Dear Possible Seeing Sideways Students,
Greetings! I have just completed the experience that is Seeing Sideways. I say experience, because that's what it truly is. Calling it a class, does not do it justice.
We faced our fears, shared our passions and dreams, created some awesome things and had a lot of fun. It wasn't all just a bunch of goofing off though. We really grew as individuals and as a class. The first few classes, we didn't know what to expect. We would raise our hands if we had a question or something to say. We were pretty quiet and mild mannered. Beth was the teacher and the ultimate authority.
The last few weeks, you wouldn't even know we were the same class. We spoke when we wanted to and were eager to present our projects. We were loud and uproarious. Beth was merely an observer and sometimes a participant in what had become OUR class. We had literally become different people. Better, more creative people.
I wasn't too sure about Beth and this class when I first arrived. Some of you will be just as skeptical I am sure. My best advice to you: Trust that this class does have the power to enhance your creativity and help you produce some awesome things. All you have to do is let go of what is holding you back and embrace it.
This class has really shaped me into a different creative individual. My original capstone idea was tossed out the window and replaced with a handful of much better ideas. I stepped out of my comfort zone and did things I have never done. I built a bookcase for crying out loud! Never, in my life, have I ever built something out of wood and nails... But it was honestly one of the coolest things I have done.
Classes that I take from this point on will be approached with a very different mindset. Projects will be warped and twisted into something that interests me and keeps my creative juices pumping. This class, without trying to sound like a brown-nosing, ass-kissing, suck up, is a must take class for New Media students.
It's hard to explain what the class entails, what you should expect, or what you will gain from this class; You just have to take it for yourself. I can promise you this one thing: You WILL get something out of it and you WILL be glad you signed up for it.
-Helmet
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Research Project
For my research project, I decided to read up on one of my favorite writers, Edgar Allan Poe.I myself, really enjoy reading and writing and my style if influenced tremendously by Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, and H.P. Lovecraft. I think what I like about them is their ability to write about the odd or the weird or the mundane and make them absolutely terrifying and interesting.
I already knew quite a bit about Poe, but I did some more research and reread some of my favorite pieces by him. I then decided to make a poster in Photoshop that would tell anyone looking at it quite a bit about Poe at a glance. Furthermore, I tried to do so in a style that was Poe-esque so that people could get a feel for his niche and possible become intrigued.
Quotes used in the poster can be found in the following works:
The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Bells, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Pit and the Pendulum, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allan Poe
Research sources I used were the following:
http://www.eapoe.org/
http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php
http://www.nps.gov/edal/index.htm
http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79-29745
Monday, April 25, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - The Secret Library
As promised, this is my "Wellspring of Creativity" assignment.
Allow me to preface this by saying that I was very much inspired by Mr. Glasscock who only a few weeks ago built a large spinning animation rig (which I can no longer remember the name of and Google refuses to help...)
As a New Media student, I don't do very much building that doesn't involve a computer. However, I really enjoy working with my hands and making things. So, I decided to do just that for this project.
I didn't just want to build something though. I wanted to build something that A.) I would use, B.) I could do with a little help from others as possible, and C.) I would think was clever and original and funny.
I decided on this:
Tada! A bookcase that looks like a giant book!
I know, I know. I'm awesome. I am also an avid reader, so I can't wait to bring this home from my parent's garage tonight and fill it with all my books. I'll upload pictures once it is filled. ;)
Helmet's Helpful Hints (Or Rather, Something Helmet Noticed in this Entry): This entry is brough to you by the letter 'A.' I don't really know why, but it just seemed to me like I used the letter 'A' alot...
Allow me to preface this by saying that I was very much inspired by Mr. Glasscock who only a few weeks ago built a large spinning animation rig (which I can no longer remember the name of and Google refuses to help...)
As a New Media student, I don't do very much building that doesn't involve a computer. However, I really enjoy working with my hands and making things. So, I decided to do just that for this project.
I didn't just want to build something though. I wanted to build something that A.) I would use, B.) I could do with a little help from others as possible, and C.) I would think was clever and original and funny.
I decided on this:
Tada! A bookcase that looks like a giant book!
