Prompt: a creative work that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
I dont know what to change or add. I only have 500 words, but I feel like its a little bland right now. Any tips?
Eve Ensler
"I think the act of pleasing makes everything murky. We lose track of ourselves. We stop uttering declaratory sentences. We stop directing our lives." This statement from Eve Ensler's novel I am an Emotional Creature shaped my general outlook on life. Ensler's collection of books has inspired me to accept all of myself, the good and the bad, and to create my own liberating path in life.
Society's unwritten rules steal our freedom, and the people who are brave enough to be themselves are dismissed. I am an Emotional Creature motivated me to fight for all that I feel strongly about, and I started off by signing up for the Gay-Straight Alliance Club. It was liberating to disregard the status quo and I took pride in my newfound courage. I did not take off my rainbow LGBT pin when my religious peers scoffed at me. I stood up for one of my gay friends when he scorned by the wrestling coach for his sexuality. I was making changes. Carrying on with this outlook, I joined Best Buddies, a club in which the members are paired with mentally disabled teenagers. Our most proud moment was our "R" word movement. The word "retarded" now has a negative connotation and it was our mission to keep it off campus. Although banning a word is nearly impossible, it was the meaning behind the protest and the memories that were created that we will always remember. This process of understanding and embracing others led me to figuring out who I am as a person.
After reading The Vagina Monologues and The Good Body, I had this sense of empowerment and "I am woman hear me roar" type of mindset. These two books helped me realize that there is too much time spent focusing on our flaws, and so came about the Tyra Banks Club. I created this club to teach teenagers at my school to learn to love themselves for who they are. We had regular photo shoots and encouraged each other to accept our unconventional beauty. Some people laughed and criticized, but this club meant the world to the girls participating. At this time, Tyra Banks was celebrating the evolution of women and invited people who share this passion to appear on her show, including my friend and me for our work with the club. Who was taping her episode the same day we were filming ours? Eve Ensler. There, in that moment, my updated outlook and lifestyle came to a full circle.
Eve Ensler created a revolution within me. A series of epiphanies-and a little bit of frustration-was the root of the creation of my journey. I will not accept the unwritten rules or sacrifice my wants and beliefs for the sake of pleasing others. I have a fire inside me that screams to rebel against the ordinary, to make a difference, to challenge the world. This is my life, this is my monologue, embrace it.
I really enjoyed your essay. It's simple yet powerful, and really exemplifies your bold personality. I noticed the prompt asks for one work/character and you talked about a few. Even though they're all by the same author, maybe it would benefit you to talk about just one work and REALLY zero in on how it has affected your life.
