The Flavor of Creativity

Mr. Tea

I went to a local ice cream shop in Irvington and got  a Chai Tea Boba Shake. Boba Shakes have shaved ice, tea, and tapioca balls at the bottom of the glass. The straw is specifically designed to suck-up the chewy tapioca balls. It was weird, fun, and delicious! I decided to create "Mr. Tea" from scratch, to depict how I felt after the experience.

Fear 3 of 2

    1.    What was the fear project about and who did it? 
Aaron's project probably affected me more than anybody else's. His project was simple, yet effective. The fear he focused on was the fear of not being good enough within your field. He spoke briefly about how scary it is that we are all competing for the same jobs when we go to a new media class, and then gave every person their own container of play-dough to play with.

    2.    Why did you respond to it so strongly?
The project really hit me because of how positive it was. Instead of going into the details of his fear, he made it general and relatable. The playdough activity was so much fun, for everyone. And given it's childish and crude nature, nobody was competing with one another for the best sculpture. It was just honest creativity for the whole class. Thus breaking the competition cycle we too often feel.
  
  3.    How does it impact how you see your own project, and your own creative journey?
It made me realize that it's not always about me, that I should have had a more interactive project for everyone so that I could flip a fearful situation, into an uplifting situation. And it also helped me see that I'm not the only one who is afraid of this. We should be creative together rather than competing with one another all of the time.

Fear 2 of 2

   4.    Conduct the experiment.

I performed a song that I had written a long time ago, but was too afraid to show people for so long. It was a metaphorical way to face my fear of judgment from others. (the song I performed can be streamed/downloaded below)

h83r.bandcamp.com/

    5.    Observe the reaction.

The class was excited when I began the presentation. While I was performing, some looked somewhat bored, while other's were very engaged. Towards the end of the track, people seemed to really enjoy the melody. After I explained how I performed and how the technology worked, my classmates were very generous. They explained how I was "like a DJ" but more into it, and musical. Like how I performed the song seemed much more natural and expressive than it would have been if I had turntables.

    6.    Analysis of hypothesis with actual outcome.
            
I think I got the desired outcome for the most part. People liked watching, and I liked performing. I probably should have explained the technology and the details of the performance before I began playing though.

    7.    Propose changes to your idea based on what happened.

The class seemed to enjoy listening to the song and watching me perform. Though they were confused for the performance because I forgot to explain exactly what I was doing! Overall I think it went fine, I just wish I had explained how I was performing my music first. Also an extension chord would have helped so I could have sat in the middle of the room with my equipment where everyone could see me. Thats all I probably would have changed.

Fear 1 of 2

I think the class will be confused at first, but once I explain and finish my performance I think they will really like what I've decided to do.

Class Take Away 10

Yesterday's class was eye opening for me, because we got to go a little bit deeper into who we really are. All of our projects exposed our weaknesses in some way, and I believe that brought us all closer together. Though I had an extreme amount of sympathy for Beth. Beth lost her best friend, and I know to a certain extant how that feels. Though me and my ex-best friend are still alive,  the way she was taken from my life felt unfair. I can never speak to her again, and if I see here I must look away. This hurts, more than anything. From seeing each other everyday and always having each other's backs, to being left in the dark. It's a scary place in the dark, but if we look hard enough we will find our way... I will find my way.

The Purple Crayon of Fear

Rough Start, Bright Ending

Class Take Away 9

The documentary we watched in class was really eye opening to me. The film showed an excellent animator who had fallen out of love with his work. It showed his struggle not only in how he talked, but how he looked. He had large parts of his face and arms erased, exposing the rest of his body to the open air. It was horrifyingly beautiful to watch. It showed me how easy it is to let cynicism take over and let it kill you. Though it did so in an odd way, the documentary helped me appreciate optimism.

Who am I? Why am I here?

I am, so I will.

Class Take Away 8

Yesterday we watched the documentary Waste Land in class. Though this film wasn't the class's first choice, I don't believe any of us were disappointed. The movie made a lot of people in the class cry, and even I teared up at parts. Its because the film was so real, it did a great job making us feel the desperation these poor people felt. But seeing the pickers rise up through the power of art was downright inspirational. This film broke us all down, and showed us how to build ourselves back up again.

