Rebecca Rodriguez

11/16/16
Creative Project Reflection

The main aspect of my work that I would hope catches both your attention and

that of my audience is the verbiage used throughout the video. Much of my focus going

into this project was making sure I was effectively delivering my message to those I want

to reach. I am an Advertising-PR major. The idea of knowing the target audience of any

project has been drilled into my head at this point in my college career. If I dont

accomplish this, I know my perception will be that I failed. Fortunately, the mindset that

comes with my major does come in handy when approaching my work. Abortion is a

topic that deals with high levels of emotion. To have this conversation is to take on much

of that passion, which is why it is so important to know how to navigate through the

discourse. Admittedly, outside of anything school related, I sometimes let my feelings

guide conversation regarding the topic rather than facts and evidence. So, I entirely

understand the individual whose voice trembles when discussing the topic, because Ive

been there as well. While this may be acceptable (though maybe not effective) in some

cases, this personal approach would not translate well over onto my video. This video is

meant to be as neutral as possible. Information shared through the project will reflect that

and this is what Im hoping will be recognized.

The thing I want to improve most on in this video is the visual aspect of the

project. My approach to accomplishing my ideal visuals is also what I would go back and

change if given the chance. I am no graphic artist, animator or video wiz. I am afraid that

my inability to deliver something of high quality will sway others from watching my

video or even taking it seriously for that matter. If I had to start at the beginning, I would

have brought someone on to handle that aspect of this project. Given the time constraints,
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I recognize that this may not have been possible. However, from my experience as a

millennial growing up on social media, I find that the better the quality of a video, the

more likely it is that an individual will consume the media. This leads me to believe that

my video may have had a better chance at being shared across social sites if someone did

it that actually knew what they were doing. While I find that my current video is still

sufficient enough, it could be spruced up. One goal of my creative project was to educate

but also to get people to say nice! at the video itself. That reaction is what gets people

to press the share button. My target audience for this project is individuals around the

same age group as myself, millennials in or out of college. As many know, this group can

be found online. Making a shareable video was a goal of mine not out of laziness, but out

of the knowledge that social media can be a campaigns greatest asset if used correctly.

My process for creating this project was fairly simple. I began knowing almost

immediately what it was that I wanted to do. I drew the idea of bringing awareness

from the initial questions we asked earlier on in the semester. Rather than share what I

gathered from my own research, I wanted to have the creative project be something that

could be used either as an add-on or on its own. Recognizing this lead me to the decision

of making a video that would share general facts concerning abortion, Planned

Parenthood, and possibly laws regarding the topics. I recalled an animation app that I

once played with while in an Apple Store and the ease of using it. I wasnt able to find

this particular application, but a quick search in the App Store of my laptop showed me a

number of other programs I could choose from. It was then that I came across

AnimationDesk, a free and reasonably simple means to create frame-by-frame animation

videos. My only experience with this particular genre was that short moment spent
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hunched over an iPad but I came into this project feeling quite sure of myself. The only

issue I experienced when beginning to create the project was not knowing how to

duplicate frames. This made the first 60 or so frames unbearable, as I had to rewrite

everything, every frame. Eventually, I figured out how to do it and found ease in the

process of creating. My most valuable resources throughout the making of the video were

AnimationDesk, of course, but also the web. This is where I was able to compare

statistics and facts that I came along until I found those that suited this project best. If I

ever find myself needing to create some kind of media for social sites, I would definitely

utilize AnimationDesk again. Its easy, efficient, and gets the job done. With some

practice, I know I could create the quality of work I originally hoped to accomplish.

My creative project does not tell a story, but being able to share information I feel

moves the conversation forward was definitely something I felt satisfied in

accomplishing. I finished my project not feeling as if I was attacking or disrespecting a

certain group. I informed, and that was my initial objective. Aside from this, I am also

proud of using AnimationDesk with a reasonable amount of success. Yes, I would have

loved for it to be perfect, but with the time given and it being my first attempt at using the

software, I produced a video that I at first wasnt expecting much from.

