As a continuation of Women’s History Month, we interviewed Shannon Wick, a former Managing Editor of LOGOS: A Journal of Undergraduate Research and a published author in our ninth and twelfth volumes. We asked her questions about her time at LOGOS, her post-graduation life, and her published work. Wick’s pieces “Self-Portrait of a Costume” and “Hiding” were featured in our twelfth volume and each work explores how it can be difficult to offer full visuals of our faces to the public, especially in the era of flawless photos being uploaded to the internet every millisecond.
Why did you decide to submit your work to LOGOS?
I was in my final year as the Managing Editor of LOGOS, so I decided to submit what I thought was my best artwork from my undergraduate. I’ve submitted multiple times to LOGOS, having poetry published in volume 9 as well. I hadn’t produced much from my major courses, as is the nature of technical writing, so I wanted to try with work from my minor courses.
What has being published in LOGOS done for you?
It’s definitely a good resume line, especially on my LinkedIn profile. I feel like it gave me some credit as the Managing Editor, but it also helped give me credit when I submitted my creative writing to other literary journals. Those details are always included in the bios, so it was nice that I already had something to add there.
What are you doing post-graduation?
Post-graduation I am working as a Technical Writer for Cerner in Kansas City, Missouri. Cerner is a global health care IT company. Working here has helped me see the possibilities as a technical writer in the software/tech industry.
In a world full of flawless pictures uploaded online, it’s difficult to feel as if we’ve achieved that kind of perfection when taking our own photos. What would you say to someone that is struggling with self-esteem issues due to this?
I would encourage them to look at flawless photos from an artist/critique point of view, I suppose. If you draw enough faces, you know that no one is symmetrical and without its uniqueness. In fact, you learn by trying to draw it that way first, and then you realize that it doesn’t match the picture at all. Also, I would encourage people to be aware of the editing tools available for free and take any “perfect” image or selfie with a grain of salt. You’ll be happier if you come to terms with your own appearance sooner rather than later. Everything comes down to your own perspective and perception, and you influence that more than anyone else.
Who is one woman you look up to? Why?
This question, and the previous ones, make me think of a woman I follow on Instagram, Sara Puhto (@saggysara). She shares a lot of body-positivity posts and a lot of reality v. Instagram content. I thought about mentioning someone famous here, but she has helped me a lot over the years in this area. I think it takes courage to share her vulnerabilities online to help others.