Tomorrow morning I will leave the place that has become my home. Tomorrow will be a day of sadness, and hope -- a day for new beginnings, as well as endings. Tomorrow I return a more independent young woman, who on some level has found a measure of equilibrim, the purpose of this blog.
Writing has helped. Friends have helped. Learning about Danish culture has helped. Being in Denmark has helped. These have helped me realize that there are places for me out there -- places where I can live, and grow, and explore. There are people out there who understand what makes me tick, because it makes them tick. There are people out there who get it -- get that being happy, being content in life, doesn't derive solely from competition and aquisition.
There is hope. And with that hope I return to the good ole US of A in hopes of either finding those kinds of people there or one day returning to this nation that seems to be brimming with them.
So for now, farewell dear Denmark. May I one day return to find myself at home again.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Here's a post.... Finding myself in Copenhagen
I wrote this, this morning for my danish class. Thought I'd share it. The prompt was to write a statement that would define how you've grown/learned this semester for job/grad school application, so it's a little much, but at it's heart true.
Who I am today is very much determined by this semester I have spent studying in Denmark. Before embarking on this semester I was confident in many of my abilities to explore and take on any challenge, cultural or language related. However, there was some self-doubt that I would be able to adjust to the Danish society. But what I found upon arriving here, and after living here for four months is that in many ways the societal ideals the Danes espouse are very similar to my own. I want to succeed, but I also want to be modest about my success, for I know that there are always those who may be more qualified than I. Understanding this, and living my life with this outlook, borrowed in part from the Danes, I am poised for success, because what I have learned to rely on is my own abilities and to trust in those. I can only be the best I can be. If I succeed it is because I have patiently deserved it. If I don’t then the failure becomes an opportunity for growth and learning. I could not and would not have come to feel and accept these so wholly as the foundation for my own personal growth and development, as well as career and life motivators, with out my observation of the Danish society.
Today I am poised to take control, to grow, and promote good will internationally for the United States, and for humanity in general because I have observed a society in which trust is key and caring and providing for each member of the society is important. What I have come to realize is that in order to be successful, in order to compete in a globalized economy one must try to understand others and accept them wholly. In many ways this depends on understanding their culture and language. I came to understand the Danes through taking the Danish Language and Culture class. Learning the language, which sounds so different from Spanish and English, really helped me understand how transitory language is. Through my study I am able to see how the Danish language has influenced English and how English has influenced Danish. This understanding helped me come to understand the larger picture, that we all influence each other. Why not influence each other in a positive way? Why not encourage people to be the best they can be with the realistic understanding that being the person you are is enough, that not everyone can be the president? This is something I have learned. This is something I think is key to shaping a successful society in the future, where success is not merely defined economically, but by the quality of life of its individuals. It may be difficult to understand Danish, although my Danish has improved and I am always surprised when I am in a store and I find myself understanding what the cashier is asking me, but it is key to understanding these people. What I’ve learned is that I can learn new languages; I can adapt my own ideologies to understand other cultures. I can take the risk of going out of my comfort zone and bravely step into the greater world to successfully take on challenges.
Who I am today is very much determined by this semester I have spent studying in Denmark. Before embarking on this semester I was confident in many of my abilities to explore and take on any challenge, cultural or language related. However, there was some self-doubt that I would be able to adjust to the Danish society. But what I found upon arriving here, and after living here for four months is that in many ways the societal ideals the Danes espouse are very similar to my own. I want to succeed, but I also want to be modest about my success, for I know that there are always those who may be more qualified than I. Understanding this, and living my life with this outlook, borrowed in part from the Danes, I am poised for success, because what I have learned to rely on is my own abilities and to trust in those. I can only be the best I can be. If I succeed it is because I have patiently deserved it. If I don’t then the failure becomes an opportunity for growth and learning. I could not and would not have come to feel and accept these so wholly as the foundation for my own personal growth and development, as well as career and life motivators, with out my observation of the Danish society.
