Semester Reflections

Semester 4

             Comparing my first Tryathalon at NextNOW fest to my most recent (and final!) event is like day and night. For NextNOW, I was so focused on completing the objectives of the assignment that I didn’t actually allow any of my personality to come through in my writing. It seems robotic, like something not written by a breathing person. The Maker Mixer, on the other hand, is far more expressive: I’m talking about things I like, what I thought about the event, and questions I had concerning it. I’m expressing myself not as a list of objectives, but as a person with thoughts and feelings. That growth is especially important to me, considering my major is all about expressing oneself through writing!

             I remember one exhibit in particular that had confused me at the museum we visited during the Baltimore Day field trip: it was an electronic stand that had a series of headphones connected to it. When clicking on the screen, an audio of what I believe was a recreation of the African wilderness ambiance would play. That was it. That was the entire exhibit. Obviously, sound and art are very closely connected, we wouldn’t be so heavily influenced by music if that wasn’t the case; however, ambiance? I always thought of art as something that would make you think, but I haven’t ever considered how comfort is part of that way of thinking. That feeling of comfort also comes forward in the process of creation: for my final Tryathalon I sewed a patchwork keychain, and most of the work was a repetitive sewing movement. Back and forth, over and over and over again. The repetitiveness of the motion was incredibly comforting, and I can’t stop feeling reminiscent of that whenever I glance at my work. You don’t just have to love your art because it has some big, outstanding message for the world; you can love your art just because it was fun to make!

             For my Capstone, I think the most important lesson it took from colloquium is just how interdisciplinary the arts actually are. Researching, photographing, drawing, writing, all the such: art is such an expansive idea that there truly is no one way to do it. What manifested the most is the importance of inspiration: there is rarely a work of art that isn’t intertextual with a myriad of works that came before. Most of Arts Scholars was about recognizing intertextuality, and how it intersects with our work!

             Speaking of intertextuality, I feel like I’ve become more accepting of trying other forms of art. Before Arts Scholars, all I would do is make quick doodles in the margins of my notebooks, and choose to write a short story should an assignment allow for it. Anything that required more than a pen and pencil was totally out of sight, out of mind for me. Then, in Arts Scholars, I was forced into an uncomfortable position, because what was out of sight was suddenly shoved right in front of me! I still remember how nervous I was for our Vogue day in my freshman year as I know I am NOT  a dancer. But, push came to shove and I still gave it my all (mostly to not look like a fool) and now I look back and remember that day fondly. Was I an expert dancer after one day? Absolutely not! But am I willing to explore dancing as a form of expression! Absolutely – and that extends far beyond just dance. Thinking of everyone’s capstones, there’s so many forms of art that I want to try now, things that I want to create!

             Collaboration is an entirely different beast. The way I’ve most effectively demonstrated an ability to collaborate is comparing the difference between giving someone artistic feedback, and academic feedback. One such experience I had with this was when we were presenting our Academic Showcase slideshows and giving peer feedback on each presentation. One student had a visually stunning presentation but kept apologizing during their presentation for slight verbal mistakes. So, when giving feedback, I made sure to make it clear that it was only his skills at presenting that needed help, instead of the entire presentation. As I’ve spent more time giving peer feedback, I’ve recognized the importance of zeroing in on what it is exactly that needs a little help!

             With all this talk about how Arts Scholars has impacted me so far, what about the future? How will it stay with me? I personally believe that the lessons about moving out of my comfort zone will help guide me the most through my professional AND personal lives. There’s so many things out to explore, so many projects to create, so many things to do, but you won’t experience any of them if you’re too scared to make that leap. That, and removing the fear of taking in some criticism and peer feedback. Would any of my projects have the same results that they did had I not listened to any feedback? Absolutely not! There’s rarely a moment in your life where I’ll truly be alone when working on something, so there’s always people out there who can help you achieve the best results possible for your work. So, at the end of the day, being uncomfortable is how we become our most comfortable!

4 Semester Culmination - Photo by Me!