I know, I know. I'm awesome. I am also an avid reader, so I can't wait to bring this home from my parent's garage tonight and fill it with all my books. I'll upload pictures once it is filled. ;)
Helmet's Helpful Hints (Or Rather, Something Helmet Noticed in this Entry): This entry is brough to you by the letter 'A.' I don't really know why, but it just seemed to me like I used the letter 'A' alot...
Monday, April 18, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Day 8?
I haven't done one of these in awhile. They have kind of been merged with the assignment posts. This week was no exception. We talked about what gets our creative juices flowing and that's what I talked about in great detail in my last post.
One class member shared about how she felt like she had lost her creativity. I know exactly how she feels. I think every creative person goes through that many times in their life. Creativity comes and goes and you can't force it to come to you. The best you can do is try to coax it back out, but even that won't always work.
It is definitely a frustrating feeling, but all I can suggest is that you just keep trying and just keep your head up. You never know what is going to inspire you, so just live life! See a movie every week, read a book, try new types of food, learn a new language, meet new people! The more I take in, the easier it is for me to put out. (No sexual innuendo intended... God, that sounds bad. But you get the idea, perverts!)
One class member shared about how she felt like she had lost her creativity. I know exactly how she feels. I think every creative person goes through that many times in their life. Creativity comes and goes and you can't force it to come to you. The best you can do is try to coax it back out, but even that won't always work.
It is definitely a frustrating feeling, but all I can suggest is that you just keep trying and just keep your head up. You never know what is going to inspire you, so just live life! See a movie every week, read a book, try new types of food, learn a new language, meet new people! The more I take in, the easier it is for me to put out. (No sexual innuendo intended... God, that sounds bad. But you get the idea, perverts!)
N385 - Wellspring of Creativity
Creativity for me stems from two main things: Emotion and Limitation.
The first part is very simple and, I believe, quite common for most people. My emotional state plays a big part in how creative I can be. Sometimes when I am sad or angry, it puts a complete block on my creative state. There have been times when I have been getting awesome work done on a project or assignment just to have it come to a screeching halt because of some outside factor putting me in a crappy mood.
This isn't always the case, however. There have been times when my work is actually improved when I am angry or sad or depressed. For me, it really depends on what I am working on and what happened that put me in that mood, but emotions play a big part in whether or not my work is any good or whether or not I can even get it done!
The second part is a bit odd, but without a doubt it is my biggest wellspring of creativity. As long as I can remember I have worked well under limitations. Before I had Photoshop, I would create things in Paint. Anyone who has worked in Paint knows that it is severely limited compared to Photoshop, but I was able to find ways to do many of the things that people believed it was impossible to do without Photoshop.
I always felt most creative doing homework assignments in school where the teacher would tell me what I had to do. Working within the parameters of the assignment while still making it something that I would enjoy doing was challenging and exciting to me. I like to write sequels and prequels to books and movies because I am limited to keeping it within the boundaries set forth already.
The lack of freedom makes me think of things I wouldn't normally think of, because I want to make it something entertaining to me, but I will abide by the limitations unwaveringly.
I've really struggled coming up with what to do in this class on most assignments because there has been a HUGE lack of limitations. Beth is not one to set down rules for what should be done or how it should be done. She will give you a parameter like, "Look at fear" or "Use this egg," but within that, there is a vast amount of wiggle room.
I think this is good for me, because it makes me work much harder to come up with something just as creative even though it isn't playing into my strengths. I've definitely had to sit around for hours at a time trying to hash out what my project for that week was going to be.
For this week, we are supposed to examine our "Wellspring of Creativity" and immerse ourselves in it. Then create something memorable and share it with the class. Unfortunately, I am currently in the middle of a weird transitional period occupationally and got slammed with two full-time jobs for the last couple of weeks. I had to work 40 hours this week and 32 hours this weekend!
Needless to say, I didn't have much free time (that I didn't spend sleeping). Therefore, I do not feel that I had adequate time to give this project the effort that it deserves. So, I have decided to skip class today and create something awesome and memorable that I will show during next weeks class.
The first part is very simple and, I believe, quite common for most people. My emotional state plays a big part in how creative I can be. Sometimes when I am sad or angry, it puts a complete block on my creative state. There have been times when I have been getting awesome work done on a project or assignment just to have it come to a screeching halt because of some outside factor putting me in a crappy mood.
