Semester 2

Arts TRYathlon #1: Choose Your Own Adventure

Crochet Coasters (February 10th in the Bel Air Lounge)

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For my first TRYathlon event, I attended Jenna’s Crochet Coasters Craft & Chat. I came in with virtually no knowledge of how to crochet and it very much showed. Regardless, I enjoyed trying to learn. I struggled with many elements, even some of the basics. Despite this, I still felt a sense of accomplishment when I was able to achieve something new. I pulled out my stitches and started over many times, but I was not angry or frustrated when I did. I wanted to make something that I was happy with and I did not feel as discouraged as I would have expected when I failed. While I wouldn’t call my final piece museum worthy (or much of a coaster, really), I had fun learning something new and it gave me more respect for the people who are good at it. I find it easy to underestimate the difficulty of crafts like knitting, crocheting, sewing, and the like because I come across complex projects done with them so often. While I’ve always been aware they aren’t easy, the first hand experience I got while struggling helped me realize just how impressive these skills are. I feel I am now able to better appreciate the craftsmanship required to make pieces with this medium and I have even more respect and admiration for the people who have dedicated hundreds upon hundreds of hours to honing their abilities.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

Diamond Painting (March 1st in Bel Air Lounge)

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For my second TRYathlon event, I attended Alyssa’s Diamond Painting Craft & Chat. This activity was very simple, essentially a mix between a color-by-number and perler beads. While the product was rewarding, the process was incredibly tedious. Each individual diamond had to be placed on its color coded square individually, and while this may not seem all too difficult, having to change the color of diamonds regularly added a significant amount of time to the process. Even after an hour, I only had a tiny corner of my project completed. Regardless, I was still motivated to work on the piece and took it home with me so I could continue. Its repetitive nature made the activity meditative, and having an intricate and appealing piece as the result made it feel worth it. In a strange way, it felt reminiscent of the audio editing we have been doing in the Music Sampling workshop. While it may take a long time to cut every clip perfectly, time each beat, and mix every sound to get the piece to where it needs to be, having the finished product to admire at the end makes it worth it. From what I have experienced, this seems to be a trend in art. While oftentimes the process is long and frustrating at times, knowing what will come of it makes the time spent creating feel more satisfying in the end.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

Pottery Workshop (March 29th at Studio A)

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For my third TRYathlon event, I attended Jordan’s Studio A Pottery Workshop Craft & Chat. This felt like a flashback to elementary school art classes- making pinch pots that arguably weren’t much prettier. The process was fairly simple: start with a lump of clay and slowly pinch the sides until they become thin and take the shape of a small pot. Once the pot had its shape, new pieces could be added on, like a handle or a foot. My pot had character so to speak- it was certainly uneven and had a bit of a slant to it- but the creation process was still enjoyable nonetheless. This activity was once again reminiscent of the Music Sampling workshop in its own way. While trying to build the pot, it became easy to focus on only one section, only to take a step back and realize that there was much more to do, much like in the workshop where it can be easy to get caught up in trying to perfect one sound or clip. This project was a good reminder of how important it is to look at the whole picture when creating something and to not let getting caught up in the little details get the better of you. Good work can only be created if you take the time to approach it holistically (even if your result still ends up being a bit wonky in the end).

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