I have no soul.

Well at least my writing doesn't. I learned today in my Master's Writing class that my writing lacks soul.  It hit me a little hard. I've never heard that before. I have heard that my writing is very analytical but usually when that is happening I am analyzing something. I know that I am not a good writer at all. In fact, I am very intelligent and above average on many levels of standard education (which could mean nothing) except for my writing. I am forced to take this master's writing class for my major but I also am excited to take a writing class. I am usually dreading the classes until I take them and then I realize that I need these types of classes in my life because I know I suck.

The problem is that I never knew why. I can remember grammar rules and use them, I have a pretty wide range of vocabulary that always keeps improving with everything that I read, watch and study. I have been told and I have always thought that I write the way I speak. Now unless I speak analytically, which I don't think I do. Why is my writing so dry, why does it lack soul. Do I need to learn more adjectives in order to flavor my writing better. Is it my vocabulary?

When I was in an art history course in my undergrad. We were assigned to journal about different works of art in the beautiful city of Rome, where I was living at the time. My professor did not like my writings but I would also sketch in the same book and she said that those represented what I say better than my writing and to keep sketching instead of writing. In order for me to draw what is in front of me I have been taught how to break and object down into shapes and spaces. My drawings are very analytical even without looking too much like a scientific representation. I have studied Leonardo Da Vinci's work over and over and I believe that his work is to be analytical at its best but for me that's what makes it so interesting. For me and I believe Leonardo as well, when we are sketching an object we are studying it too. This means that we are learning about it why it moves or doesn't. Why it has curves in certain places and straight lines in others. What are the mechanics of the piece. How do I separate this from my writing I break down my thoughts into the mechanics of the piece and forget to add the emotion? I find this to be ironic because I am told that I am a very emotional person. Maybe in my writing I should let my emotions run wild and my work will actually be what someone wants to read.