Semester Reflections

Semester 4

My time in Arts Scholars has been really valuable. It is truly hard to set aside time for creativity when working towards a degree, and Arts Scholars gave that to me. Creating, viewing and analyzing art is crucial for my well being; it is something that I will always keep in my life. I am so happy to have been given the opportunity to explore my love for art in college during this program.

The biggest thing that Arts Scholars has given me is the opportunity to create an individual capstone project. Learning how to time manage a semester-long project, formally present research, curate and exhibition for true public impact, practice my public speaking (oral communication) and design an effective piece of art was invaluable to my education. It is something that I will put on my resume to stand out to employers. I feel that I really immersed myself in the process and my final product spoke for itself. I hope my digital magazine will continue to be accessed and genuinely impact people's mental health. Mental health is such an important issue to me, and to know that I have helped others would make me so proud.

My perception of art has been influenced by our discussions in colloquium of "could society function without art?" and the exposure to different art forms. I think that art is extremely undervalued. As a member of the College of Arts and Humanities, I often feel that my hard work goes unnoticed. Through our discussions of art's value in class, I find myself wanting to fight for the truth. I find myself wanting to work in a sector that gives others the opportunity to realize this. Perhaps I will put my English degree to work at a performing arts center, or for a university as a resource for aspiring artists. It's all about being given equal opportunities and praise as other students. Two examples of being exposed to diverse art forms are our masterclasses on vogue dancing and African drumming. I love that I can say I have tried these things, and learned about the culture behind them. It informs how I see the entire world. It inspired me to learn as much as I can about different perspectives, and travel to as many places as I can to truly immerse myself in the art that defines other cultures. 

My capstone project drew upon my supporting course of ENGL271, "Writing Poems and Stories: An Introductory Workshop," and my work with UMD Recreation and Wellness as a yoga instructor. I have always been a writer, and reading the work of others and analyzing their intentions has always influenced my mental health in a good way. To acknowledge the messiness of life and the beauty that can be nevertheless derived is to truly live in a mindful way. I truly hope that others feel this way when reading the meditations in my capstone magazine. I came to the decision to write my own meditations as in my role of teaching yoga, while my classes obviously impact physical well being, I focus on mental well being and spirituality in my classes. I think it is something that is crucial for college students in particular, and I feel so amazing when people compliment my ramblings during the "savasana" meditations at the end of my classes. I want to help people be mindful in any way I can, as it was a shift that changed my life entirely. I plan to continuously share the link to my magazine (the digital format making it the most accessible) to my yoga students in this regard. Without it being a graded assignment, I would have never gotten around to doing something like this. I can dream and dream about writing books, but Arts Scholars allowed me to make it a reality.

I came into Arts Scholars with my only artistic talents being dancing and writing—but I have left with so much more. My favorite memory has to be my time with Gracie's "Craftivism" workshop. It cultivated my love for crafting, and its ability to calm me down and keep me off my phone. I think that hobbies are so important to living a holistic and FUN life. I now cross stitch, embroider, crochet, paint, and so much more. I could not be more grateful for that workshop and the passions it gave me.

One example of how my perspective has been diversified is our field trip to the Monet X Change drag comedy show at the Clarice. In general, having the incredible Clarice so close by has been incredible. I have been to many shows, taken many dance classes, and spent countless hours there studying in the performing arts library which has been crucial to my success. Monet X Change in particular made me very proud of UMD's commitment to social change, and in today's political climate, even tiny glimmers of hope on campus make a huge difference.

All in all, Arts Scholars has taught me that I never want art to escape my life. Professionally, I now plan to explore opportunities throughout the rest of college like the NextNow Festival Fellowship and the opportunity to become a Clarice Arts Ambassador. Personally, I also plan to continue to go to exhibitions, performances, and take dance classes to continue to see and experience new art forms. Academically, I will take away the project management skills of cultivating my capstone project. Thank you to Heather and Harold for an amazing two years!