I've recently decided upon a move concerning my degree that I hope will get my creative juices flowing again, raise my general well-being and give me better prospects for a more creative career. I was studying Journalism (75%) with English Literature (25%) but now I've reversed the weighting to English Literature (75%) with Journalism (25%). I desperately wanted to do this because journalism is nowhere near as emotionally liberating as I thought it was going to be.

Unlike creative writing or any of the creative arts for that matter, News reporting was the most soul-opressing thing I have ever had to do. It has to follow a set style, with the most important par. at the top and gradually working down to the tripe at the bottom. This is purely so that some fat Sub-editor can truncate what you've written if it doesn't fit into the space that's been alloted for it. HOW CRUDE?! What's the point in writing if it's going to have to be severed, moulded and altered into what the twat-faced Editor deems acceptable?!

In addition to this, it all has to follow a set 'house style'. These are little finnicky things like "We don't use split-infitives at this newspaper!" Or if the editor is has a particular fetish for some strange past-time, it always gets special treatment when it comes to being included in the paper. Apparentely, the editor of the local paper here (Cheltenham) is a bit of a badger fan; so anything to do with badgers gets put in the paper. THAT IS NOT NEWS, THAT IS SHIT!

There are also sooo many restrictions on what you can report, you get nailed for even the slightest breach of the code; no subjectivity is allowed at all.

I've named just a few of the aspects of journalism that dumb down your creative juices, and I can tolerate no more of this boring, uninspiring and oppressive occupation. I make a pledge to you that from now on I am going to re-awaken my creativity and get writing some more prose, poems, journals and many more. I can't wait


Thank you and goodnight!