This isn't always the case, however. There have been times when my work is actually improved when I am angry or sad or depressed. For me, it really depends on what I am working on and what happened that put me in that mood, but emotions play a big part in whether or not my work is any good or whether or not I can even get it done!
The second part is a bit odd, but without a doubt it is my biggest wellspring of creativity. As long as I can remember I have worked well under limitations. Before I had Photoshop, I would create things in Paint. Anyone who has worked in Paint knows that it is severely limited compared to Photoshop, but I was able to find ways to do many of the things that people believed it was impossible to do without Photoshop.
I always felt most creative doing homework assignments in school where the teacher would tell me what I had to do. Working within the parameters of the assignment while still making it something that I would enjoy doing was challenging and exciting to me. I like to write sequels and prequels to books and movies because I am limited to keeping it within the boundaries set forth already.
The lack of freedom makes me think of things I wouldn't normally think of, because I want to make it something entertaining to me, but I will abide by the limitations unwaveringly.
I've really struggled coming up with what to do in this class on most assignments because there has been a HUGE lack of limitations. Beth is not one to set down rules for what should be done or how it should be done. She will give you a parameter like, "Look at fear" or "Use this egg," but within that, there is a vast amount of wiggle room.
I think this is good for me, because it makes me work much harder to come up with something just as creative even though it isn't playing into my strengths. I've definitely had to sit around for hours at a time trying to hash out what my project for that week was going to be.
For this week, we are supposed to examine our "Wellspring of Creativity" and immerse ourselves in it. Then create something memorable and share it with the class. Unfortunately, I am currently in the middle of a weird transitional period occupationally and got slammed with two full-time jobs for the last couple of weeks. I had to work 40 hours this week and 32 hours this weekend!
Needless to say, I didn't have much free time (that I didn't spend sleeping). Therefore, I do not feel that I had adequate time to give this project the effort that it deserves. So, I have decided to skip class today and create something awesome and memorable that I will show during next weeks class.
Monday, April 11, 2011
N385 - Why are you here?
I am going to assume that we are asking this question on a philosophical basis and that you don't want to know why I am sitting on my couch drinking Mountain Dew and eating Funyuns waiting for the next episode of Family Guy to start. (Or maybe you do. I like to think I could make my fairly boring life seem interesting through the magic of words.)
Anyways, why am I here?
Well, I don't have any religious beliefs, so I can't say that I am here to serve God's will or to find Nirvana or anything like that. I can only say how I am choosing to live my life, which I believe says a lot about what I think my reason for being here is.
I try to live my life with no regrets. To be the best man that I can be. I go to bed every night, knowing that I did the right things that day. I can honestly look back on my life and say that I am proud of the way I've lived it thus far.
I don't know what happens to us when we die, but I do know that no matter what, I will have lived a life that I know was full of good deeds and void of poor moral decisions. No matter what the afterlife (or lack thereof) holds for me, I will have the knowledge that I stuck to my guns and stood up for what I believed to be right and true.
So, why am I here?
I guess I am here because I want to show the world that you can be moral and just without conforming to the norm or leaning on religion. I want people to understand that it is up to you to make the right decisions whether someone is watching you or not. You can't live your life trying to please others. You need to do what makes you happy. Be you!
Anyways, why am I here?
Well, I don't have any religious beliefs, so I can't say that I am here to serve God's will or to find Nirvana or anything like that. I can only say how I am choosing to live my life, which I believe says a lot about what I think my reason for being here is.
I try to live my life with no regrets. To be the best man that I can be. I go to bed every night, knowing that I did the right things that day. I can honestly look back on my life and say that I am proud of the way I've lived it thus far.
I don't know what happens to us when we die, but I do know that no matter what, I will have lived a life that I know was full of good deeds and void of poor moral decisions. No matter what the afterlife (or lack thereof) holds for me, I will have the knowledge that I stuck to my guns and stood up for what I believed to be right and true.
So, why am I here?
I guess I am here because I want to show the world that you can be moral and just without conforming to the norm or leaning on religion. I want people to understand that it is up to you to make the right decisions whether someone is watching you or not. You can't live your life trying to please others. You need to do what makes you happy. Be you!
