Self-Assessment
Studio & Seminar, the most diverse and challenging classes which I have taken, have changed my perception of the way I approached my work. Being used to diving into works right away, I faced many challenges at first, but the classes taught me the importance of the process throughout the work: approaching from deeper perspectives, preparing beforehand, and allocating my time and resources on each progression accordingly. Two very different styles of classes were synergetic to me. In the studio, I focused on making physically and brainstorming, but in the seminar, I organized my thoughts in writing to make conceptual ideas more concrete and sound. Reading articles, facing different styles and notions, broadened my scope. Rarely would I get a chance for idea discussions or proper critics, but Studio & Seminar has not only offered the opportunities to improve the way I create, read, and write, but also taught me to communicate my works better.
Interactions with teachers and classmates widened my perspectives: the way I see myself and the way others see me. Healthy discussions and direct feedbacks about my projects and various ideas helped me to improve my works immediately. Also, evaluating the works of others exposed me to many different viewpoints, many of which could be challenging at times as each individual work has very distinct strengths and weaknesses. But most importantly, in these conditions I have matured in interacting with others, being open to accept critical feedbacks and always trying to improve and learn. All these experiences changed my perspective about the project. In the beginning, because I wanted to concentrate on my major, many of the assessments felt like a burden, something uninteresting and boring. But I have come to recognize the importance of experiencing many aspects and building strong foundation in my first year in order to develop my learnings into my passion and higher-level studies in my major in upcoming years.
Among the four bridge projects, the most challenging but most successful assignment was the ‘Bridge #3 multiple perspectives’, my very first group and field project. The project involved interviewing strangers at Washington Square Park. Preferring working individually in my own space, I felt strange cooperating in a group and talking to strangers at first. I couldn’t have imagined anything positive being in a group but only the downsides as I had expected to face many different opinions and conflicts. But I was wrong, fortunately. Each member of the group was very different and many views added values and we were able to collect many great ideas and progress them to build greater outcomes for our projects. I not only have worked on both end of being one of the group members, communicating, and coping with others, but gained responsibilities and leadership. In a ‘group’ project, as each was given tasks and divided roles, I wanted to be a positive contributing member for the team. Adding my views on the teams’ success, changed my perspective about working as a team, and as I molded and became comfortable, not only our team made a significant progress, but also was able to deliver in many other projects as well.
The research project, an unfamiliar and a challenging experience, have shaped me in a way I’ve never imagined. Everything was new. Before learning to write a research paper, building everything from ground zero was the most challenging part: brainstorming scattered ideas within a group and connecting dots to develop a specific research proposal. Even the basics which were new to me; for example, I learned that using bibliography to support my position in the research is crucial.
In Seminar 2, I want to gain deeper understanding of research. Reviewing the research process and writing more research papers, the weakest part which I want to improve, will be very challenging, but I am certain that this experience will be fruitful in the future.
As I major in fashion design, I want to pursue relevant topics and activities upcoming semesters. Building on from my works in the seminar, I’ve decided to take more classes related to the explanation and assessment of my works to help me find the importance and purpose of my art. In this way, the works I have created in class will help me to bring all my future works together in a manner that fully completes and communicates my distinct style, my own identity as a artist and designer.
For my future pursuits, I will utilize what I have learned in Studio & Seminar. Instructors have told us to focus on learning something new throughout each process when facing new tasks and the feedbacks during the progress has taken me to the next level, a step forward. I learned that the success depends on the progress, and I am confident that the outcome will be more than good when every process is taken carefully and thoughtfully. I will apply the unparalleled experience and training I received in the classes to continue developing my creative practices, and the knowledge I will hone my potentials for me to become a successful fashion designer in the future.
