I chose that because it is a good secret but does not reveal too much about the secret =)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Final project
Monday, April 23, 2012
recycled thoughts on today's class
I enjoyed the end discussion in class. My favorite part of class was discussing the final project. I think it is interesting the concern people have over sharing a secret that no one in the class will know if it is true or not. I have some pretty good secrets I could tell if we were sharing anonymously - as I'm sure many people in the class have. However, saying my secrets would make them not secrets anymore! (lol) There is a way to reveal a secret without spilling your guts. I found it fascinating watching people muddle through the process. As far as the project impacting my new media work, I think it is important to realize that there is nothing new. There are no new ideas. The only thing you can do is take an idea and make it your own. I thought this class was a good reminder of that. I also enjoyed the idea of "play". It is something I should take more seriously. My idea of play is lame, really. It is something I should do more often, for my own well-being.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Fear
1. Examine the situation.
This is what I asked you to do in the beginning of this assignment. What is fear, etc.?
Examine what makes you fearful.
Many things make me fearful. For me fear can be described as a "what if" situation. What if someone I loved died? What if something bad happened to someone I love? What if I make a mistake? What if I upset someone? What if my secrets were no longer secrets? I think the fear of the unknown or the fear of loss of control are my worst fears. It's a broad statement, but it encompasses many situations.
What is fear?
"an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat"
What does fear keep you from experiencing?
Relief, relaxation, freedom from worry, balance, peace, joy at times,
What is the use of fear?
protection from danger, keeps you thinking forward of next steps, allows me to see obstacles that could get in my way, it keeps me focused
Really give this some critical thought, just like you did for the senses. How does fear affect your life?
I think it keeps me from enjoying life to the fullest. I'm always playing it safe or worrying that if I'm not careful something bad could happen. Maybe this is from life experience or learning from the experience of others. I think I have worked so hard for the people, places, and things I have in my life that I don't want them taken away by something I could have prevented. I want to be the protector of those I love and keep them from experiencing stress or pain
2. Formulate an experiment.
Play with the idea of fear and come up with an idea for something you can create (or do) that explores your thoughts on this idea. The fear can be your own fear, or the fear of others, or even the general idea of fear...
My ideas plays with the general idea of fear. My idea is really an expression of what fear means to me in my life. I took pictures of my fears and hen lit them on fire. This was representing some of the fears in my life I have overcome. Other fears I only burned partially. This represented the ongoing process of fear. I do not believe I could ever live fearlessly. Even if I overcome some fears, new ones will arise and others will fade on their own. This is a natural cycle of life. The next step in my project was to put the burned fear pictures inside a matchbox. I taped the partially burned fears to the outside of the box. I chose to put my fears in the matchbox to represent the control one has in life. If you are brave or crazy enough you can burn your fears and move on.
3. Hypothesize the expected outcome.
How do you think people (your classmates) will react to what you came up with?
Write this (but not what you are planning to do or create - just the reaction you expect) on your blog.
Note: this is the only blog publication you will create prior to sharing what you did with the class.
A blog entry should be posted before class on March 19 with just your expected reaction from the class, nothing further - do NOT submit your URL at that time.
I think they will think it is "therapeutic" and a good way to process fear. At first I was doing my project based on why we have fear. Now I am at the place where I want to explore what you do with that fear. I hope the class finds away to use my take on the project to explore their own thoughts.
4. Conduct the experiment.
Share/present what you came up with in class during class on March 26. Some people have actually devised experiments based on their ideas of fear and conducted the experiment during class, using the people in class as the test subjects... Others have shared deep fears they have had. The approach is completely up to you, regardless of what others have done or will do. This is a journey of discovery for YOU. But make sure that you do not put anyone (including yourself) in real danger. If someone refuses to participate in your experiment, you must respect that decision. But that gives you lots of things to think about if that happens... Remember when planning your experiment, NOTHING THAT WOULD GET YOU OR I KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL!
5. Observe the reaction.
Take notes of how people actually did respond to your creation (or whatever it was) in class. Somehow document your findings so you can refer to them later.
The observation that stuck with me most was the comment from Cody. He was doing his project base don the fears of the class. He asked what my fear was because I did not call out a specific phobia.
