Semester Reflections

Semester 3

Art can reshape or contextualize our understanding of our learned history, biases, and beliefs by sharing different perspectives in an intimate manner that is akin to seeing the world through another’s eyes. By looking at the world through another’s eyes we can gain understanding of different perspectives of history and alter our belief systems and biases to carry the influence of other’s experiences and truths. For example, I saw a painting in a capstone project based on femininity in the workforce and it opened my eyes to the experiences of other women in jobs similar to one I am being prepared to enter, giving me further understanding of women and how certain jobs can change how we act in the workforce due to patriarchy. 

The theoretical models and practical strategies for initiating the creative process that we learned about in colloquium include preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. Preparation is the first stage, it is when you gather data and relevant information. Incubation is when you sit with your data and gather ideas and form connections between the raw facts you've gathered before. Illumination is the ‘aha!’ moments gained from new ideas or thoughts that occur out of nowhere. Finally verification is testing and proving your new ideas, bringing them to fruition. I have personally used these strategies when designing for my capstone project. I had gathered data pertaining to connections between art and our neurological health, when I decided to change my project always through the semester when the data I found from previous research clicked in a different way inspiring me to drive my project towards connections between nature and stress levels through the biological and neurological pathways and connections in the brain and the concept of biophilia. 

We can effectively incorporate feedback to revise and refine our ideas by listening to suggestions from our peers, looking at our work through the lens of someone not familiar with the subject of your research, and reframing to take their perspective into account. 

In my HIST135 class: Urban Riots, Why Cities Don’t Always Explode, it was a weekly homework assignment to find a news article every week retaining to the content of class. One concept that has become very prevalent in class recently has been the idea of how history is shaped by media coverage. Media coverage can consist of many ideas, radios, news stations, newspapers, political comics. Through my background in art scholars, I have been able to pick apart artist intention and fine details of political comics, poems, and movies framed around different news stories and historical events for this class. 

My learning has been greatly improved by interacting in and out of class with fellow art scholars. Through Art Scholars I have met my roommate, boyfriend, and created a wonderful friend group. In our friend group we tell each other about our classes and studies and I have gotten the opportunity to learn snippets about english, astronomy, art, engineering, and more. Additionally, me and my boyfriend are both studying Mechanical Engineering and since meeting we have had the chance to work on homework together in the community building lounge and help each other understand concepts we are struggling with. 

I have contributed to the Arts program and community this semester by being an active participant in discussions and attending field trips and art events on campus outside of art scholars like seeing Jake Shimabukuro or Sherrylyn Ifill ‘s speech on campus. I wish there were more opportunities to create art that would be shown on campus like a community mural or collective art piece to be featured around campus. 

Being in Scholars has brought me into contact with people who challenged my previous beliefs and opinions. As someone who boycotts and doesn’t support the existence of AI art, I have met people who use and support the usage of AI art. Although I haven’t changed my own values or opinions, knowing people like this helps me understand their own reasons for why they do things and it helps me to improve my tolerance for those with different views than me. In other ways, listening to and understanding those with different political views has helped me to reframe my own understanding of human rights and politics to understand others more.