Today I am poised to take control, to grow, and promote good will internationally for the United States, and for humanity in general because I have observed a society in which trust is key and caring and providing for each member of the society is important. What I have come to realize is that in order to be successful, in order to compete in a globalized economy one must try to understand others and accept them wholly. In many ways this depends on understanding their culture and language. I came to understand the Danes through taking the Danish Language and Culture class. Learning the language, which sounds so different from Spanish and English, really helped me understand how transitory language is. Through my study I am able to see how the Danish language has influenced English and how English has influenced Danish. This understanding helped me come to understand the larger picture, that we all influence each other. Why not influence each other in a positive way? Why not encourage people to be the best they can be with the realistic understanding that being the person you are is enough, that not everyone can be the president? This is something I have learned. This is something I think is key to shaping a successful society in the future, where success is not merely defined economically, but by the quality of life of its individuals. It may be difficult to understand Danish, although my Danish has improved and I am always surprised when I am in a store and I find myself understanding what the cashier is asking me, but it is key to understanding these people. What I’ve learned is that I can learn new languages; I can adapt my own ideologies to understand other cultures. I can take the risk of going out of my comfort zone and bravely step into the greater world to successfully take on challenges.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Snow distorted light
The row of hallogen globes,
float suspended in a blissful blinking storm,
as swirls of snow flakes distort their usually harsh light,
their ethereal glow leading me home.
Just wrote this tonight inspired by a poem I was composing on my walk home, which I promptly forgot. This is the gist of what it was. I'm going to miss my walks home at night and the long line of lights that lead me down the path towards my kollegium. Tonight they were particularly welcoming as it was freezing, litterally, and very late. It's now 2:16 in the morning and I'm headed to bed. Goodnight all you miscellaneous people.
float suspended in a blissful blinking storm,
as swirls of snow flakes distort their usually harsh light,
their ethereal glow leading me home.
Just wrote this tonight inspired by a poem I was composing on my walk home, which I promptly forgot. This is the gist of what it was. I'm going to miss my walks home at night and the long line of lights that lead me down the path towards my kollegium. Tonight they were particularly welcoming as it was freezing, litterally, and very late. It's now 2:16 in the morning and I'm headed to bed. Goodnight all you miscellaneous people.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The spider and the sky
Outside the sky is a light blue gray,
and I can see a spider crawling down an invisible thread on my window.
Against the blue gray sky, a tiny black speck,
The spider, now hanging on my window.
and I can see a spider crawling down an invisible thread on my window.
Against the blue gray sky, a tiny black speck,
The spider, now hanging on my window.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
When Life Gives You Lemons, and Lemonade
My life can be described as a pitcher of delicious lemonade, in which a very annoying fly has just landed on a piece of floating ice.
To explain, I'm in one of my favorite places in the world, having a fantastic time, but just got crappy news from home that makes me angry and frustrated.
I hate injustice. I hate not knowing how to go about revealing injustice and amending it.
I hate feeling unable to help my friends.
So I wrote that, just now, because that's what I hope and wish, really. That's what I really want to accomplish in life. I hope that in some ways I've already changed the world. I hope that I've already helped ease somebody's pain and suffering. Going forward I hope to do these things and I hope these things remain at the top of my to do list. When we remove all the petty things from our to do lists, most of which are economic related, we get down to the things that will really change the world for the better. Helping one individual can help a thousand, if you believe that that person will replicate that act of kindness and then that act will be replicated, and so forth and so on. It is like when you added the water droplets to the top of the penny in grade school with an eye dropper. The top of the penny gets so full that eventually the water bursts over the sides, but before it does, all those little drops held together. Little acts of kindness hold communities together, hold this world together. Eventually the spirit of kindness will no longer be able to be contained. It bursts forth. Goodness always does. And over the sides, the walls, the oceans, good acts will yield good acts. The more we do for each other the fuller our lives feel, and the more the world heals.
And in the end, my life is still like a pitcher of lemonade, pretty sweet, and ready to share, once I shoo that fly away of course and squeeze that particularly sour lemon that just landed in my lap.
