I’m starting to think that writing and blogging are two completely different art forms.  For me, blogging has been “thinking outloud”.  Sure I like to add wit and the occasional literary device but I don’t have to plan a blog post out;  I just write.

So, many of you know that I’m in the process of applying for the Master of Journalism program here at UNT.  I have my three top notch writers slaving away at my letters of recommendation — all former professors of mine from SFA (Miles, Tim, and Dr. King).  Hopefully they are not at a loss for words when it comes to recommending me for graduate work.  With recommendations on the way, the bulk of my application is still staring me in the face — a portfolio.  I’m not a journalist, nor have I played one on TV.  More importantly, I haven’t written anything that has been publish in anything with the exception of a poem I co-authored in 5th grade and a column in college for the school paper.  I don’t have a copy of the poem and the column will only serve as one small portion of the required portfolio.  So I have to start from scratch and write something portfolio worthy; make that many things portfolio worthy.

Why journalism?  I get that question a lot.  Especially when I tell people my goal is to earn a Ph.D in Comm so I can teach.  When I add that my B.S.  (Bachelor of Science… I only clarify for my MANY sarcastic friends) is in Speech Comm it starts to make ME wonder “why journalism?”

Storytelling.  Non-fiction storytelling is what Dr. Mitch Land, director of the graduate program told me the program was based in.  A one hour conversation with Dr. Land pretty much sold me on the idea of pursuing the MJ.  Oddly enough, I didn’t meet with him to talk about grad school at all — I was only stopping by to say “hello” from a friend and former colleague of his, Tim Clipson.  The best professors and teachers I’ve had in life have all been great storytellers.  It’s an art that takes information and data and wraps it in flesh and breathes life into it.  Stories communicate ideas not necessarily more efficently, but far more effectively than other forms of communication.  Stories, not pie charts and fact sheets are passed down from generation to generation because they are meaningful and memorable.

So that’s just more of me, thinking out loud — blogging is my therapy.  Running is my other therapy but blogging usually doesn’t leave me winded and tired, nor have I ever wanted to throw-up afterwards.