6. Analysis of hypothesis with actual outcome.
Compare your notes on the actual reaction you got from your class mates (and me) with what you expected would happen.
I found that I really did not get much of a reaction. I don't think I explained my project as well as I would have liked to. I am terrible at speaking in front of people. I usually talk fast and forget to say about half of what I was planning on. I think the class was slightly confused because my take was vague and I did not specifically spell out what my greatest fears are. I took a different approach and should have explained my thought process more instead of just explaining my project.
7. Propose changes to your idea based on what happened in class.
After class when you present your experiment to the class, post the rest of this to your blog, including what you shared in class. Make sure to include points 5-7 in your blog entry. Take the week after you present to consider how you would change your project based on how people actually reacted to what you did. Really analyze your project and how it was received and think critically about what should be changed. If you don't think anything should be changed, then explain why you think it went as you predicted and how you might be able to massage the experience to get a different reaction from the one you predicted. Be sure to post these thoughts and observations to your blog.
After considering my project and how I could change it I decided that I liked what I created because it was very true to myself and the essence of me. I think I could have explained myself better. I should have had notes to refer to and really talked more about why I did what I did. If I was in a different place (mentally not physically) I could have really talked about my fears and why I chose to burn them. That would have defiantly created a stronger reaction. But, talking about your fears out loud makes them more real than I even like to admit. This makes my project what it was. My fear is definitely in exposing myself to others and even myself at times. I'm not sure I really messaged that well. I think maybe half the class picked up on it. This is definitely something I already knew about myself. Through that I did learned that this isn't something others may have even considered. Knowing that, I would have explained myself so everyone could see where I was coming from. There are many fears in this world people never think about because they do not have them. I really enjoyed gaining that new perspective on fear. Without perception, there is no reality.
Then discuss the experience/presentation from class which you responded to most strongly, be it yours or someone else's.
Answer these questions on your blog.
1. What was it and who did it?
I really responded to the project where everyone drew on the girl who brought in the markers. She brought in a pack of sharpies and gave up total control to the class, knowing that she would have to walk home wearing whatever message the class put on her. That was brilliant and was definitely experimenting with fear on many different levels.
2. Why did you respond to it so strongly?
I thought her idea was incredible. It was such a unique and creative idea. It presented a fear I have that I had never even considered. I could not imagine have a group of people you don't know very well so close to you and writing on your body. That took a lot of courage. The scary part for me wouldn't be giving up control of what someone wrote. Markers wash off, it's not permanent. However, having other people so close and "in my bubble" would freak me out. I couldn't even go draw on her because it was too close to someone for my comfort level.
3. How does it impact how you see your own project?
Her project made an impact because I could not believe how vulnerable she was. I really respect and admire her for that. It makes me want to be that bold in other situations. I am typically a very private person emotionally and otherwise. I usually don't even let the people closest to me get as close as she let her classmates. Her project demonstrated her bravery in a very create and inspiring way.
We will discuss all this on in class after everyone has presented, so make sure you have everything posted on your blog regarding this exercise prior to noon the class after you present. As always, to get your points, submit the URL here. You can do this in one giant monster blog entry, or you can break it up into smaller entries. If you do that, just submit the URL for each post here.
This project will be graded according to the rubric listed above instead of just whether or not you did it. 70 points for the scientific method listed in the first part, 30 points for the discussion of the most successful (in your opinion) presentation during class...
Consider this the midterm project if you would like
This is what I asked you to do in the beginning of this assignment. What is fear, etc.?
Examine what makes you fearful.
Many things make me fearful. For me fear can be described as a "what if" situation. What if someone I loved died? What if something bad happened to someone I love? What if I make a mistake? What if I upset someone? What if my secrets were no longer secrets? I think the fear of the unknown or the fear of loss of control are my worst fears. It's a broad statement, but it encompasses many situations.
What is fear?
"an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat"
What does fear keep you from experiencing?
Relief, relaxation, freedom from worry, balance, peace, joy at times,
What is the use of fear?
protection from danger, keeps you thinking forward of next steps, allows me to see obstacles that could get in my way, it keeps me focused
Really give this some critical thought, just like you did for the senses. How does fear affect your life?
