As we reach our final days in this course, I’ve found there’s quite a bit to be reflective about—Visual Communications has definitely had its ups and downs, but looking back, I don’t think I’d trade my experience for anything.
From the beginning I found the class highly intimidating, as did everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had plenty of hands on work in the past due to my time in journalism related organizations (interviews, taking photos, writing up stories on deadline, etc.) but for some reason this class came across as especially intimidating. Though I couldn’t completely comprehend why this was the case initially, I think a large part was due to the fact that this class definitely removed me from my comfort zone. Unlike previous organizations where I’d write about and shoot things that I had intentionally signed up for (knowing I’d be comfortable doing it), this class took me out my comfort zone from day one. One of the most memorable assignments for me was our 5 emotions project, our first major assignment—and one that most of the class loathed.
Taking pictures of strangers is easy when they’re in a crowd, or particularly when it’s during an event where it’s expected that pictures will be taken. However, this assignment wasn’t as simple as going out to an event and snapping photos of 5 different people with your 5 assigned emotions. For one, it wasn’t likely you’d find every emotion you need in a single day/event. This assignment was uncomfortable because it forced us to go out of our way to search for strangers, or always be on the lookout for someone making a certain face—which is pretty difficult when you’re just trying to go about your own day as well.
Nevertheless, it taught us all the harsh reality of journalism—which is that you won’t always be comfortable doing certain things. Sometimes you’ll get an assignment you can’t brush off, and you’ll have to go out and get the photo or the interview. The best thing you can do to prepare yourself for the inevitable, is to familiarize yourself with it for as long as you can.
Another memorable moment was the infamous midterm—the stress, anxiety, and fear we all had was awful in the moment, but it made us stronger in the end, and brought us closer.
When we first walked into the room, things started promptly. There was no morning meditation, no breakfast, no small talk to start the day…we were thrown into the water so quickly, we could barely blink. Already, our game was off, and we had no choice but to learn to swim, and fast.
Given just a little over an hour, it was truly a sink or swim moment.
But the most comforting part of it all was the fact that we had each other. When Professor Patton walked through that door and closed it behind her, we were silent at first…and when the first person shared their worry, there was a sort of group relief. Almost like “yeah it’s bad, but at least we’re in it together.”
Some were able to finish quicker than others, and some didn’t even make it halfway through the list. I felt lucky enough to have been able to finish at least 90% of the list before being forced to turn it in, and when I left class I left knowing that I had did the best I could under immense pressure, and that alone made me feel better about the situation.
Coming in the next class, it became apparent that although we all had shared the initial same frustration, the message had been clear: again this is real life. Being thrown into assignments under a time crunch is something you’ll have to be able to do as a journalist. You won’t always get days or even hours for an assignment, and you have to be willing to work with that.
What makes these two projects stand out from the rest is that they truly opened my eyes to the fact that I was about to enter a fast paced industry. I’ve never been a person who liked to step out their bubble—I take stories I’m comfortable with and know I’ll do well in for a reason. However, one of the key takeaways I’ve had from this class is that you won’t always get what you want—you’re given an assignment on deadline, and you do it because it’s what your editor needs, not because you like it.
The moment you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone is the moment you’ve really become a journalist.
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