Friday, April 8, 2011
What is fear? (Conclusion)
My Fear Presentation went off pretty flawlessly, if I do say so myself. Thankfully, the topic of caring about what others think/say about you came up as an aside conversation during one of the other presentations, and that made the perfect transition for me to get up and let people publicly take a swing at me on my own blog.
If you scroll down to a few blog posts back you can see what all was said about me. Not unsurprisingly, it started with my personal appearance, quickly turned into a flame war, and ended by questioning my sexuality. Ah, the joys of the internet! I really wasn't offended or upset by anything that was said about me. In fact, the whole thing was a lot of fun. Everyone was laughing, including myself. I kind of expected this. I really didn't think anyone would be seriously "touched" by my presentation, but I do hope that the next time they are worried or upset about what they believe others are saying or feeling about them, they will remember how much fun we had in class when I decided to say, "Here I am, I don't give a fuck!"
One thing happened afterwards though that I did not expect. Two days after class, I was talking with a couple of my buddies on campus when Mr. Glasscock walked by. Without thinking about it, I gave him the head nod, he returned it and I said, "How's it going?" to which he replied, "Not much, you?" and I said, "Same." (Or something to that affect. It was over a week ago so I don't remember our exact words, but I think that's pretty close.)
Ladies you probably are reading this like, "aaaaaaand? So, what?" but what you don't understand is, that that exchange of "Sup?" and "Not much." is something guys do with people they are somewhat friends with. Perhaps it would help to say that Mr. Glasscock and I have never talked at all before that day and that he was one of the big contributors to my blog during my Fear Presentation.
What I am trying to get at is that I believe we inadvertantly connected a little bit that day. I literally told this guy to make fun of me on the internet, he did, we laughed and now we are bros.*
Uhhhh... WTF? Who saw that coming? But it proves my point ultimately; being afraid of what other people say about you or think about you is just silly. If you can let it roll off you or you can laugh about it or just stop caring altogether, you'll be so much happier. And ultimately, that's why the fear doesn't exist for me! I am happy with myself and how I live my life, and I am not going to let anyone's words or thoughts take that away from me!
*I don't know if Mr. Glasscock actually considers us bros. I can't speak for him. I am just going off of what I personally experienced and believe to have happened. Not trying to force you into a bromance, Glasscock. ;)
If you scroll down to a few blog posts back you can see what all was said about me. Not unsurprisingly, it started with my personal appearance, quickly turned into a flame war, and ended by questioning my sexuality. Ah, the joys of the internet! I really wasn't offended or upset by anything that was said about me. In fact, the whole thing was a lot of fun. Everyone was laughing, including myself. I kind of expected this. I really didn't think anyone would be seriously "touched" by my presentation, but I do hope that the next time they are worried or upset about what they believe others are saying or feeling about them, they will remember how much fun we had in class when I decided to say, "Here I am, I don't give a fuck!"
One thing happened afterwards though that I did not expect. Two days after class, I was talking with a couple of my buddies on campus when Mr. Glasscock walked by. Without thinking about it, I gave him the head nod, he returned it and I said, "How's it going?" to which he replied, "Not much, you?" and I said, "Same." (Or something to that affect. It was over a week ago so I don't remember our exact words, but I think that's pretty close.)
Ladies you probably are reading this like, "aaaaaaand? So, what?" but what you don't understand is, that that exchange of "Sup?" and "Not much." is something guys do with people they are somewhat friends with. Perhaps it would help to say that Mr. Glasscock and I have never talked at all before that day and that he was one of the big contributors to my blog during my Fear Presentation.
What I am trying to get at is that I believe we inadvertantly connected a little bit that day. I literally told this guy to make fun of me on the internet, he did, we laughed and now we are bros.*
Uhhhh... WTF? Who saw that coming? But it proves my point ultimately; being afraid of what other people say about you or think about you is just silly. If you can let it roll off you or you can laugh about it or just stop caring altogether, you'll be so much happier. And ultimately, that's why the fear doesn't exist for me! I am happy with myself and how I live my life, and I am not going to let anyone's words or thoughts take that away from me!