To explain, I'm in one of my favorite places in the world, having a fantastic time, but just got crappy news from home that makes me angry and frustrated.
I hate injustice. I hate not knowing how to go about revealing injustice and amending it.
I hate feeling unable to help my friends.
One day,
One day I hope,
To be able,
To change the world.
One day,
One day I wish,
To be able,
To eradicate evil.
One day,
One day I hope.
For this world,
To be fair.
One day,
One day I wish.
For this world,
To be forgiving.
One day,
One day I hope.
One day,
One day I wish.
To ease the pain,
To ease the suffering,
To erase the hunger,
To erase the fear.
One day,
One day I hope,
For all of us,
To help another.
One day,
One day I wish,
For all of us,
To love each other.
One day,
One day I hope.
One day,
One day I wish.
One day,
One day I will.
One day,
One day we will.
So I wrote that, just now, because that's what I hope and wish, really. That's what I really want to accomplish in life. I hope that in some ways I've already changed the world. I hope that I've already helped ease somebody's pain and suffering. Going forward I hope to do these things and I hope these things remain at the top of my to do list. When we remove all the petty things from our to do lists, most of which are economic related, we get down to the things that will really change the world for the better. Helping one individual can help a thousand, if you believe that that person will replicate that act of kindness and then that act will be replicated, and so forth and so on. It is like when you added the water droplets to the top of the penny in grade school with an eye dropper. The top of the penny gets so full that eventually the water bursts over the sides, but before it does, all those little drops held together. Little acts of kindness hold communities together, hold this world together. Eventually the spirit of kindness will no longer be able to be contained. It bursts forth. Goodness always does. And over the sides, the walls, the oceans, good acts will yield good acts. The more we do for each other the fuller our lives feel, and the more the world heals.
And in the end, my life is still like a pitcher of lemonade, pretty sweet, and ready to share, once I shoo that fly away of course and squeeze that particularly sour lemon that just landed in my lap.
Well, that's my philosophical/persuasive/reflective post for today. Let me know what you think, whoever you are out there who's reading this.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Finding an old poem, and forgotten wisdom
Once again I'm procrastinating. I should be writing a paper right now, but instead I've been going through some of my old poetry. Here's an autobiographical poem I wrote freshman year of high school for an assignment. It seems hard to believe that was six years ago. If you've read any of my other posts you've probably gathered that I'm in the process of getting to know myself again. Reading this poem I realized just how well I knew myself at that point in my life. I guess I sort of forgot that I was thinking all these things and internalized them. It's nice to see that what defines me at my core really hasn't changed that much. It's also nice to see that I've actually done some of the things on my "life" to do list. I'd say this poem defines me as much today as it did then. Enjoy!
[Note: I haven't updated the people in my family or any other parts of the poem except removing God from the last line after "Resident of," because it didn't make any sense, and adding a comma after "life" in the same line.]
Sarah Elizabeth
Artist, poet, Christian
Sister to Jack, daughter to Beth and Louis, granddaughter to Litty, Sally, David Sr., and Carlos Sr., great-granddaughter to Elizabeth Jones, niece to David and Billye, Catherine and Phil, Robert and Melissa, and Carlos Lee Jr. and Mary, cousin to Helen, David 3rd, Rebecca, Ashley, Luke, Tucker, Clark, and x
Lover of art, history, books, musicals, poetry, the first spring bloom of roses, Greek mythology, the renaissance, fairy tales, and all things bright and beautiful
Who feels that life is a game in which we are all merely pawns placed in different ways, the only difference between the pawns in chess and us is that we in life are given a choice, to skip ahead while destroying the opponent or to wait and let all the other pawns pass by, or we to wait and eventually reach our goal while achieving greater personal wisdom by helping others along the way
Who needs the comfort of friends, hot coco steaming on a cold winter day, and knowing that God is there
Who gives everyone a chance, thought to life, and help to those who need it, be they friend or foe
Who fears the ultimate power of knowledge, the possibility of world destruction, and not fulfilling her destined life
Who would like to travel the globe, touch people, see the world's most beautiful gardens, see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, have coffee in a small café in Paris overlooking the city of ancient gaiety, travel to Rome and see Michelangelo’s timeless masterpieces, make an impact on the world, and see those most mysterious corners of the world
Resident of life, forever trapped until death in a human world
Ygartua
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
At the Gate
So here's a little something I wrote today while I was seated outside a palace in Copenhagen.