I think it keeps me from enjoying life to the fullest. I'm always playing it safe or worrying that if I'm not careful something bad could happen. Maybe this is from life experience or learning from the experience of others. I think I have worked so hard for the people, places, and things I have in my life that I don't want them taken away by something I could have prevented. I want to be the protector of those I love and keep them from experiencing stress or pain
2. Formulate an experiment.
Play with the idea of fear and come up with an idea for something you can create (or do) that explores your thoughts on this idea. The fear can be your own fear, or the fear of others, or even the general idea of fear...
My ideas plays with the general idea of fear. My idea is really an expression of what fear means to me in my life. I took pictures of my fears and hen lit them on fire. This was representing some of the fears in my life I have overcome. Other fears I only burned partially. This represented the ongoing process of fear. I do not believe I could ever live fearlessly. Even if I overcome some fears, new ones will arise and others will fade on their own. This is a natural cycle of life. The next step in my project was to put the burned fear pictures inside a matchbox. I taped the partially burned fears to the outside of the box. I chose to put my fears in the matchbox to represent the control one has in life. If you are brave or crazy enough you can burn your fears and move on.
3. Hypothesize the expected outcome.
How do you think people (your classmates) will react to what you came up with?
Write this (but not what you are planning to do or create - just the reaction you expect) on your blog.
Note: this is the only blog publication you will create prior to sharing what you did with the class.
A blog entry should be posted before class on March 19 with just your expected reaction from the class, nothing further - do NOT submit your URL at that time.
I think they will think it is "therapeutic" and a good way to process fear. At first I was doing my project based on why we have fear. Now I am at the place where I want to explore what you do with that fear. I hope the class finds away to use my take on the project to explore their own thoughts.
4. Conduct the experiment.
Share/present what you came up with in class during class on March 26. Some people have actually devised experiments based on their ideas of fear and conducted the experiment during class, using the people in class as the test subjects... Others have shared deep fears they have had. The approach is completely up to you, regardless of what others have done or will do. This is a journey of discovery for YOU. But make sure that you do not put anyone (including yourself) in real danger. If someone refuses to participate in your experiment, you must respect that decision. But that gives you lots of things to think about if that happens... Remember when planning your experiment, NOTHING THAT WOULD GET YOU OR I KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL!
5. Observe the reaction.
Take notes of how people actually did respond to your creation (or whatever it was) in class. Somehow document your findings so you can refer to them later.
The observation that stuck with me most was the comment from Cody. He was doing his project base don the fears of the class. He asked what my fear was because I did not call out a specific phobia.
6. Analysis of hypothesis with actual outcome.
Compare your notes on the actual reaction you got from your class mates (and me) with what you expected would happen.
I found that I really did not get much of a reaction. I don't think I explained my project as well as I would have liked to. I am terrible at speaking in front of people. I usually talk fast and forget to say about half of what I was planning on. I think the class was slightly confused because my take was vague and I did not specifically spell out what my greatest fears are. I took a different approach and should have explained my thought process more instead of just explaining my project.
7. Propose changes to your idea based on what happened in class.
After class when you present your experiment to the class, post the rest of this to your blog, including what you shared in class. Make sure to include points 5-7 in your blog entry. Take the week after you present to consider how you would change your project based on how people actually reacted to what you did. Really analyze your project and how it was received and think critically about what should be changed. If you don't think anything should be changed, then explain why you think it went as you predicted and how you might be able to massage the experience to get a different reaction from the one you predicted. Be sure to post these thoughts and observations to your blog.
After considering my project and how I could change it I decided that I liked what I created because it was very true to myself and the essence of me. I think I could have explained myself better. I should have had notes to refer to and really talked more about why I did what I did. If I was in a different place (mentally not physically) I could have really talked about my fears and why I chose to burn them. That would have defiantly created a stronger reaction. But, talking about your fears out loud makes them more real than I even like to admit. This makes my project what it was. My fear is definitely in exposing myself to others and even myself at times. I'm not sure I really messaged that well. I think maybe half the class picked up on it. This is definitely something I already knew about myself. Through that I did learned that this isn't something others may have even considered. Knowing that, I would have explained myself so everyone could see where I was coming from. There are many fears in this world people never think about because they do not have them. I really enjoyed gaining that new perspective on fear. Without perception, there is no reality.
Then discuss the experience/presentation from class which you responded to most strongly, be it yours or someone else's.