*I don't know if Mr. Glasscock actually considers us bros. I can't speak for him. I am just going off of what I personally experienced and believe to have happened. Not trying to force you into a bromance, Glasscock. ;)
N385 - Fear Presentations (Part 2)
I was unable to attend class last Monday due to some family medical problems that I had to attend to, so this post will not actually be about the second round of fear presentations. Instead, I'd like to talk about something that Beth brought up in class last week that we have in common.
A fear of the eternal.
I'm not even sure I can call this a fear, but I don't really know what else to call it. I think the fear comes from not being able to wrap my head around the idea of forever. Just thinking about what happens to people after they die inevitably leads to two very terrifying thoughts: At some point in time we cease to exist OR we continue on indefinitely.
I think most people can understand the fear that is attached to the first of those two thoughts, and honestly, I think that is why so many people cling to religion (especially in their later years). I mean, no one wants to believe that when they die, that's it! No more. No afterlife, no reincarnation, no nothing. That idea is hard enough to wrap your head around. It is impossible to imagine not existing at all! But as much as that scares me, existing forever is equally terrifying.
I think this stems from the fact that we are programmed in life to think that everything comes to end in due time, and for that to not be the case after death is almost uncomprehendable. Even if I imagine the afterlife as a huge party with all my friends and family around me and we can do anything our hearts desire, I still get nervous knowing that it would never end.
I would say that this is the closest thing to a true fear I have. I hate spiders. Hate them. But if I think about a spider I don't feel fear start to well up in my chest. However, every time I think of eternity, I do! It's strange, and I wonder where the fear stems from. I spend a lot of time thinking about this, and the fact that Beth mentioned it last class made me realize that I am not the only person who thinks like this, and knowing that is good enough for me right now.
A fear of the eternal.
I'm not even sure I can call this a fear, but I don't really know what else to call it. I think the fear comes from not being able to wrap my head around the idea of forever. Just thinking about what happens to people after they die inevitably leads to two very terrifying thoughts: At some point in time we cease to exist OR we continue on indefinitely.
I think most people can understand the fear that is attached to the first of those two thoughts, and honestly, I think that is why so many people cling to religion (especially in their later years). I mean, no one wants to believe that when they die, that's it! No more. No afterlife, no reincarnation, no nothing. That idea is hard enough to wrap your head around. It is impossible to imagine not existing at all! But as much as that scares me, existing forever is equally terrifying.
I think this stems from the fact that we are programmed in life to think that everything comes to end in due time, and for that to not be the case after death is almost uncomprehendable. Even if I imagine the afterlife as a huge party with all my friends and family around me and we can do anything our hearts desire, I still get nervous knowing that it would never end.
I would say that this is the closest thing to a true fear I have. I hate spiders. Hate them. But if I think about a spider I don't feel fear start to well up in my chest. However, every time I think of eternity, I do! It's strange, and I wonder where the fear stems from. I spend a lot of time thinking about this, and the fact that Beth mentioned it last class made me realize that I am not the only person who thinks like this, and knowing that is good enough for me right now.
Monday, April 4, 2011
N385 - Fear Presentations (Part One)
Last week in class we started presenting out fear assignments, and honestly, it was one of the most interesting classes we have had thus far this semester. I think the fact that it was required to present your "experiment" in class made people work harder to come up with something that they would be proud/excited to show off.
There were live spiders, chocolate covered crickets and peanut butter maggot cookies, air horns, roaches and old people. It was quite an entertaining 3 hours. I presented myself and it went off about like I imagined. (Random internet phrases, that's what she said and a sexuality questioning conclusion.)
My favorite presentation of last week was probably the gentleman who had an aversion to old people. It was hilarious to listen to him talk about why he felt that way and honestly, I could see where he was coming from. Who doesn't feel a little creeped out in an old folks' home?
This week we have more presentations, so I am really looking forward to that. Hopefully, this second batch will be just as exciting and entertaining!
There were live spiders, chocolate covered crickets and peanut butter maggot cookies, air horns, roaches and old people. It was quite an entertaining 3 hours. I presented myself and it went off about like I imagined. (Random internet phrases, that's what she said and a sexuality questioning conclusion.)