"And there she stood looking in from outside the palace gate, laughing at escaping fate. But it was the kind of laughter tinted with irony, with knowing something has been irrevocably lost. Freedom, perhaps, but at what cost? And what kind of freedom is it when the heart cries for something else? She was learning that there were many types of captivity."
I don't know what I'm going to do with it just yet, but I quite like it.
"And there she stood looking in from outside the palace gate, laughing at escaping fate. But it was the kind of laughter tinted with irony, with knowing something has been irrevocably lost. Freedom, perhaps, but at what cost? And what kind of freedom is it when the heart cries for something else? She was learning that there were many types of captivity."
I don't know what I'm going to do with it just yet, but I quite like it.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Update
Obviously I haven't posted in a while. This shouldn't be a problem since nobody really reads this blog. But, on the off chance that you do and that you are perhaps interested, here's what's been going on with me.
I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark in August and have been enjoying myself immensely. I love this country so much. I resonate with their attitude toward life.
I've met so many interesting new people from all over the world. I've tried so many new things: foods, wines and beers. I've basically come out of my shell in a way that I couldn't have anticipated. I've been out dancing, to a concert in Christiania, to museums of all sorts and on long walks getting lost, and found, in the city. I've also come to rely on public transportation, which I LOVE!
I don't think I quite new what to expect when I signed up to come to Copenhagen, but it wasn't this. This is so much better.
 |
| The Old Harbor. Bikes are EVERYWHERE! |
I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark in August and have been enjoying myself immensely. I love this country so much. I resonate with their attitude toward life.
 |
| Near where I wait for the bus in the mornings. The 7-Elevens are everywhere too and open late! You can see the tail end of my bus in this photograph. |
 |
Langley, Jillian and my roommate, Meredith |
I don't think I quite new what to expect when I signed up to come to Copenhagen, but it wasn't this. This is so much better.
 |
| Roskilde Viking Museum. These are the real ships! |
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars: A myth circa 2002-2003 with a few edits
I just found this myth that I wrote in seventh grade and thought I'd share it with whoever reads this blog of mine. I made a few changes, but only to make it a little more politically correct and to correct a few grammatical errors. Please excuse any other errors.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Designs I'm working on...
I can't decide if I like this better in black and white, or in color.... hmmmm....
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The end of Summer
Summer is almost over and I still haven't finished everything on my to do list. But that's not really a surprise to me. Procrastination just seems to be my Achilles heel.
Three more weeks of summer, and so much to do.
Three more weeks of summer, and so much to do.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Breaking down my Wall
Here's another thing I never admitted or acknowledged about myself until recently... I had constructed a very large wall that bared others, and myself from ever knowing the real me. That might seem extremely dramatic, and cliche, but it's true.
After my depression and after my "recovery" I went into hyper-drive mode. I put up a wall between myself and the things that would overwhelm and scare me the most because in order to get into a good college, do well in school, and be a productive member of society I could not be distracted by what I would find with true self-examination or what others would find.
This wall bared all the bad things about me, all my real worries and fears, insecurities and self-doubts, from overwhelming me. That's not to say I didn't have my down days, weeks, or months. I did for sure, but I also had the overwhelming drive to convince myself of normality and strive to achieve that thing which even though I would tell myself was impossible seemed the only thing to strive for -- PERFECTION.
I spent all my time trying to make myself into someone I thought I should be rather than just letting that all go and being the person I already was.
I didn't let myself acknowledge my feelings of guilt, or that I felt like a burden. I do not feel worthy of the blessings I've been given. I do not feel worthy for the abilities I have.
