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.