My favorite presentation of last week was probably the gentleman who had an aversion to old people. It was hilarious to listen to him talk about why he felt that way and honestly, I could see where he was coming from. Who doesn't feel a little creeped out in an old folks' home?
This week we have more presentations, so I am really looking forward to that. Hopefully, this second batch will be just as exciting and entertaining!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Who I Am
My name is Jayson Puckett and I...
- enjoy the smell of warm anal sex
- Sideburns!!!!!!!!1!!!lol
- Seem like a nice doode. but you might have a dingle in your burns.
- relax ladies, doc says the rash is gone!
- am so nervous I think I might cry!
- and or shit myself. :) But it's okay.. I like it that way.
- I am also a wholesome Christian male looking for good time.
- ,Robot
- killed the last person that called me a robot
- get my last name mispronounced often as "fuck it"
- afraid of typing my own blogs
- know a guy who dun type well ^----------------|
- oooo.. kilt you son ^^ |
- am fairly sure Glasscock has a hairy taint |
- lol taint |
- kilt again^^ |
- lost my virginitay on a playground slide <----|
- taint lyin bout that
- am ledgend[sic]
- that's what she said
- cannot stand it when mutha-.... shit.. cant cuss that much... when people say "that's what she (fucking) said" I mean really??? The shit is so fucking annoying.. I swear if the next bastard child puts "That's what she said" .... I just might rape them with a g-broom. Dx
- ...nevermind
- You know, it's funnier if you emphasize a different word each time (THAT"S what she said. That's what SHE said. That's what she SAID!)
- werent we talking about sideburns over here ????
- wait... aren't I sideburns?
- hate you
- hate me? :-(
- am sorry dont be a bitch about it
- hug it out?
- am sure
- am gay
What is fear?
Fear.
When we were given this assignment, I wasn't too sure about it. I don't really feel that this is going to help me much. Not because I am not afraid of anything, but because my fears are all pretty small.
I am afraid of spiders and scorpions and snakes and things like that. I also get a bit nervous when it comes to heights. But when it comes to fears that affect my life, I think I have a pretty good handle on things.
A lot of people are afraid of what others think of them or how others perceive them. They are nervous speaking in front of others or showing off their work. They are afraid to be themselves because they are afraid of being judged.
For me, these are the fears that it is important to overcome, and for me, these aren't much of a problem. Why? Because I honestly don't give a fuck about what anyone else thinks of me.
I live my life the way I feel is right, and I have no regrets. I don't have difficulty sleeping at night and there is nothing I would change in my past if given the chance. (Okay, I might tip myself off on some winning lotto numbers, but who wouldn't?)
When you live your life the way you think others want you to, you give up who you really are! THAT is something to be truly afraid of!
For this assignment, I am going to make a new blog entry that will be written by the class. I will start it off by typing, "My name is Jayson Puckett and I..." What I tell the world about me will be written entirely by the class.
Will this upset me? Will I be embarrassed? Hell no. Like I said already, I just don't care how the rest of the world perceives me. However, by doing this, I hope that I show others that there is no reason to be afraid of what others say or think about you!
This isn't exactly me facing any of my fears, but instead hopefully showing others some things that they shouldn't be afraid of. I hope that someone gets something out of this, but I am a pessimist, so I'm not holding my breath.
Either way, I think this should prove to be a very fascinating experiment. We shall see. Keep your eyes peeled for the next blog!
When we were given this assignment, I wasn't too sure about it. I don't really feel that this is going to help me much. Not because I am not afraid of anything, but because my fears are all pretty small.
I am afraid of spiders and scorpions and snakes and things like that. I also get a bit nervous when it comes to heights. But when it comes to fears that affect my life, I think I have a pretty good handle on things.
A lot of people are afraid of what others think of them or how others perceive them. They are nervous speaking in front of others or showing off their work. They are afraid to be themselves because they are afraid of being judged.
For me, these are the fears that it is important to overcome, and for me, these aren't much of a problem. Why? Because I honestly don't give a fuck about what anyone else thinks of me.
I live my life the way I feel is right, and I have no regrets. I don't have difficulty sleeping at night and there is nothing I would change in my past if given the chance. (Okay, I might tip myself off on some winning lotto numbers, but who wouldn't?)