Yet I've worked hard. I've had many sleepless nights. I've thought that I was happy, and I've been happy. But now... Now I'm ready for a real change. I'm ready to feel worthy of my abilities and to feel worthy for my blessings.
I've acted like a fool and a naive child. But I have been a child. I never let myself see these things and never let anyone else either. Sometimes we could see glimpses of this side of me through the cracks in my wall, but it was still rather impenetrable.
I don't want to be alone. I don't want to hide behind ambition, drive, or perfectionistic tendencies. I resisted socializing and dating because I was scared to let anyone see the real me, because I was scared to see the real me. I have felt the sting of rejection and despair, and in order to resist any further hurt I put up that wall. That impenetrable wall is coming down.
I want to be loved. I want to love. I want to give myself the chance to know myself, and let someone else do likewise.
After my depression and after my "recovery" I went into hyper-drive mode. I put up a wall between myself and the things that would overwhelm and scare me the most because in order to get into a good college, do well in school, and be a productive member of society I could not be distracted by what I would find with true self-examination or what others would find.
This wall bared all the bad things about me, all my real worries and fears, insecurities and self-doubts, from overwhelming me. That's not to say I didn't have my down days, weeks, or months. I did for sure, but I also had the overwhelming drive to convince myself of normality and strive to achieve that thing which even though I would tell myself was impossible seemed the only thing to strive for -- PERFECTION.
I spent all my time trying to make myself into someone I thought I should be rather than just letting that all go and being the person I already was.
I didn't let myself acknowledge my feelings of guilt, or that I felt like a burden. I do not feel worthy of the blessings I've been given. I do not feel worthy for the abilities I have.
Yet I've worked hard. I've had many sleepless nights. I've thought that I was happy, and I've been happy. But now... Now I'm ready for a real change. I'm ready to feel worthy of my abilities and to feel worthy for my blessings.
I've acted like a fool and a naive child. But I have been a child. I never let myself see these things and never let anyone else either. Sometimes we could see glimpses of this side of me through the cracks in my wall, but it was still rather impenetrable.
I don't want to be alone. I don't want to hide behind ambition, drive, or perfectionistic tendencies. I resisted socializing and dating because I was scared to let anyone see the real me, because I was scared to see the real me. I have felt the sting of rejection and despair, and in order to resist any further hurt I put up that wall. That impenetrable wall is coming down.
I want to be loved. I want to love. I want to give myself the chance to know myself, and let someone else do likewise.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Hello purple room
I have finally mastered the next stage of communication: skype. My friend Amanda has just left to go let her dog out. Meanwhile, I'm left looking at a snap shot of her room, whoa, the door just opened and there she is! Totally creepy moment... but awesome.
T.T.F.N.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Sleepless nights, but not unproductive
Obviously if you've read my blog before you've noticed a few design changes. The other night I couldn't sleep so I made it my mission to try to figure out how to change up/customize my blog design. I didn't get much sleep, but I did learn a few things, such as how to change the font of my blog title and how to apply my own photo to the background. I also figured out how to make it so that the photo stayed in place as one scrolls through my posts. I don't know how applicable the things I learned will be to future web design projects, but I see them as the first steps towards my ultimate goal of mastering the web.
On a side note I'm sitting in Starbucks once again not getting any work on my newspaper, the UR Collegian, redesign done. Oh well, at least I'm enjoying the people watching.
T.T.F.N.
Elizabeth
On a side note I'm sitting in Starbucks once again not getting any work on my newspaper, the UR Collegian, redesign done. Oh well, at least I'm enjoying the people watching.
T.T.F.N.
