Internship Diary: Continuing to Create

As a journalism student I have been repeatedly told that I will have to write about boring topics until I am an established writer. I have never been the kind of person to go with the grain. I never believe the generalizations presented to me. I am constantly challenging why things are the way they are. I am curious before I am anything else. Luckily, I was accepted as a Journalism Intern at PATTERN Magazine where they encourage doing our own things and being creatively different.

My time at PATTERN was during a summer when we all had our faces covered with masks, and we were rising against the injustices being blatantly thrown in our faces. This gave me a unique perspective. It was a bit of a challenge. My idea of being a journalism intern was meeting with people in their creative spaces and having a summer filled with exciting events to attend and report on. Due to circumstances out of our control, that wasn’t what I found this summer at PATTERN.

This summer forced me to be open to new ways of communication. It required me to come up with ideas that were deep-rooted in creativity with what the world was giving me. From the outside, it may seem like the worst time to experience this rare opportunity for students in Indianapolis. However, I could not have asked for a more perfect time to learn from people who are passionate about the creative community here. I used the platform I had to educate myself and work through a pandemic and a revolution. I think that is something to be proud of. 

At PATTERN, I was given a perfect balance of guidance and freedom that allowed me to be sure in my creativity and develop a natural flow. They didn’t make me feel like the beginning of a journalism career is dull. The people at PATTERN embrace the idea that art in Indianapolis can, and should be, the most important part of our city. This place encouraged me to pursue my ideas with passion, to have confidence in what I can do, and to focus on the creative community I live in. 

Finding voice in writing is a tricky quest and it seems no one can teach it. I know that I won’t have an identifiable voice for many years to come. For me, the idea of voice has always seemed problematically abstract, like a ridiculous investigation to find something that is already there. In almost every interview I did with creatives and artists, they gave the advice of simply beginning the process and continuing to do it. Working as an intern here has helped me understand that the first step to finding my voice is to simply write more, and be myself in that writing. It might not be perfect or exactly what I am hoping for every time, but it is a step closer. Being an intern at PATTERN showed me that my voice will show up one day, that I don’t need to be afraid of expressing myself, and that I have much to learn. These lessons built my confidence as a writer, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Keep up with Cory on Instagram!

0 replies on “Internship Diary: Continuing to Create”