When you live your life the way you think others want you to, you give up who you really are! THAT is something to be truly afraid of!
For this assignment, I am going to make a new blog entry that will be written by the class. I will start it off by typing, "My name is Jayson Puckett and I..." What I tell the world about me will be written entirely by the class.
Will this upset me? Will I be embarrassed? Hell no. Like I said already, I just don't care how the rest of the world perceives me. However, by doing this, I hope that I show others that there is no reason to be afraid of what others say or think about you!
This isn't exactly me facing any of my fears, but instead hopefully showing others some things that they shouldn't be afraid of. I hope that someone gets something out of this, but I am a pessimist, so I'm not holding my breath.
Either way, I think this should prove to be a very fascinating experiment. We shall see. Keep your eyes peeled for the next blog!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Bliss Assignment/Stuffed Animal Madness
Out of all the Seeing Sideways assignments thus far, you would think "Do what makes you happy for 3 hours" would be the easiest, but damn it, I had a hard time doing this.
Why is that, you might ask? Well, for starters it is because I have a lot of shit to get done and not a whole lot of free time. An extra 3 hours sounded like a great chance to get caught up on homework or add some new pieces to my portfolio or continue developing my Capstone.
That would have made me the happiest. Not because I enjoy doing all of those things, but because they need to get done and, in doing them, I would have more free time to do "happy things" later. However, I didn't do those things, because the assignment specifically forbids me from doing so.
Instead, I tried to figure out what things actually make me happy. Not surprisingly, sleeping was at the top of my list. This was followed closely by eating good food and video games. Well, I couldn't just sleep or eat or play video games for 3 hours. I mean, that's too boring to write about later.
I couldn't think of one, big, awesome thing that made me happy, so instead, over the past couple of week, I have done a lot of things that make me happy. (Warning: Lots.)
The first thing I did was called up a friend I hadn't seen in a while and asked if he'd like to go get Japanese food with me. I LOVE Japanese food and I stuffed my face with it on this occasion. A couple bowls of onion soup, large quantities of fried rice, teriyaki chicken, and some grilled steak. It was phenomenal.
My friend was complaining during the meal that he was going to have to run up to the high school afterward so that he could drop of a paper he had written. I decided that I would go with him. I really enjoyed high school and had a lot of teachers that I hadn't seen in a long, long time.
So, he went to drop off his paper and I chatted with my old art teacher for a couple hours. It was awesome! She even suggested I come by and do a couple lectures on computer graphics for her class. I am going to email her about it in the upcoming weeks.
Later in the week, my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, my girlfriend and her daughter and I all went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. We had a great time and afterward we went to Buca Di Bepo's for some outstanding Italian food.
A few days later, I decided to check out this local video game shop that I had been hearing about. It was owned by an older gentleman and rumor had it that he possessed a lot of old systems and games. I was intrigued.
When I walked in, I was blown away. This guy had everything! I think I had to change pants. A few minutes later I was driving home with a new Nintendo Entertainment System and an assload of games.
The last thing I did, wasn't really for me, but it made me happy so I think it counts. I decided to take my girlfriend's daughter to Chuck E. Cheese. She rode the little mechanical cars, got her picture taken with Chuck E., and even won some tickets and got some candy and stickers to take home with her.
After that we went to a Chinese buffet that we had never been to before. This can be risky, but it paid off this time. They had this unnamed chicken dish that was out of this world. I almost tried to sneak some out with me. It was so good, I have been craving it ever since... Like, I'd go right now.
So, my Bliss assignment turned into about 6 Bliss assignments in order to meet the requirements. I had a good time and it was nice to forget about deadlines and commitments for a little while. Ultimately, I still had to come home and do homework and projects though, and knowing that, it was hard to really enjoy myself as much as I could have.
This assignment really reinforced my desire to pound out this last year and a half of school and get on with my life. I love the work I do here, but I am ready to make a living doing it so that I don't have to spend all my time making money and doing what I love separately.
Anyways, on to the Stuffed Animal Business.
This one was easy. It wasn't super creative or anything like that, but I had to do it.