Class Take Away 7

Yesterday's class was pretty awesome. Everybody did a great job on their projects and it was super cool to see everybody's different book alterations. But what really stood out to me about this class was when Beth explained our next assignment. She simply told us to create something that answers two questions. "Who are you?" and "Why are you here?" These questions, though overwhelming, began to spark creativity within me. I have an abundance of ideas for this next assignment. and I'm excited to start working on it!

Altered Book of the Self

What is your opinion of combining technology and the human body as she did in the video?

I don't know how I feel about combining technology and the human body. The results of her work are both unsettling and beautiful. From an artistic perspective I love her work and the idea of exploring the human body's aesthetic potential with technology. But from a societal point of view, I am not too eager to adopt such a style for myself.

What is your opinion of combining a media arts and science project with your own body?

It could be a lot of fun to do. I really like interactive art exhibits and with my body I may be able to create my own.

How similar were other students' ideas to each other?

Many of us had similar ideas, with different twists on them. But there were a few really creative ones.

How similar were other students' ideas to your own?

I would say my ideas were closely related to my peers. But I did have a few original ideas.

What stood out to you?

What stood out to me was the power of simple ideas. The "what if" format leads to simple solutions to decide what to do for the assignment.

What is the purpose of looking at each others' posts?

To see where we are creatively, and where our classmates are. As well as to explore different ways of thinking about the same issue.

How will you change this book?

I changed the book by doodling on a page that stood out to me. The page was about building confidence for a speech. I decorated the page with words and sketches depicting my emotional reflection on public speaking. 

How will this book change you? 

It has made me think about myself, and others that aren't naturally good at public speaking. It made me more accepting of my soft spoken nature.

We Are More (Watercolor)

Class Take Away 6

Yet another monday goes by without a Seeing Sideways meeting, however, thats okay. We were told to use that time to play with creativity, rather than adhere to our schedule. This assignment I believe works off of the ideas of synchronicity, spontaneity, and serendipity. Synchronicity is displayed by the students all working at the same time but in different places, to come together next class meeting. Spontaneity is shown in the "playing" part of the assignment, we take time out of our day to do what makes us happy, rather than what we "should" do. And serendipity is the ultimate goal, an unexpected but pleasant realization of how we might flourish creatively. I just love how all of these assignments are designed for personal accomplishments, and the three S's are a cool concept as well.

Class Take Away 5

Though I was really bummed to hear that we didn't have class, these new assignments look pretty fun. I'm really excited to figure out just what I would want in my creative space. I have no idea what the best environment for my creativity is. Surely something with lots of interaction with creative people, but also enough space for myself to think independently. This is a difficult thing to achieve at a home based work environment. Also do I prefer a clean and modern space, or more of a controlled chaos? This will definitely take some contemplation.

50 What Ifs...

What if I...


1. Took a picture of the barcode and put flames in the frame.

2. Read the book.

3. Put tape over my mouth and read an excerpt of the book. Symbolizing my social anxiety.

4. Burned the book, and made a video of the process.

5. Used the book as a frisbee.

6. Tried to make the book look old.

7. Drew on all of the pictures for fun.

8. Balled up all of the pages, put them in a trashcan, and took a photo.

9. Folded origami with the pages.

10. Made paper airplanes with the pages.

11.Made an abstract collage from pages in the book.

12. Wore the book as a hat.

13. Made the book look like a cake, cut a "slice" of the book, and took a photo.

14. Did a drawing on top of one of the pages.

15. Made a mask from the book.

16. Made a paper mâché ball from the book.

17. Cut out specific words from the book and formed a sentence.

18. Sold the book.

19. Used the pages to create a frame for a photo.

20. Tried to give away the book.

21. Left the book alone.

22. Made a deck of cards out of the pages.

23. Threw the boom out the window.

24. Rolled up all the pages into a giant ball and played catch.

25. Used the book as a plate.

26. Blacked out all of the pages with sharpie.

27. Made a house luminary out of the pages.

28. Played tick tac toe in the book.

29. Made an image of

me as a miniature person, holding up the book cover.

