Blog post #2 - Me, but as a Coach.

 

Greta’s Writing Coach Profile:

I wasn't born a writer. It took me a really long time to approach writing with my own voice. I was always too afraid of college board expectations, standardized tests, not impressing my teachers, and I would get lost in the sheer amount of thoughts and ideas that I have buzzing in my head. In high school, I didn’t feel like my writing had value, and so, it didn’t. It wasn’t until I started TA-ing an Ap-Lang. class my junior year that I looked around and realized my peers felt the same way that I did; what’s the point in turning in this essay when I’m just meeting word count? What am I saying that hasn't been said before? But then, I saw their work. Every single paper had something fascinating about it that sparked my attention, a new perspective being smothered by hesitation to write in the wrong tense or put a comma in the wrong spot (which I'm obviously not afraid of). Almost accidentally, my peers and I built up a lot of bravery together, I shared my rough but passionate first drafts, and in turn I got to meet new people hidden inside the kids I’d gone to school with since first grade. Slowly, our writing represented us, our unique opinions and interpretations, my voice, loud and clear. Now, I’m a published poet, an English scholar, and soon to be an alumni of the UWM education program! My approach to writing is largely rooted in my interests, theatre and playwriting, poetry, and graphic novels, experimental ways of telling a story. There is no wrong way to express your voice, except to ignore it. The only thing I could ask of any writer is to chip away at that hesitancy, stake your claim, and demand your space on the page. You deserve it.

Here’s a mashup of my literacy identity to peruse!