Writing as art as expression
January 22, 2008
Why does one write? Why does one create?
Why do you write?
Perhaps these are some questions you need to answer before taking the ‘O’ Level English composition examinations. I would love to hear your answers to these questions, in my comment box.
Anyway, the best post of Term 1 Week 2, in my humble opinion, is the one written by Tan Yi Han of 3EP. She has managed to portray the conflict between students and the Discipline Master with a delightful minimum of words, and fulfilling the 5 vocab-word condition I’ve imposed on your journal entries at the same time. She has also, in her short post, challenged the concept of utopia. Is there utopia? Is it a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? (Try chasing a rainbow if you ever see one.) I would also love to hear your views on this.
By the way, you can read her post by clicking here.
Finally, I would like to bring back the point that: if you can’t feel, you can’t write. I believe it is the same for singing. So, I’ve put up a video below, featuring Patti Labelle doing a cover of The Pretender’s I’ll Stand by You. Again, in my humble opinion, she is one singer with a really big heart and a really big voice.
Feel it. Resonate.
THE VIRTUAL MR KEK 
January 23, 2008 at 8:10 am
Mr kek? My name is Tan Yi Han.
January 23, 2008 at 8:12 am
HELLO mr kek.i think you made a mistake.its tan yi han,not ting yi han.
January 23, 2008 at 8:32 am
Mr kek? My name is Tan Yi Han, not Ting Yi Han.
January 23, 2008 at 11:03 am
The reason I write,is to express myself,to improve my English.I enjoy reading,as well as writing,so maybe I write just for fun and to enjoy.
January 23, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Yi Han: Sorry for the mistake. I seemed to have fused two names into one. I’ve edited the post, so your name should be correct now. Thanks for the reminder.
Keng Hoe: Let’s explore this idea of expression deeper. Why do you want to express yourself? Is it an innate need?
January 24, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Well,it isn’t really an innate need,maybe just to write my thoughts out to further develop it.Like artists,who draw anything that they might suddenly think of.What about you,Mr Kek? Why do you write?
January 25, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I think better if I write out my thoughts – it sort of organises them.
January 26, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Keng Hoe: Actually, I don’t quite agree with your idea of spontaneous creation. I think artists probably don’t draw anything they suddenly think of. They spend a lot of time thinking through what they want to express before drawing it out. Well, I write when I want to express a certain point of view. It’s sort of like an innate need. Maybe that’s why I ended up teaching. 🙂
Yi Han: Yes, some people do think better through writing. In fact, you may get to understand the world better through writing about the world.
January 27, 2008 at 4:56 am
I think I might have been wrong about the artists,since I am not really interested in art anyway.Writing your thoughts out helps you to develop it further,it is like writing a draft for a composition.Only after writing out what you think then you can improve on it.Many changes to my writing are made after I have read them,like this comment.
January 27, 2008 at 7:36 am
Keng Hoe: Armed with an attitude to improve your writing, no obstacles can stop your guns. Hmm… I think I’m starting to spout nonsense again.
January 27, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Mr Kek i changed my blog…again…its doingjournalrox.blogspot.com
January 28, 2008 at 3:52 am
Bing Hong: I’ve updated your link. Where are your 2nd and 3rd journal entries? Edit your comment function to allow WordPress users to post.
January 28, 2008 at 9:53 am
Writing will help to spread ideas, influence minds, therefore a person who write should not be bias against anyone or anything. (except lawyers I suppose) So becareful and do selections on which sources to believe before you use them.
Some people write to express one’s frustration, especially when you are unhappy or angry. However, the composition, diary/journal entry is most probably bias when you write in that mood.
I think that the only way to write an objective composition is to go through the sources, balance the content and allow a sensible conclusion.
For example, Suharto, Former Indonesia President, his policies may be bias and he may have broken laws, but he still did helped Indonesia to become at least modernised. Therefore, when a journalist is writing his biography, he/she has to state his rights and wrongs, not just one sided.
Hence, I would like the reinstate my point that when you write and want to select from sources, analyse carefully before you use ideas from the sources.
January 29, 2008 at 1:01 am
Fong Sin: It’s an important point that you’ve raised, especially when we are in this age of information overload. There are sources easily available from the Internet but they may often be biased or inaccurate. That is why students must learn to analyse texts.
February 14, 2008 at 9:35 am
MR KEK WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Personal Recount and First Person Narrative? PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME.
February 15, 2008 at 9:19 am
A Narrative is basically a story, which is often fictional. A Personal Recount is a recount of events that actually happened to the author, which should be real.
Agatha Christie is a lady but she often uses the First-Person narrative technique in her detective stories, like writing as Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. Confessional stories are most often Personal Recounts, but the author may be lying of course, which makes them narratives.
February 16, 2008 at 1:06 pm
So it is okay to write something false for a personal recount is it? Although it might not sound convincing.
February 17, 2008 at 1:43 am
hi mr kek. I change my link to a shorter one.
Do remember to change my link
Thanks
February 18, 2008 at 1:57 am
Min Min: What’s your shorter link?
February 18, 2008 at 10:12 am
http://www.vidrienne.blogspot.com
February 18, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Min Min: I’ve updated your link. I need you to edit the comment function to allow WordPress users to comment. You do have interesting posts in your blog. Perhaps you like to define what ‘politics’ is.
February 19, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I’ve edited the comment function already. It should be working fine now.
Politic is a really wide issue, but I’ve posted my opinion about it up on my blog already.