30. Doodled on the book for all of my classes.

31. Used the pages to make paper jewelry.

32. Made the book a tiny end table.

33. Make the book a stool.

34. Draw an animation on the pages.

35. Used the book to create sounds to form a song.

36. Had a contest for throwing eggs at the book from a distance.

37. Made a speech using the book.

38. Got the book wet and did something cool with the running ink.

39. Folded the pages into a wreathe.

40. Wrote a story only using the first word of each page.

41. Cut a design out of the book cover and made it into a vector image in Illustrator.

42. Made toys out of the book.

43. Did a photography set with the book.

44. Made christmas ornaments out of the pages.

45. Finger painted in the book.

46. Asked people to write one word on each page, and pieced together a poem.

47. Used the book as a journal.

48. Left the book on the floor of a busy room. To see how long it lasts.

49. Dipped the entire book in chocolate.

50. Traded the book in for cash.

Class Take Away 4

This class was hard for me. I had written an intensely emotional poem, and completely forgot I had to present it to the class. The poem was about how my band wants me to drop out of school to tour extensively, and the struggle I have deciding which opportunity I should take. I ended up going last, and the entire time leading up to my turn I was unable to concentrate on just about anything. It didn't help that my phone was also blowing up with texts from band members. When I finally presented, I got shaky and emotional. Once I was done reading everyone was silent, as if I had stopped time. After a bit of contemplation, the professor brought us all up to speed on how she came to find her path amongst various opportunities. Her story was inspiring, because it was honest. She ended her story by telling me that only I can make this choice, and that my dreams (no matter what they are) are not impossible.

For anyone interested... I have decided to stay in school and work with the band as long as I can. Below is our band's Facebook page, we're going to be done with our record this friday and
will hopefully have it for sale by the end of the month.
Crunkasaurus Rex

Opportunity Poem

True songs are made with passion,

Held together by a band of hearts.

Our souls have danced in harmony,

In harmony I am lost.

Some souls will make a new path,

No matter where it will go.

Dare I choose to follow?

Dare I tell them no?

A dream, a goal, a career

The life that we all want

Our band of hearts divided.

I am the only one.

Are these really my dreams?

Understand, I can’t decide.

Look at them; heads trapped in the sky.
Opportunities or a passionate lie?

Class Take Away 3

This week's class made me learn more about myself. When I showed my doodle to the class I was nervous. Not because it didn't look good, I sorta liked my chaotic looking space man. Its just after looking around and seeing so many cool pencil doodles I felt a little worried that I didn't do the assignment correctly because I used a digital medium. However, as the class was going back and forth about my doodle, my professor asked me how I really felt about it. When I first tried to explain my thoughts on the doodle, I said that I didn't feel particularly good or bad about it. As I went on explaining my feelings I realized my doodle had a message about myself within it. The straight lines inside of his helmet represented my organized thoughts, where as the messy squiggles around the helmet represented all of the new information I surround myself with. I think I need to learn when to stop taking in useless information and express my thoughts more. Because externalizing our thoughts/emotions is another way to work through them.

A Doodle

Exploration

Class Take Away 2

Yesterday in class I felt a really strong emotional connection with the student who had the painted her egg. I didn't talk to her, but when she explained her project I was stunned. Her egg, painted with dark shades of green and gold, had gaping holes carved out of the shell. She explained how she had recently lost a family member and she felt like the shell resembled her, and the holes resembled her loss. This was at first extremely sad, but as we passed around the egg Beth asked her if she had looked inside the egg. Nobody in the class had done this yet, and when it was my turn to hold the egg I decided to look inside as well. The holes looked as if they were burned into the shell because of the dark paint around the rim. It looked really really neat, and it made me think to myself "Even though we may feel like empty shells sometimes, our true colors will always shine. Not only around others, but also within ourselves."

The Egg and Eye

Sunny Side Up

Class Take Away 1

Wow, this class stands out in so many ways it's hard to pick one thing about the class that stood out more than any other. Though, after we were finished rolling around our desks in the hallway and pondering what we would do our eggs, all of us watched a TED talk featuring Barry Schwartz. Schwartz explained that people are paralyzed by an excess number of choices, and later become depressed or dissatisfied because of the potential regret of those choices. This really hit home with me, as a college student I find myself making hard decisions everyday that may or may not dictate my future. Schwartz's offered  that we "lower our standards" as a solution, but I think the real solution is for all of us to be happy with what we have/who we are.