Aside from the small hiccup of not knowing how to duplicate slides, I

experienced very little frustration when doing research and the creative project. Anytime

I have an assignment like this, its procrastination that makes me feel like pulling my hair

out. This time around I gave myself enough time to do all that I possibly could do without

feeling as if I was rushing to get work done. This approach allowed me to accomplish
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task being levelheaded and unstressed, so even when I spending a tedious amount of time

on rewriting slides, I didnt feel like going outside and screaming.

My creative project reflects my ability to understand an audience, which is a large

area of growth in my journey as a writer. My beginnings in writing were in the creative

style and much of the time I wrote for myself. I wasnt trying to get anyone to feel or do

something, I was only doing it to express. Learning more about styles for social change

and business has helped me see how words can be used to influence and move people.

This growth is something of myself that I believe is reflected in my creative project.

The main thing I learned about myself as I worked on this project is that Im a

hell of a lot more capable than I find myself to be. Going the route of making an

animated video empowered me in a way I didnt expect it would. For sake of quality, I

would still go back and bring someone else on to do the visual part of this project. But for

the sake of my growth, having to do it on my own was ideal. It helps me know that if

there is something I want to do for the topic I care about, its possible with a little

practice and research.

Action Plan

The creative project has made me realize that a firm understanding of Planned

Parenthood is something I should later pursue. My research distinguished that there was a

lack of understanding surrounding the organization and it services. I will not pretend as if

I know everything about this group. I do, however, recognize that Planned Parenthood is

an aspect of my targeted conversation that may, and mostly likely will, arise when in a

discussion. Despite it providing a number of services, there are many individuals who

associate the group with abortion and not much else. Theres little I can do to educate
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others on the reality of Planned Parenthood if I myself only know a fact or two about the

organization.

In order to expand my knowledge on the organization, I will have to dedicate time

to research that looks strictly at Planned Parenthood. This is research that is different

from my previous work as much of my studies revolved around articles or written

information. To gather a more in-depth understanding, I want to reach out to the group

itself and gain insight from individuals that are involved with Planned Parenthoods

numerous processes. This particular approach would require me to study the questions I

plan on asking throughout my research. I want to make sure that the questions do not

come from an emotional place, but rather that they progressive in nature. This doesnt

mean I want to disregard the emotional aspect of Planned Parenthood entirely. To look at

that side, I want to have a focus group of individuals who have used their services.

Maintaining the role as a responsible citizen in this discourse would require me to

pay attention to events relating to this topic that occurs or is going to occur. This would

mean following the legislative moves on a local, state and national level. This would give

me the opportunity to be vocal when laws I dont agree with are proposed. I can take

preventative action, gather support, and even find individuals to rally. Ultimately, I want

to be able to support the pro-choice movement. I can only do that if Im aware of

opportunities to do so.

The concept of rhetorical listening can be applied to the act of gauging current

awareness. While I do plan on gathering insight on this through a survey, I can also

obtain it through conversation. Whether its through focus groups or one-on-one,

listening to others navigate the discourse can help me shape questions on the survey and
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the information on the flyer accordingly. The flyer will have a reasonable amount of

impact on the individuals that come into contact with it. My hope is that they will gather

information from the flyers that they did not previously have. Since my target audience is

UCF students, they will be the ones who are most impacted by my work.

My biggest strength in the plans Ive proposed is that they are things I can

accomplish with little outside help. I dont want to write out getting help entirely, but its

comforting to know that I do not have to depend on anyone for accomplishing what I

want to do. The flyers will require simple graphics and verbiage that I feel comfortable

doing on my own and the survey will not require much either. The only pitfall I see

happening in my work relates to gauging increased knowledge on the subject. I am

planning on handing out these pieces on the same days and around the same time.

However, this does not guarantee that Ill be receiving the correct information, as it will

be difficult for me to know whether or not I am reaching the same group from the initial

round of surveys.

Course Reflection

Listening to myself provided the opportunity for me to reflect on some of my

weaknesses when it comes to effectively approaching conversation regarding hot topics.

