A minor addiction I have chosen to give up would be social media. One reason why I chose to give up this habit is because I tend to procrastinate a lot and social media plays a huge part in my procrastination. I know that I would get so much work done swiftly if I did not give all of my attention to what goes on online. There are social media platforms that allow me to communicate with my friends and family, or to stay up to date with certain things I enjoy, but sometimes I need to pull myself back from a nonexistent life that social media has created in my head, and just enjoy the reality that’s surrounded by me. Social media creates these false narratives of the way you should live a “perfect” life or can. Not only that but social media hinders me from missing out on a lot of things. It sounds very easy to give up, but it is actually very difficult to do so since the things I do are very mundane and social media is my form of entertainment. It is simply just a big distraction and also draining, so I want to be able to use it less. The way I would limit my social media use is by deactivating my accounts for just a small period of time. I will discipline myself to spend at least an hour a week on at least one screen-free hobby, and keep my phone out of my sight when not needed or useful, so that they are out of mind. I think these are a few ways that will help to tame my social media use. I want to be able to see improvement in myself and the things I could have accomplished before.
All posts by Vianly
Blog Post #2: “Literature as Fiction”
In the chapter titled “The nature of literature,” Cullen introduces literature from several angles. One of the angles that I found to be the most intriguing was “literature as fiction.” The reason why I chose this angle was because fiction is very fascinating. It leverages the power of storytelling to capture the reader’s imagination and take them into an alternative world, away from contemporary reality whether that be through a novel, short story or even a screenplay. The writer also has the ability to show a glimpse of their dreams or imaginings. There is no restriction to how far your imagination can go when it comes to fiction. The impossible becomes possible through your limitless imagination because you are the director of your own story. Your story’s outcome depends entirely on you. You decide what happens to your characters, how they act, what happens to their relationships, and what happens to the world around them. Fiction is all about unexplored ideas that can, for now, only exist in our heads. Fiction in many cases inspires you to do things or dream big. It spurs your imagination, making you a more creative and intriguing person.
Blog Post #1
Without literature there is no self-expression and creativity. We would not be able to appreciate the power of words and make deep connections within them. The poem “The Brain—is wider than the Sky—,” written by Emily Dickinson is a form of literature that compares the brain to earth surfaces and God. She uses one giant metaphor to state how powerful the brain is and the infinite capability of the human mind. When she compares the brain being wider than the sky she is expressing how the mind is a boundless place for imaginations and ideas vaster than the sky. She also compares how the mind has the ability to grasp never-ending amounts of information just like a sponge has the capacity to absorb a whole bucket of water. Lastly, the brain is compared to the weight of God, referring that the brain almost has the same importance and power as God. It compares the human brain to syllables and God’s energy and power to sound. The poet uses figurative language to make comparisons on how the brain is limitless unlike the sky, sea and the weight of God. This poem very-well expresses how the mind is powerful and capable of creating and perceiving things. Every mind is intellectually unique in its own way, but not everyone is aware of how much power they can consume; it is built throughout time. The mind is filled with an infinite amount of intelligence and imaginations “wider than a sky.” Without literature, the poet would not be able to make expressive connections like these. Literature allows the writer to paint a work of art while the audience (reader) can create different kinds of visions and perspectives just from their imagination. Literature is powerful and interesting. Without literature the mind would just become boring.
