By Ms. Angela Walsh
“To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Mist and Fury
The words above are from the high fantasy author that inspired Michelle Tian to begin appreciating literature in the summer of 2017. In her words, Maas’s writing “really stirred up the creative side to me.” Since then, the grade 11 student’s journey into writing fell naturally, and she began “pursuing [her] own dreams” as a writer.
Michelle was born in Vancouver after her family immigrated from Beijing around 18 years ago. Her father works in Singapore, a city where she lived for one year before coming back to Canada to begin kindergarten at Collingwood.
Michelle is one of the founding members of Collingwood’s creative writing club that meets every Monday to explore creative prompts and to share their work. For her, art and poetry are a means of expression, and she states, “I’m able to show myself and be who I want to be without changing my personality. Art heals me and lets me see the world in different perspectives.” Of course, Michelle continues to read, divulging that after she read Maas’s series, she “kept finding new books to get inspiration from, and eventually, all of that turned into writing.”
Of course, it is not only through literature that Michelle can express her creative side. An integral part of Collingwood’s Dance program, dance has been one of Michelle’s most valued pursuits for around 11 years. An extremely talented performer, she affirms that dance is “a huge part of my life.” In Michelle’s free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and depending on the season, she either skis or bikes.
Ultimately, there is no doubt that Michelle is gifted in both writing and performing —in the end, her true talent may very well lie in her ability to express her personality in every artistic pursuit she undertakes. No matter what route of expression Michelle chooses to follow, there is no doubt that she’ll continue to be an indispensible part of Collingwood’s artistic community, and we sincerely anticipate what she will share with us in the future.
“To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Mist and Fury
The words above are from the high fantasy author that inspired Michelle Tian to begin appreciating literature in the summer of 2017. In her words, Maas’s writing “really stirred up the creative side to me.” Since then, the grade 11 student’s journey into writing fell naturally, and she began “pursuing [her] own dreams” as a writer.
Michelle was born in Vancouver after her family immigrated from Beijing around 18 years ago. Her father works in Singapore, a city where she lived for one year before coming back to Canada to begin kindergarten at Collingwood.
Michelle is one of the founding members of Collingwood’s creative writing club that meets every Monday to explore creative prompts and to share their work. For her, art and poetry are a means of expression, and she states, “I’m able to show myself and be who I want to be without changing my personality. Art heals me and lets me see the world in different perspectives.” Of course, Michelle continues to read, divulging that after she read Maas’s series, she “kept finding new books to get inspiration from, and eventually, all of that turned into writing.”
Of course, it is not only through literature that Michelle can express her creative side. An integral part of Collingwood’s Dance program, dance has been one of Michelle’s most valued pursuits for around 11 years. An extremely talented performer, she affirms that dance is “a huge part of my life.” In Michelle’s free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and depending on the season, she either skis or bikes.
Ultimately, there is no doubt that Michelle is gifted in both writing and performing —in the end, her true talent may very well lie in her ability to express her personality in every artistic pursuit she undertakes. No matter what route of expression Michelle chooses to follow, there is no doubt that she’ll continue to be an indispensible part of Collingwood’s artistic community, and we sincerely anticipate what she will share with us in the future.