Elizabeth
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Responding to New York Times article
I just finished reading Hilary Stout's article "The Coveted but Elusive Summer Internship," in which she explained that the "Obama administration issued a fact sheet listing six criteria aimed at preventing employers from violating the Fair Labor Standards Act with their unpaid internship programs" in April. In response to that article I've written the following:
I'm all for government regulation of the FDA, oil and gas companies, and the like, but this is an area where government regulation could be harmful. I'm working as an unpaid intern at a non-profit news radio station this summer, and paying my university to get credit. Am I losing money? Right now yes, but that’s why I look at it more as an investment than anything else. At my university the journalism department doesn't have broadcast journalism classes. How else was I going to figure out if I wanted to pursue, or was even good at broadcast journalism without an internship?
Internships give students, such as me, the tools to make decisions about the kinds of careers they want. We're at the age when we're trying on every identity and considering every possibility. These internships teach us skills we can't learn in the classroom.
Requiring that an employer does not derive any benefit from an intern’s work is preposterous when any action one does can benefit another. Do my employers derive benefit from my work? I hope so. I hope they learn as much from me as I learn from them. Our economy, our country, and our world depend upon the cooperation and interaction between new and old ideas. In this era of economic turmoil the exchange of ideas and building up of "resume" experiences becomes that much more important.
There are a lot of things I can live without, but education, in the broadest sense of the word, is not one of them. I would gladly give up luxuries for the experience I'm gaining from this unpaid internship. I work hard. I don't fetch the coffee, or take out the trash, and I don't feel taken advantage of. Don't make it harder for me or any other student to have these experiences and learn the skills that will help make them better workers and citizens.
So there it is, whether the New York Times publishes this or not, I have said my piece.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
It's all right to cry...
Sometimes I feel like I want to cry, but the tears won't come. Maybe it's not that the tears won't come, but that something in me won't let myself break down. Am I so afraid of knowing myself, of being vulnerable, that I won't allow myself the needed and healthy release of tears? Sometimes that's the way it feels.
Sometimes I go months and months with out crying.
But then sometimes I go months and months when tears seem to swell up randomly and frequently. At those times the littlest thing, such as song or a voice, allow me to break down my wall of resistance and the tears pour forth.
At those times it's hard to stop crying.
I'm in a dry spell now. I want to cry, to let go. But I can't.
I'm reminded of the video on Sesame Street featuring the song, "It's All Right to Cry." I don't even remember how old I was when I first saw that clip, but it certainly made an impression on me. To this day that clip brings me solace, and in some strange way the "OK" I need to let my guard down and shed a tear.
Let's see if it still works...
Yep, here they come.
Remember, it's always all right to cry.
Sometimes I go months and months with out crying.
But then sometimes I go months and months when tears seem to swell up randomly and frequently. At those times the littlest thing, such as song or a voice, allow me to break down my wall of resistance and the tears pour forth.
At those times it's hard to stop crying.
I'm in a dry spell now. I want to cry, to let go. But I can't.
I'm reminded of the video on Sesame Street featuring the song, "It's All Right to Cry." I don't even remember how old I was when I first saw that clip, but it certainly made an impression on me. To this day that clip brings me solace, and in some strange way the "OK" I need to let my guard down and shed a tear.
Let's see if it still works...
Yep, here they come.
Remember, it's always all right to cry.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
New Projects
So tonight I took an old painting and painted a new portrait over it. It's not finished yet, but I thought I'd take a photo of the progress. Here it is in two copies:
I'm also working on finishing writing some thank you notes. To make the task more enjoyable I've made custom cards using color aid paper, plain paper, mylar, ink, marker, and embroidery. Here are some examples:
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Lack of Commitment
Here's something I really need to work on... staying committed to projects.
Like my mother, I think I tend to pick up projects and then just as quickly forget about them, such as this blog. I have not been as committed to this project as I thought I would be. I even bookmarked it so that I would be reminded of its existence every time I open Safari. Nevertheless I forget. I slack off, and in the process I think I only hurt myself.
Instead of being done with projects and feeling free to move on to something else I hold myself back by making myself worry about the multitude of unfinished projects.
I don't want to feel held back by anything, least of all myself.
I should work on that.
