wonderland. This was also a ritual where I put on the persona of Princess Lea, Daisy Duke, Madonna, and Marilyn Monroe. I was to put it lightly...an interesting child.

So, I decided to write a creation story that appealed to me and my childhood. I have already had so much fun thinking about this story, my website, and playing with the idea of wonderland being a world with great evil at the heart of it. I guess as an adult I have grown a bit more demonic and dark. My blonde hair just hides it. This past weekend I have begun talking pictures to put on the website and I am just truly excited about the whole thing. I have even thought of writing a book on the creation of wonderland. I think I will do that in all of the spare time I have.

Before the section on Myths I had absolutely no interest in them. This seems to be a pattern in this class....I don't like a genre and end up loving it by the end. It is really nice when a class inspires you week after week. (And I am not simply writing this because you will inventually read this Dr. Clark...sincerely). I had it in my mind that Greek Myth's were boring and that was my thought when I read the syllabus. I thought, "Oh, great. I hope that section goes by quickly." But now I am truly enjoying the process, I liked reading about creation Myth's in the book, and I am so excited about the website. Hey.....at the start of this class I didn't even know what a "blog" really was. Look at me now people, look at me now.

The confidence to use my words...

I have a goal this year. I want to record an album (or at the very least get started on one). I am a singer. A singer that is tired of Musical Theatre, btu who still wants to sing. So with the help of my close friend, a brilliant musician, this goal could actually be accomplished. I have the whole thing planned in my head. A forties themed album, with old standards, some covers and some originals. And I even have the title and album photography and artwork in mind (but I certainly cannot give away all of my great ideas, you will have to see them when the album is released) So my friend says to me, "Get me some lyrics". These words made my dream start to fade and my goal seem further. "I can sing but writing lyrics?", I thought. "How is this not going to be awful". So, I would write a song, tear it up, write a song, tear it up. This went on for weeks, and I almost gave up on this brilliant, earth shattering idea.

Since we had the poetry reading in class I have written two songs. I discovered a new hope for my words as I watched and listened to words that created poetry. I was inspired. I was hopeful. I became able to write lyrics without immediately tearing up the page. On that Monday evening, I was given the confidence to use my words.

"I Waited Too Long", she says

It's a room like any other room but it's smaller and colder than you last remember

"Tell me to leave" she says, "Or say that you won't."

One day you wake to see
the cracks
in the ceiling
that were always there even if you closed your eyes

"Tell me to leave", she says

She filled them with 2:00 p.m rises out of bed

On the first date he was on time

"Tell me to leave", she says. "You left long ago."

A bit less scared of poetry.....

Last weeks class was the one of the most entertaining classes I have ever been to. I loved listening to every single one of the pieces and it made me realize that poetry is not so intimidating. Each and every poem was so different and yet so entertaining, touching, and impressive. It is amazing to have seen the vulnerable side of every one in class and I was seriously impressed.

I have been doing theatre all of my life and yet I was really nervous to go in front of the class and read my poem. It is such a different arena. Everyone is so close and it seems inappropriate to picture everyone naked, so it is a bit nerve racking. But once the ball started to roll and people took there turn being vulnerable I was more excited than nervous. I was now looking forward to reading my poem and getting some feedback and response. I think we are all lucky that we have a class where all of the people are supportive and not threatening. This can make all the difference in the world. After the last class poetry became for me, something not so scary. I now want to write more, and realize that poetry is not a rigid, judgemental arena, but one with the potential to enlighten and build confidence.

I loved that each poem/poet had a different style. Every poem was different, but had something in common..they were all poetry.

It was also so obvious that everyone shared my enjoyment on this day. You could tell that even the most frightened left the podium with a positive feeling. We have so much talent in our class, so much humor, much fun. I could not stop thinking about this class session for days, and when I got to my car I immediately wrote a new poem. It is refreshing to be inspired at school.

What's A Blog?

Hello, my name is Katie Watts and this is my very first blog. I am a bit embarrassed that I have never done this before, and I do not think that "Myspace" should really count. Hmmm.....well, I want to be a teacher, a Theatre teacher. I graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and then decided to go back to school after living in New York and realizing that I don't want to spend the rest of my life auditioning. I was standing in a cattle call for "The Sound of Music" along with Broadway veterans who were dying to get cast as Nuns! I realized after my third callback for the eldest VonTrapp daughter that I hate "The Sound of Music", and wouldn't want to do the show if I got it. This feeling came on many occasions and I then found myself on a plane and back in school. So here I am a semester away from graduating.

I am so excited about Graduating. I am proud of myself for sticking through this after already going to school, and for not giving up when I realized that there was MATH involved. For some weird reason I got an "A" in Statistics....I have no idea how that happened, or how I ended up enjoying it, weird. It has taken me five years and I knew this semester would arrive, but in a way I am surprised. That I got through the Math is a surprise. The "A" in Statistics was an even bigger one. This is one Graduation that I will be celebrating and partying about.

I will most likely be going right into the Credential program in the fall. I want to teach Theatre and English in High School. I currently teach Theatre, voice and dance privately and I have been doing this for 13 years. The idea of teaching English is right now more exciting for me because I have not been doing that my whole life....we will see. The bottom line is that I love to teach, it makes me happy, and I am great with kids. It is also the perfect career for me to do what I want more than anything....be a mother.

Let's see....how to wrap up my first blog. My blog, I am so cool now. Wait, what's a blog? Why is it called blogging? I think this is most likely a stupid question, and that I should know the answer. Well, I'm sorry but I am so not computer savvy, and I am hopeful that after this class I will be more up to date on the technology that I should already know. I got an "A" in Statistics, I am confident that I can handle this blogging thing, whatever it may be.