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)