Answer these questions on your blog.
1. What was it and who did it?
I really responded to the project where everyone drew on the girl who brought in the markers. She brought in a pack of sharpies and gave up total control to the class, knowing that she would have to walk home wearing whatever message the class put on her. That was brilliant and was definitely experimenting with fear on many different levels.
2. Why did you respond to it so strongly?
I thought her idea was incredible. It was such a unique and creative idea. It presented a fear I have that I had never even considered. I could not imagine have a group of people you don't know very well so close to you and writing on your body. That took a lot of courage. The scary part for me wouldn't be giving up control of what someone wrote. Markers wash off, it's not permanent. However, having other people so close and "in my bubble" would freak me out. I couldn't even go draw on her because it was too close to someone for my comfort level.
3. How does it impact how you see your own project?
Her project made an impact because I could not believe how vulnerable she was. I really respect and admire her for that. It makes me want to be that bold in other situations. I am typically a very private person emotionally and otherwise. I usually don't even let the people closest to me get as close as she let her classmates. Her project demonstrated her bravery in a very create and inspiring way.
We will discuss all this on in class after everyone has presented, so make sure you have everything posted on your blog regarding this exercise prior to noon the class after you present. As always, to get your points, submit the URL here. You can do this in one giant monster blog entry, or you can break it up into smaller entries. If you do that, just submit the URL for each post here.
This project will be graded according to the rubric listed above instead of just whether or not you did it. 70 points for the scientific method listed in the first part, 30 points for the discussion of the most successful (in your opinion) presentation during class...
Consider this the midterm project if you would like
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Hypothesize the expected outcome
As the week went on, I continued to think about this fear assignment. I pushed it further than what I had thought about doing before class last week. That being said, I would like to change the expected reaction because I have a new angle on the assignment. I think the class will still find my take interesting. I think they will think it is "therapeutic" and a good way to process fear. At first I was doing my project based on why we have fear. Now I am at the place where I want to explore what you do with that fear. I hope the class finds away to use my take on the project to explore their own thoughts.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Reaction about fear assignment
I think the class will find my perspective unique and interesting. I want their reaction to be that they learn something and to maybe give them something new to think about.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
What has stuck sideways?
What are 3 things you remember from this class thus far?
- The first thing would have to be the fish bowl. I really have realized how much I like to be "fish bowled". Expectations are easier for me to process and complete when I have them laid out for me. The lack of a fish bowl has definitely been a challenge for me.
- I really enjoyed the book assignment. I love books and really enjoyed taking the time to look at one in different ways. I never thought that the reason I love some books so much could have been because of the way the paper felt or the way that the book smelled.
- The third thing that comes to mind when I think about what I remember from class so far is the video we watched about the guy who makes pottery. That video was very cool and I really liked his perspective on creativity and art.
How has your experience in this class been different from your experiences in other classes? If it has not been different, explain what is similar to your other classes.
- The experience in this class has definitely been different than that in other classes. Honestly, I would say this class is more difficult for me. I think this is because going to school for me is a checklist. My mindset has not really been "what can I get out of school" but has been "what is on the list that I need to complete to meet or exceed the expectation." I have a career and I am not in school for career advancement. I make enough money I can pay a mortgage, car payment, tuition without taking any student loans, vacations, save for retirement, etc. I am in school only to get that piece of paper. This class has been challenging because there is not a checklist for me. My assignment is to take an idea and "go do something" with it. That is so ambiguous. It is a challenge because I feel like I have to personally invest in what I create, not just make a website that contains x, y, and z or write a paper. I think this class has shed a new perspective so far. My attitude in school has not been what can I learn, but what do I need to complete.
- That is a good question. I am not sure what I want to get out of the class, I had not thought about it in those terms. It goes back to my normal mindset of what does the course expect to get out of me. I guess I would like to continue to explore creativity in this class and learn about ways people have challenged creativity and pushed it farther.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Unexpected improv
For this assignment I put my totem (an Eiffel tower keychain piece) into a candle. I also scented the candle myself with vanilla and hibiscus oil. What I think is awesome about what I did is that as the candle burns, more and more of the totem is revealed - kind of a cool concept!! Finally, when the candle is completely burned, the totem is free again. I like the concept of this being like a cycle, full circle.
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