It is not the creepy kind of obsession that ends up being the plot of CSI or Criminal Minds, but the kind of obsession that makes going to a school of more than 40,000 students very interesting.
I love people-watching. My favorite activity for relaxation involves sitting on a bench and watching the world, and the people living in it, pass me by. I try to watch nonchalantly while "reading a book" or "checking my emails" and blend into the background. For each person that passes, I make up a story. I try to decide where they're going and what they're doing; how many siblings they have and if they're close; what their job or major is; what their hobbies are; and any other interesting things I can glean from their appearance, mannerisms, gait, expressions, and companions. For my blog this semester, I would love to share my thoughts while people-watching around campus and share all the imaginary stories I make up in my head about the people I see.
The challenge with this blog, however, will be to avoid seeming judgmental. You see, it is very difficult not to judge a book by its cover or a person by his or her appearance. The blog would focus solely on creative writing and the stories that I formulate about each person in my imagination. Each week, the stories I make up will most likely be completely false. Since we are all so different and we are part of a unique, diverse culture here at Penn State, there is no possible way to accurately judge a person from first glance. However, it is interesting to try. Hopefully, my blog will be intriguing, insightful, and entertaining.
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| PSU People-Watching at its Finest |
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| Item #17: Go Backpacking in the Rocky Mountains |
As long as people-watching doesn't turn into people-shaming, I really like your creative writing idea. As long as you aren't too personal with the identity of the person, or ask permission before using them as creative fodder I'd love to see where this would go. Good luck making your decision!
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ReplyDeleteI think that the first creative writing idea could be an incredibly interesting blog. I would only caution you to make sure to not make it so that the person you are writing about can be identified. If there is no way around this, if the observed situation is just too unique or bizarre, be sure to get their permission. Don't worry about not being an active participant in your first blog; it is your writing that makes it yours. Also, the first possibility sounds much more like it is something you do naturally, rather than being forced to do so for the blog. If you do decide to go with the second option, be sure that your posts are engaging. Merely listing what you want to do isn't very interesting; include your experiences in it. Maybe you could tell us things how your bucket list items came about, or how you already fulfilled some items.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read I feel that you will have a lot of fun with either of these choices, but it seems like deep down inside you really want to do the first one (my analysis may be wrong). The first one would be downright entertaining, while the second would be more structured and practical for readers. Maybe I could add a few of your blog two items to my own bucket list! Obviously there are a few obstacles that may standing in the way of the first blog, such as revealing identities or getting permission. However, if you feel confident in your ability to control these potential hiccups, I encourage you to write your first choice. It sounds like you've already put some thought into this, so I'd say follow your gut at this point.
ReplyDeleteI really love both of these ideas! My favorite is the people watching one - it's so relatable and it would so fun to read. The only thing I'd say about it is it may be difficult to do because you may want to ask people's permission first before you put their picture on the internet. Other than that though, I think you could have such a good time doing it!
ReplyDeleteBrooke, both of these ideas have fabulous potential. Since your classmates provided insightful benefits and drawbacks of each approach.
ReplyDeletePeople watching (not shaming or judging) could be engaging, and it could flex your imagination and creative writing muscles. The bucket list could be inspiring, especially (as Adam noted) it became relevant for the audience instead of merely a report on things you'd like to do. (You likely have perceived this already, of course.)
Small thought: your first blog about people likely couldn't use pictures since you don't want to reveal individual identities, but the second idea could be ripe for the inclusion of relevant images. This might not count for much, but I thought I'd share the thought.
Good luck deciding! I'm looking forward to reading your work.