Visual Storytelling

We’re surrounded by stories – all the time, every day, in books, movies, TV shows, conversations with friends, monuments, nature – the possibilities are endless. Growing up, stories were integral to my life. As a child, I admired the illustrations accompanying a short story and would dream of drawing even nearly as well. Advancing to chapter books, there were minimal pictures, but I loved getting lost in the world of a great book for hours on end. They weren’t just words on a page – they were the keys to another universe, fashioned by vivid descriptions of a place so different from ours and captivating dialogue to bring characters to life. Something else that also began to fascinate me was animation, moving pictures on a screen that had the potential to convey so much without speaking a word. I still remember the stories told by my favorite cartoons and animated films; I loved Pixar’s Wall-E, and as I grew, so did my appreciation for the genius and heart poured into a film about a little robot’s greatest adventure.

I came to UCONN as a biology major, thinking that there was nothing else that I could or would like to do. I soon started to realize that this major wasn’t for me, but then I wondered: what, then? I recalled how much I loved to draw and considered an art major, but people around me noted that I was also good at writing. I started thinking about doing an English major and an art minor, but then saw an IMJR poster at Wilbur Cross and decided to investigate it. With this new information in mind, I realized that a focused blend of courses completely up to my discretion was exactly what I needed. I could choose courses that would best fit my goals (such as communications, art, and English courses) training me in the visual medium while giving me the tools to create a story to be presented through it, and hopefully create something as memorable as the stories that inspired me as a child.

The courses in my plan of study help build creative writing skills of many kinds, such as creative writing for children, creative writing for young adults, film writing, playwriting, poetry, short stories, and others. The base for all these courses is ENGL 2701, Creative Writing I. This course serves as a foundation for consecutive courses – although it’s not necessarily a required prerequisite for all of them, it is a great starting point on the creative writing path and will support learning in future courses such as ENGL 3711: Creative Writing for Child and Young Adult Readers. ENGL 2701 is designed to teach students fundamentals of creative writing so they can apply these skills as they advance through their creative writing journey. Alongside courses focusing on the craft of creative writing, courses such as ENGL 3420: Children’s Literature and ENGL 3422: Young Adult Literature will help me gain a better understanding of creative writing through the study of the works of other successful authors in both the children’s and young adult department. ENGL 2413W: The Graphic Novel will combine both art and writing by allowing me to study a type of book that uses graphics to tell a story, as well as the techniques that make it successful. In the art department, Illustration and Animation Fundamentals will give me the basics of illustrating and animating, providing me with the skills I need to advance my drawing abilities and introduce me to the world of animation. The courses I take thereafter will build on both, such as Experimental Animation and Experimental Drawing. They will provide the “next level up” of my education in this field. Communications, after taking the base prerequisite of COMM 1000, will flesh out the skills I learned through my visual media studies by having me apply them in a different way. I will work with video and other types of digital production to create digital presentations, learning how to best communicate thoughts and ideas in the process. I have tailored the courses in my plan of study to build off one another and allow me to explore similar topics through different approaches and in different settings. Together, they will help me create meaningful stories that I can enhance through images, colors, shapes, sounds, music, and/or audible dialogue, opening a world of possibilities for viewers and myself to explore.

There are different career options for me as a Visual Storytelling major. I can write and create my own works, or I can be an illustrator for someone else’s creation. I can design and produce a wide range of media for several different types of goals as an art minor, which will give me more areas to investigate and expand my experience in the arts. To further enhance my English skills, I plan to enter graduate school to earn my master’s degree in English, perhaps after graduating early.

Storytelling is an important part of our world. It plays a big role in shaping thoughts, ideas, and inspiration in audiences of all kinds. I am very excited to begin this journey and learn as much as I can. As an additional layer to my learning, the English department offers a writing internship program that provides all sorts of benefits to students, enhancing their skills in a professional environment. There is still much to be discovered, and I’m greatly looking forward to it.