My lack of comfort in approaching more difficult conversations was first brought to my

attention while taking Rhetoric and Civic Engagement during the spring semester. My

class had a number of political savvy students that navigated through these conversations

with ease. I, on the other hand, had to think long and hard before building the courage to

raise my hand to share a thought. It was around this time that I recognized that much of

any stand I take is based on emotion and opinion rather than factual knowledge.
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Unfortunately, there was little time for improvement that I could make in this area during

that class simply because the lessons did not allow the chance for it. I choose to take

Writing For Social Change because it was something I wanted to practice. I did not know

or expect that this class would also provide an opportunity to get back to the realization I

experienced two semesters ago. By taking what we gathered in class and pairing it with

how I feel, I believe I have been able to grow as a speaker that takes the conversation

forward through both research and passion.

Something important I took from listening to text you choose for research is to

listen to the text as a whole. Ill admit that prior to this class I would draw from a random

text without much thought on the message in its entirety. As long as the sentences I took

related to my argument, I figured that there was little else I needed to know. I appreciated

the part of the annotated bibliography assignment that asked us to look at the possible

reasoning behind the authors words. This is something I hardly ever considered but

doing so allowed me to see how to better incorporate an authors statement in my own

work. It also helped with knowing how to listen overall. I have been in a situation or two

where I immediately shut down while listening to an opinion different from mine. With

the topic I choose, I had to go through a number of text that didnt necessarily fall in line

with my own beliefs. Having to understand the message behind the texts I choose forced

me to let go of the habit of shutting down. I had to listen; otherwise, I wouldnt be able to

see the reasoning behind the authors message. It wasnt easy but it was helpful in getting

past that habit.

Listening to someone who has a different opinion from you is never easy. This

semester definitely reinforced this, but not negatively. A personal rule of life I hold close
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is to never take things personally, and I found this semester that this could be applied in

conversation as well. Another individuals opinion is not an attack on your own, so a

response doesnt have to be retaliation. All conversation is meant to move forward, not

run in circles. When we take opinion personally, it becomes a circle. I also learned to

recognize experience. Everyone is coming from a life that holds experiences entirely

different than our own, even in the tiniest of ways. We could eat the same cereal but we

might not eat out of the same bowl. That little difference could change so much between

two individuals. It brings me back to the first reading we had in the class where the writer

spoke about the woman who felt anger towards abortion. If you saw this woman

picketing for pro-life, you could easily assume many things about her. But if you spoke

to her, or let her speak to you, youd find that she couldnt have children of her own and

it hurt her that people who could instead choose to terminate the pregnancy. The Free

Listening assignment allowed me to take in stories from people I normally would not

speak to. Being exposed to these moments in strangers lives solidified what Ive

gathered on experiences from this class.

The only change Ive noticed in my writing is that I have become more aware of

the messages being delivered in my works that are meant to inform. Other than that, my

writing habits have remained the same. I have not discovered anything new about myself

during the course of this semester either. However, I dont see that as a loss of any sort. I

experienced progress in my desire to work towards social change and that in its self is

exciting. Prior to this semester, I didnt really know how to approach the topics that I

wanted to talk about. Being able to focus on the topic of abortion and the dialogue

surrounding it was excellent practice for action that I may find myself wanting to take in
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the future. With the outcome of the election, Im scared that this opportunity may be

close. In any case, I feel much more ready to work with social change than I originally

felt coming into class this semester. This has helped my interest in social change gain a

confidence. I dont only have an opinion anymore. I have knowledge.

To me, writing for social change means listening to your audience, the

conversation around it, and acting accordingly. I know this sounds cold, but the main

practice I took from this class is that of understanding. Whether its for people that agree

with you or the other side, you need to be willing to listen to every voice around you. As

I said, my major is big on knowing your target audience. Its a bit more of a calculated

approach when dealing with PR but pairing it with the emotional aspect of humanity

makes for the perfect combination.

I want to be able to talk more about the things Im passionate about. The work

Ive done in this course will help me feel more confident in my ability to do that. Im not

sure if Ill be doing work related to the course, but I know Ill want to write about certain

topics. With the practice Ive had in this semester, I can better incorporate research and

facts into my words. Emotion will always be present when I share my thoughts, but

knowledge will provide a foundation that leaves little room for cracks to form in my

opinion.