Week 1 Expectations:
I expect failure and I expect success.
I expect growth founded from destruction.
I expect love mingled with heartache.
I expect loved ones to die and loved ones to born.
But more than anything, I expect to live a life that coincides with my person. Going with the flow and allowing what is be enables me to move like water through the tug and pull of the worldly currents. My aptitude to shift to the given surroundings and individuals within the space, enables me to shed expectations of what will be and be content with what is. This may seem mundane, but this flexibility gives me the ability to be in the present moment.
Week 2 Identity:
What does identity mean to me? I guess I would say it is how I see myself in a non-literal sense. My identity is composed of a variety of elements, being a daughter, sister, friend, designer, American, French, etc, are the most pragmatic ones that I can identify off hand. But behind the surface level of these labels, a complex system is found. Each label holds part of my identity and lays the foundation for my personality, emotions, reactions, etc. Each label shapes me into the person I am, the person that should be able to be encapsulated within the word “identity.” At the end of the day, identity is perception, it is a voice that you are granted only one of and it is up to you to mold it into the person you see yourself as, or the person you hope to become. Identity has infinite interpretations, and for me, it is a reflection of your innermost self.
Week 3 Observation:
When I think of observation I come up with a visual, my eyes. I see them as a symbol of observing. Observation goes far beyond the usage of the eyes, it is the click of the keyboard as I type, the dry smell of a room and classmates typing away about this same word, looking around attempting to derive words from the walls. I am outside of myself most of the time and have a tendency to analyze my surroundings and the people within it. I pay attention to gestures, expressions, movements, positions, eye direction, etc. How people interact with their space interests me because from there one is able to develop spaces that correspond with the individuals inhabiting it.
Week 4 Archive:
The word archive makes me think of a cave in Europe. The walls are made out of stone far underground, making the cool air seem a bit flat. I imagine an expansive library, with candlelights flickering, exposing the many secrets hidden within the tomb. There are rows of shelves, one after another, they are each adorned with gizmos and gadgets and books, so very many books. This is a sacred place, a wealth of information to fragile to see the light of day. All of these objects show the history of discovery, the history of our people, and the ancient wisdom we have turned a blind eye to. An archive is rich. An archive should be treasured. An archive informs the future, the NOW, as much as it does the past.
Week 5 Research Topic:
Find a topic you’re interested in. Make it something you want to learn about. Try to look at the research from new ways, deconstruct it and rebuild it. Choose something that you will grow from. A topic that you can see yourself reading until the wee hours of the night. A topic that bewilders you, that makes you curious, something you desire to understand and unpack. An inherent interest in developing the knowledge that precedes you. How can you look through the same telescope and discover a constellation that has yet to be seen?
Week 7 Artifacts:
An artifact is a label for an object that has some significance to our past, present, and future existence.
Week 8 Annotated Bibliography:
A bibliography is an accumulation of sources that were referenced in a piece of work. An annotated bibliography is a tool for determining the reference’s relevance to one’s work. An annotated bibliography also permits the author to take into account the information that they have read, and determine which sources are important to the piece that they are working on. It can be used to place the appropriate sources in a place that will encourage the development and the flow of your paper.
Week 9 Thesis:
A thesis is an argument that one develops on and supports throughout an essay. It somewhat acts as an umbrella that encapsulates the essence and purpose of the paper. I find a thesis to be something quite difficult to write. I have started one now but it came out to be eight sentences long, my topic feels too complex to be able to string into a sentence off hand – I feel that the reader would be quite confused if they did not have more context off hand. That being said, I wonder how one goes about introducing a multi-faceted topic in only a few sentences. I have noticed that all the research I have done has been by way of books, and they all introduce the novel with a preface that is at the very least a few pages long.
Week 10 Connections:
When I think of a connection, I think of two or more things that overlap on at least one point. From there on I see a diverse, complex network that lays down the foundation of a multifaceted existence. The one beauty with connections is that they are found in everything that makes up our world – animate or inanimate. It is this collective connection that allows the world to function and continuously develop. There is an underlying harmony that dictates this coexistence and I believe that the basis of this harmony is founded on the premise of connection.
Week 11 Visual Research:
Visual research, in my mind, isolates an object, place, person, etc. into one sense – vision. For a visual archive, I imagine that an emotive vantage point could translate a research prompt into a more intimate source of information. Visuals transcend barriers that are constructed by society. We apply meaning to a visual, taking this piece of work and molding it to our own experience of life. Pictures can be so detailed, so specific, yet there is always an ambiguous sentiment that is left for the viewer to fill in. Visuals are not complete without the eyes that create the reaction.
Week 13 Outline:
I think of the outline as the skeleton of a piece. The skeleton provides the basis of the piece for the creator to then flesh out. When one establishes the initial structure, I find it much easier to understand the train of thought from start to end. An outline also allows the creator to uncover any gaps in their proposal – they are able to ensure a well rounded and informative piece this way. An outline is free formed and its undaunting malleability makes it an invaluable asset when first drafting an essay. One is able to lay out complex ideas in a concise way. When one begins to write without a structure in mind, the thoughts can get muddled, leading to a loss of translation.
Week 14 Reflections:
Reflections. I once wrote a short story titled reflections, it was my first somewhat lengthy fictional story. The theme of this story was centered around the definition of reflection: casting back of something without absorption. What a crazy definition, because when I think of reflection in terms of self-reflection, I think of taking the time to make sense of an experience(s). And by making sense a situation, I feel that I am able to absorb a more comprehensive understanding as to what happened, how I responded, and any other significant factors. I also enjoy reflecting on myself and my work, and finding out if there are any common trends that reappear.