Semester Reflections

Semester 4

Through my first semester Tryathalons to this semester’s, I think the growth in my writing style is distinct.  I found my writing from the last two semesters is more articulated than the first two, and my point gets across better in fewer words.  I find myself choosing my words more carefully in order to convey my ideas in a shorter amount of time, whereas in past semesters, I would often linger on ideas and thoughts in order to put emphasis on them.  In art scholars we did a lot of activities and mind exercises that influenced my perception of art.  In particular, the field trip I attended, Postcards From the Border, made me appreciate music more as a form of storytelling and to convey a message rather than something that is pleasant to listen to.  Though I did enjoy the songs very much, I thought it was a creative way of expressing the emotion and story in every postcard that was being read.  I felt like it fit each theme perfectly, and I found the whole performance extremely engaging.  It simply wouldn’t come across me the same if it was just read aloud or acted out.  Another experience that influenced me was our in class activity where we played African Drums.  I really enjoyed being able to create a rhythm with my community, with the dancers, singers, and other drummers guiding us.  It felt more like the art we were creating was less from the sound of our drums but the collective emotion and bond we shared as a group in that moment.  

One thing emphasized in all our colloquiums is the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone.  Every class we would be trying different forms of art in order to push our boundaries, and I myself found some new forms of art I enjoyed from this program.  I decided to reinforce this sentiment through my capstone by trying new forms of art I am not familiar with or have not used in a long time.  By taking this massive step outside my comfort zone, I feel more proud of the final product and more connected to traditional art and penning in general.  Through the various Tryathalons and Craft n Chats that I attended, I feel like I have further deepened my existing artistic skills and gained more knowledge of skills that I didn’t have.  I got to try a lot of different mediums I was already thinking about getting into, like clay, music, and animation.

Looking back on my experiences, I feel like I’ve been able to collaborate more effectively with people holding different perspectives and abilities.  In the workshop I attended this semester, I was tasked with helping out other students who were struggling with crochet since I had experience with it.  I learned how to teach them certain techniques by demonstrating with my own yarn and correcting their mistakes.  It helped me grow with patience and understanding, seeing as they were struggling just as I did many years ago when I first learned how to crochet.  I think in general, Art Scholars has taught me how to be social and participate in a community, how to work together with others, and how to step outside of my comfort zone.  Working with other people is an integral part of my major and career, so I’m glad that I was able to grow so much in this short time.