Everyone knows the oh-shit feeling—the one you get in school, or at work. The feeling you get when something seemingly ridiculous is asked of you.
I attended Alissa Walker’s workshop. She seemed nice enough, and Sam Harrison had a mouthful of good things to say about her. But it happened: she wanted us to come up with an idea to pitch to a publication then and there. Oh, shit.
“What are some of your favorite magazines?” she asked us.
Oh, shit. I don’t really read magazines. Well, I like looking at pictures, but the magazines I really read are brain candy—it’s something I didn’t want to admit in front of her or my peers. I gave a quick look around to see if I could make eye contact with anyone and confirm another oh-shit feeling. This always makes things better, trust me. Alissa gave a quick look around, too. There was silence.
“Well, let’s keep talking about what I want you to do.” And we did.
Attitudes about submitting writing or publishing are usually dismal. I’ve been in creative writing classes before and getting published usually came up. Professors dodge this question. Perhaps they have no hope for their students. Maybe they don’t want to face new competition. One college lecturer once told me that she was so happy to get an actual letter back from a publication she submitted to—that someone actually read her piece. They didn’t publish it, but they read it. Rejection is just part of the whole process, they say.
Not Alissa. She didn’t talk about rejection. She thinks the odds of being published in Newsweek’s “My Turn” column are pretty good. That editors are truly nice. And, that everyone could graduate from Portfolio Center and be a freelance writer from the start—if that’s what they really want.
Finally, she set us free for thirty minutes to do the assignment. I still had the oh-shit feeling as I left for the computer lab to do some Googling. But, you know what? After those thirty minutes, I had an idea and I liked it. And, with a little more research, I probably will pitch it. Why the hell not?
Alissa took me from “Oh, shit,” to “why the hell not?” in one morning—no small accomplishment
Portfolio Center students share a strong desire to communicate ideas, the willingness to let go of preconceived notions, and the compulsion to learn new ways of thinking. These qualities are fostered by the school’s constant stream of industry bigwigs, who bring their varied and colorful perspectives from all over the country. These creatives, who are always generous with their time and energy, tend to hang out with students, conducting informal workshops and continuing the day’s discussions over dinner. Often, what results are provocative interviews—written, shot, and designed by PC students.
