week 4- why write essays?

for a long time i have always wondered why i had to take so many composition courses at the various schools i have attended. Even before i decided that i wanted to become an artist i hated having to write essays. the question of 'why' became even more prevalent after my decision to make art for a living. before i came here to OTIS, i always thought art was supposed to be aesthetically pleasing and that was it. now i am finally seeing how sheltered i truly was. classes here have requiring me to start writing letters of intent to explain myself and my thinking that went into my works. i am sure as i approach graduation i will have to write many many papers and dissertations. in this light, i am finally beginning to understand the reasoning behind requiring composition and critical thinking courses.