Journal 5

Project one has really opened my eyes to how complex that the keywords we had to choose are, especially when you dig deeper into all of the information available. When only looking at my term, design, there were so many elements of the term and different ways to approach it. It was also very interesting to see how other students in the class approached the same term. Very few of us thought of it in the same way, and I feel that this really exhibits the complexity of each term. 

I define writing, at its most basic, as a means to convey and pass on information. Complex writing, whether it is mentally, rhetorically, or technical, is an art. Composing is the comprehensive combination of pieces of writing to form an entire work. Simply writing allows you to express thought. Composing is more helpful for sharing those thoughts so that others can benefit from your ideas. Books, for example, must be both written and composed. Experience with things such as the free writing in class, jotting down notes for reminders later, and personal journals have impacted my understanding of the term "writing" by itself. These are all writings, but they are far from being compositions. I feel that compositions are more of collections of writings that are professionally or very carefully curated. The experience of reading textbooks with contributions from multiple authors and books of essays, poems, or chapters make me think of true compositions. Conversely, however, I do not believe that compositions are only made up of text. This is different from writing, which I think is made up exclusively of text. Compositions could be portfolios or exhibitions that include images and graphics. The composition refers to the entire package. Images, text, symbols, negative space, etc. I think that this is the primary difference between the two. Writing is more raw and unedited. Composition is perfected, proof read, and ready for publishing.

When thinking about writing and composing, I think of:

1. Text

2. Paper

3. Free Thought

4. Handwritten Script

5. Books

6. Journals

7. Graphics

8. Publishing