Nothing Like Youth to Inspire...

Yesterday, after I'd spent an hour both trying to inspire and trying to bore (lol, all the necessary policies/syllabi) my Creative Writing students, one of them came up to me after class. He wore a huge smile and said, "I'm SO excited about this class!! I write poetry, and I'm part of a writing group online, and I write a blog...I can't wait to write in this class!" Then he rolled up his sleeve 2 inches and showed me the tattoo on his arm, this cool little writing quill he'd just gotten, as part of his writing group. Now, that's dedication! lol

I dare you to find me students in 1301 or 1302 classes who have half his passion for writing. THIS is why I love teaching Creative Writing! I've had an exhausting summer, full of disappointment and false starts (agents), and I'm drained. But seeing this student - and the others, who actually paid attention when I talked! - recharged my battery a little bit.

And maybe I can carry that energy through this grueling semester, somehow (more re-writes ahead of me, btw - that's a good thing, but I'm tiiiiired! lol).

Here's hoping that each one of you has someone in his/her life who's INSPIRING, who still has a gleam in the eye about writing, a go-get-'em energy about the art and craft of creativity.