Like my mother, I think I tend to pick up projects and then just as quickly forget about them, such as this blog. I have not been as committed to this project as I thought I would be. I even bookmarked it so that I would be reminded of its existence every time I open Safari. Nevertheless I forget. I slack off, and in the process I think I only hurt myself.
Instead of being done with projects and feeling free to move on to something else I hold myself back by making myself worry about the multitude of unfinished projects.
I don't want to feel held back by anything, least of all myself.
I should work on that.
Monday, May 17, 2010
NPR and all that Jazz
I'm working at KERA, the local NPR affiliate, this summer as an intern for a program called Think and another Anything You Ever Wanted to Know. So far I haven't really done that much for the show except enter rejected books into a spread sheet and shadow my superiors. But today I recorded, edited and uploaded the podcast. That may be a small feat but I feel like it's the first step towards my goal of learning how to operate and use another medium, the web, better.
The program is really fascinating. They have authors and important people come to the show and then interview them and take calls and emails from listeners. These aren't just hokey authors either. Last week they had gubernatorial candidate Bill White and author Isabel Allende on the show. Today they had a WWII vet on to talk about his new book. It was moving.
I'll try to keep this blog updated with all that I'm learning and finding this summer.
T.T.F.N.
Elizabeth
The program is really fascinating. They have authors and important people come to the show and then interview them and take calls and emails from listeners. These aren't just hokey authors either. Last week they had gubernatorial candidate Bill White and author Isabel Allende on the show. Today they had a WWII vet on to talk about his new book. It was moving.
I'll try to keep this blog updated with all that I'm learning and finding this summer.
T.T.F.N.
Elizabeth
Thursday, May 13, 2010
What My Art Is and What It Shall Be
I felt inspired today to write this...
There comes a time when one must ask oneself, who am I, and not avoid the answer. When one must examine the minutiae of one’s life and acknowledge every fault, every sin, with a critical eye. This examination must be done in such a way as to not cause more faults or cause one to sink into despair. Rather it must be approached from the outset as a process for self-discovery, self-improvement and self-growth by means of accepting one’s immutable and ignominious acts. Through acceptance one can finally grow to understand one’s life, and one’s position in the world.
For me that time is now. So how do I examine my life and how do I analyze my mistakes? How do I cut through the excuses, the subtle affectations I have cloaked my memories in and in turn come to understand how I came to be who I am? And what medium should my self-reflection take when every medium is available?
That’s the beauty of self-reflection; it may take whatever medium it needs. And so my journey shall take its physical form in an unrestricted fashion, dictated by instinct rather than reason. In my art I shall challenge myself to discard all my old lenses, rose colored and not, and take a long, clear look at myself, my real self. I must shed my postures, my limits, my inhibitions, and fears. Then carefully, layer-by-layer, I will peal back my emotional restraints, the mental stop signs I set to avoid painful self-truths. Thus gradually I will come to understand why I am the way I am.
My art will be the embodiment of my self-examination and self-acceptance. My art will be my method of self-declaration. My art shall be, in essence, the embodiment of me.
There comes a time when one must ask oneself, who am I, and not avoid the answer. When one must examine the minutiae of one’s life and acknowledge every fault, every sin, with a critical eye. This examination must be done in such a way as to not cause more faults or cause one to sink into despair. Rather it must be approached from the outset as a process for self-discovery, self-improvement and self-growth by means of accepting one’s immutable and ignominious acts. Through acceptance one can finally grow to understand one’s life, and one’s position in the world.
For me that time is now. So how do I examine my life and how do I analyze my mistakes? How do I cut through the excuses, the subtle affectations I have cloaked my memories in and in turn come to understand how I came to be who I am? And what medium should my self-reflection take when every medium is available?
That’s the beauty of self-reflection; it may take whatever medium it needs. And so my journey shall take its physical form in an unrestricted fashion, dictated by instinct rather than reason. In my art I shall challenge myself to discard all my old lenses, rose colored and not, and take a long, clear look at myself, my real self. I must shed my postures, my limits, my inhibitions, and fears. Then carefully, layer-by-layer, I will peal back my emotional restraints, the mental stop signs I set to avoid painful self-truths. Thus gradually I will come to understand why I am the way I am.
