Embedded Files
Introduction
Introduction
Our first project for iDesign was to make a paper flower that lit up in response to user interaction. In short, a close-able circuit. The point was to be mindful of our self-efficacies during our creative processes. For me, this was a bit like watching a roller coaster go from low to high to bumpy to high. I owe this to my initial apprehension at the beginning of the project and the growing joy I felt toward the end.
Theme: Self-efficacy
"I'm not good at tech..."
"I'm not good at tech..."
The flower pot project seemed incredibly daunting at first; it was definitely not in my comfort zone. Scenarios like “What if I followed the instructions wrong?” “What if I destroyed the circuits?” “What if I killed all the batteries?” swam to the forefront of my mind. The funny thing is, this was not my first experience with circuits. I have completed both the Stitch and Bitch workshop and Fundamentals of Maker Culture class. Both times I succeeded in making LEDs shine. However, I have not worked with circuitry frequently enough to be comfortable with it. The narrative I tell myself now is “Oh no, this will be a nightmare,” which, while an improvement from “Oh no, this will be impossible,” does not do wonders for my self-efficacy. The message is the same: “I am not and never will be good at tech.”
It won't light up!
Let's try something... woah!
Changing the internal narrative
Changing the internal narrative
But throughout creating the flower pot, this narrative started to waver. For context, I did this project with a friend who is also in the class. Both of us arrived at Fimbel with low self-efficacy, and, thanks to the two vaccines we had gotten a few hours earlier, body aches and flu-like symptoms. But about fifteen minutes into the project, there was this magical moment when my friend’s LED lit up, and startled us both. It was awesome. It felt like we had pushed down the first of many dominos, and that momentum carried us through our successes and failures until we had constructed two beautiful glowing flowers. Even during the two instances, I fumbled my design so that my LED refused to light, we were able to figure out the issues without panicking and creating self-doubt. This boosted my confidence and self-efficacy significantly and helped me remember that circuits are actually not too difficult to create; If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger, more anxious self this: You've got this. Try something new! All you need is a plan, some flexibility, and some self-forgiveness when things inevitably go sideways.
Confidence grows!
Confidence grows!
Again, the point of this project was not only to create an electronic flower pot, but to practice being mindful of our self-efficacy. Overall, I believe this was an extremely good starting exercise. While I encountered numerous stumbling blocks, it was easy enough to make me want to do another when I was done, and challenging enough that I learned about myself from it. It showed us how to build a basic circuit, basic switch, and basic presentation (meaning the flower pot itself) of both—all core components of iDesign 107. Thank you, Audrey! I cannot wait to see what we will design next!
I did it! And I understand how!
Page updated
Report abuse