PUFD 2220  Design Studio 1

Personal Statement Draft – in Progress

My hands are never still. They require constant motion and productivity in order to feel alive. As a child, I made houses out of dirt and leaves if I had no homes for my dolls, which were always played with. Eventually, I had a desire to make, and my hands learned how to crochet. I found myself enamored learning new crafts and techniques, and before long my hands knew how to make wire jewelry, tat, weave, knit, embroider, sew, and make paper. I was able to make my own surfaces and fabrics or add embellishments to preexisting ones.

While I was teaching myself how to make, I was being taught how to research, study, and write. I found I enjoyed history and how people behaved, acted, and dressed. Clothing slowly rose as something that was important to me, so I began experimenting with making garments. A fear of machines caused me to find ways of making garments without sewing, so I played with handmade paper, yarn and crocheted or woven surfaces, cotton stalks, and other materials to make clothing. Fashion was now more present in my life than anything else had ever been.

Someone once looked at me, how I behaved, how I dressed, and how I was always researching something and told me to consider costume design. As fashion and design had never been something I considered until late high school, costume design was completely un-thought of. As I started asking around and thinking more about it, I realized it combined everything I love together. There’s a pleasant mix of history, society, skill, and fantasy involved.

Everything I make is something I experiment with; there is always something in each piece that I may have not fully explored before. I prefer simple, basic, and organic designs and forms that allow the experimentation to show vibrantly. Mixing old and new techniques or styles that make someone question what’s going on or how it was done makes me feel as though I created something successfully.

I’m not happy with the personal statement that I wrote. Something about it seems off, so in the meantime I made a chart of things I enjoy or that I feel describe me:

What was I like as a kid?

(Laughs) Is stinker a valid word? Mischievous, you were mischievous! You liked attention; you got plenty of it, you liked it. You loved to sing and dance around and play. You liked to pester your brother.

You were spoiled with attention because you were the only girl.

What type of stuff do I do as a kid?

I don’t think you want me to say you danced around naked.

You sang at church. You participated in activities like VBS. You were a good kid except you lied…some. You changed clothes about six times a day. At least. And I think that says a lot about your style. You loved wearing your dresses even though you were a tomboy. You liked wearing hats, you still like wearing hats. You’re very independent. You liked wearing a crown for no apparent reason. No special occasion. I think that says a lot about you.

Fearless. You swam in freezing water. Your dad and I didn’t think you could swim in it, but you did.

You always liked to sing though. You ALWAYS liked to sing. You were singing a cappella at church without a mic. It didn’t phase you a bit.

Never much of a game player, like board games. But you liked Legos, or blocks or something

You liked money, but didn’t take it seriously. You played with it. You would just throw it around, but now you’re very conscious about it.

I played dress up a lot. I remember that.

You did. You played dress up a lot. Hence why you changed clothes 6 items a day.

I kinda want to ask about what I did for entertainment.

You played dress up. You weren’t really a doll person but you played with your MyTwinn.

As I got older, what changed?

What changed? Nothing.

Are you sure about that?

No! Your creativity came out. That’s when you started making things. Oh my God. You were the epitome of figuring how to make something happen. It started coming out around…seven, six or seven. You started figuring out how to make something out of nothing. You were good at that. You are good at that. You would make stuff just because you could.

You taught yourself how to crochet, just because. You could make things, decorate things.

Was I ever weird? I got into the paranormal a lot. I just remembered that.

Oh that’s right! You were really into that! You loved the paranormal. You made me sit down and watch all episodes of Ghost Whisperer. You were fascinated by ghosts. Not scared, just fascinated. Like, you could watch Ghost Whisperer and enjoy it. Not me.

Yea, I was really into scary stuff for a bit.

Yea, that was weird, especially at your age. Usually kids get into that as they get older, that was the curious thing about it.

You were a very mindful person. But you could be sneaky. You had a bit of a smart mouth at times. And a bitch phase.

But a good sportsman. For example, you were a Titans cheerleader for your mom!

What type of phases did I go through?

You went through the wedding phase. You were dressed up as a bride many, many, many times.

What am I like now?

As you now? Oh my gosh. I don’t want to say smart aleck because that sounds negative. You’re very witty. Very witty. Very, very witty.

You used to emulate the characters of the shows you watched as a kid.

I did! I didn’t even realize it until now! It was mostly That’s So Raven.

It was, I wasn’t going to say anything, but that’s the one I was thinking about. That and others.

Which is funny because (Raven) was really into fashion. She wanted to be a designer.

Really? I didn’t realize that.

(I mention how it seems I didn’t change much from a kid.)

Our personalities don’t really change much. They evolve.