Semester Reflections

Semester 4

Overall, Arts Scholars has been a really valuable experience for me during my first two years at UMD. I particularly saw a lot of growth in myself through my capstone delivery and development, which is where I was directly able to tie the creation of art into my professional interests to create a productive product that I felt was an effective tool to discuss constructive politics. Particularly, when discussing my art in an oral setting, whether that be at ArtsFest or just in general, I found that, while I disagreed with some of the people that would share their opinions, we were able to use art as a jumping off point to have constructive dialogue, a skill that is often lost due to hyperpolarization. Through this, Arts Scholars has taught me how influential art can be as a tool to inspire change in dialogue or behavior, and how the inherent accessibility of art allows it to be a tool that is often more effective at reaching ordinary people. 

To that point, Arts Scholars, and particularly all of the projects at ArtsFest, have also challenged my definition of art and what constitutes good art. Art doesn't have to be outwardly serious to make a point, and it's often in the very intention behind the work that can communicate the artist’s intentions, which are often extremely deep and meaningful. And learning about the diverse ways in which we, as artists, have been brought to the program has made collaborating and learning with my colleagues all the more valuable. I especially enjoyed my workshops because we brought different artists' backgrounds to the creation of a certain project, and while there were guidelines, the projects we created were reflections of us as artists, meaning they were original, fresh, and fascinating to look through to investigate the divergence. Here, collaboration on projects was enhanced by artistic differences rather than complicated by them. 

But, while I learned a lot about lots of types of art, Arts Scholars served as a way for me to improve my craft as a narrative writer and allowed me to get another long-form writing project under my belt in an environment that was extremely open and supportive which I will always be very grateful for. And, I'm happy to say, that my capstone was a cornerstone of my artistic development as a writer, allowing me to work towards developing writing as a critical tool, which is an approach I’d never taken before. This is to say, personally and professionally as an artist, Arts Scholars has provided successful frameworks and approaches to the conception of art that will take forward with me forward for years to come. 

One important lesson that sticks out to me is in consistent improvement that we must practice, practice, practice, and be so extremely intentional about what art means and represents to us as humans. Because art matters, and we must be committed to its practice to show that we take up space, and we can do great things.