My art will be the embodiment of my self-examination and self-acceptance. My art will be my method of self-declaration. My art shall be, in essence, the embodiment of me.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Final project
After five sleepless nights working, I finally finished my final art project. My professor gave us the prompt animal, vegetable, mineral... then said run with it. I was inspired by malachite. After making a series of thumbnail sketches my professor pointed out that the most interesting thing I was doing was expounding upon the swirling nature of the stone and its various shades of green. Here's a really terrible photo of the final product taken with my laptop. I'll put up a proper photo when I get the time. Instead of being limited to making a plain print I made dozens of screen printed circles and swirls and then cut them out and layered them. I used the glass display case to ground the instillation. Then I built upon that and let the additional shapes break out onto the wall. The enclosed section represents the practice of removing nature from its native environment in order to catalogue, sell, carve, display, and then forget about nature. This attempt to understand the world around us, to confine it to the parameters of our imagination. But this is impossible. Nature is abounding, brilliant, understandable and yet at the same time unfathomable. The parts that break away from the box therefore represent this unbounded, and powerful nature that refuses to be confined by, or confine, any species that shares the earth around it.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Self-portraiture: a declaration and exploration of identity
I'm writing a paper on the evolution of self-portraiture leading up to one of Van Gogh's self-portraits. While researching self-portraits by other artists I came across a self-portrait by Anselm Feurbach. I almost flipped past the page but I stopped myself, turned back, and was taken by the intensity of the artist's stare. I looked it up online and saw it in color. Somehow the black-and-white print made it seem more dramatic. It's still worth looking at though. I thought, "I should write this down somewhere so I don't forget to come back to it later."
So, that's why I'm writing about it now.
That's all for now.
Admiring advertisements and creativity
I was on Youtube and the ad at the top of the page was for Old Spice. The Old Spice commercial that aired during the last Super Bowl was really creative. I wanted to know what other commercials they had and so I clicked on the ad. I spent about 15 minutes perusing their Web site and was very impressed with their targeted advertising and design. I wanted to know who made their Web site and their ads.
So, I googled, "Who designs advertising for Old Spice."
And what did I find?
W+K
Wieden+Kennedy, an advertising agency based in Portland, Organ, with offices around the world. Needless to say, I'm in love... with an Ad Agency.
Never thought I'd say that.
I scanned their site and found that they were the creators of several different ads that I've loved, including the Simpsons Coke commercial and the Levi's, "Go Forth" commercial.
If I don't end up designing newspapers maybe I'll go into creative advertising. I admire all they do and hope that someday I'll be able to create work that reaches that many people.
I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of selling people things, but the nice thing I admire about the Old Spice advertising is that it is so clearly targeted advertising. It plays up the farce--emphasizes the syllogistic reasoning-- with wit. It almost screams, "I'm an ad. I'm appealing to your desire to "Be a Man.'" It is so obviously targeted that it is less abhorrent.
For now I'll just continue watching advertisements, pursing different Web sites and books and continue to be inspired by the work of others. We'll see where that leads me.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Procrastination
Once again I find myself swamped, stressed and hurrying to finish a project. Don't ever be a perfectionist and a procrastinator, it is exhausting. That's all the advice I have for today.
Monday, March 29, 2010
The first of many
I figured it was about time I jumped on the bandwagon and made a blog. I don't think I have anything to say that is particularly original or unique, but maybe somewhere out there someone will learn something or find what I have to say interesting. Maybe they won't. It doesn't really matter. I'm 19. I have one more month left of being a teenager. I'm scarred of the future, yet also curious at what it holds. I guess, on some level I think sometime in the future I'll want to look back at where I am now and know what I was thinking, if only so I can relate to other people. I'm often so busy now I don't even give myself time to think. So this is what this blog will be for, thinking, or at least elucidating in a concrete form what I'm thinking right now.
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