As soon as you threw my stuffed animal to me I noticed that it still had the tag on it. I read it and saw that it was a "limited edition Rocky and Bullwinkle stuffed animal." Apparently, this thing was only available at CVS for a short period of time in 1999.
I wasn't about to do anything damaging to this stuffed animal until I saw how much it was worth. Ebay. Turns out, this thing is actually worth 60 times what it was purchased for. OMGOMGOMG!! Exciting right?!?!
Nah... It was on clearance and only being sold for $0.50...
So, I could sell it for $30.00... Not bad, but I'm not sure if it is worth my time to try and find a buyer or pay to ship it and all that jazz. Still, kind of funny to think that you threw 30 bucks at me last class.
Anyways, if I decide to sell it, I will probably use the money to make some food item for all the members of the class. Or just buy gas... have you seen that ridiculous shit? I am a college student!
Well, I think that's about it for this edition of the Almighty Helmet's blog entry. Later bitches!
Why is that, you might ask? Well, for starters it is because I have a lot of shit to get done and not a whole lot of free time. An extra 3 hours sounded like a great chance to get caught up on homework or add some new pieces to my portfolio or continue developing my Capstone.
That would have made me the happiest. Not because I enjoy doing all of those things, but because they need to get done and, in doing them, I would have more free time to do "happy things" later. However, I didn't do those things, because the assignment specifically forbids me from doing so.
Instead, I tried to figure out what things actually make me happy. Not surprisingly, sleeping was at the top of my list. This was followed closely by eating good food and video games. Well, I couldn't just sleep or eat or play video games for 3 hours. I mean, that's too boring to write about later.
I couldn't think of one, big, awesome thing that made me happy, so instead, over the past couple of week, I have done a lot of things that make me happy. (Warning: Lots.)
The first thing I did was called up a friend I hadn't seen in a while and asked if he'd like to go get Japanese food with me. I LOVE Japanese food and I stuffed my face with it on this occasion. A couple bowls of onion soup, large quantities of fried rice, teriyaki chicken, and some grilled steak. It was phenomenal.
My friend was complaining during the meal that he was going to have to run up to the high school afterward so that he could drop of a paper he had written. I decided that I would go with him. I really enjoyed high school and had a lot of teachers that I hadn't seen in a long, long time.
So, he went to drop off his paper and I chatted with my old art teacher for a couple hours. It was awesome! She even suggested I come by and do a couple lectures on computer graphics for her class. I am going to email her about it in the upcoming weeks.
Later in the week, my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, my girlfriend and her daughter and I all went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. We had a great time and afterward we went to Buca Di Bepo's for some outstanding Italian food.
A few days later, I decided to check out this local video game shop that I had been hearing about. It was owned by an older gentleman and rumor had it that he possessed a lot of old systems and games. I was intrigued.
When I walked in, I was blown away. This guy had everything! I think I had to change pants. A few minutes later I was driving home with a new Nintendo Entertainment System and an assload of games.
The last thing I did, wasn't really for me, but it made me happy so I think it counts. I decided to take my girlfriend's daughter to Chuck E. Cheese. She rode the little mechanical cars, got her picture taken with Chuck E., and even won some tickets and got some candy and stickers to take home with her.
After that we went to a Chinese buffet that we had never been to before. This can be risky, but it paid off this time. They had this unnamed chicken dish that was out of this world. I almost tried to sneak some out with me. It was so good, I have been craving it ever since... Like, I'd go right now.
So, my Bliss assignment turned into about 6 Bliss assignments in order to meet the requirements. I had a good time and it was nice to forget about deadlines and commitments for a little while. Ultimately, I still had to come home and do homework and projects though, and knowing that, it was hard to really enjoy myself as much as I could have.
This assignment really reinforced my desire to pound out this last year and a half of school and get on with my life. I love the work I do here, but I am ready to make a living doing it so that I don't have to spend all my time making money and doing what I love separately.
Anyways, on to the Stuffed Animal Business.
This one was easy. It wasn't super creative or anything like that, but I had to do it.
As soon as you threw my stuffed animal to me I noticed that it still had the tag on it. I read it and saw that it was a "limited edition Rocky and Bullwinkle stuffed animal." Apparently, this thing was only available at CVS for a short period of time in 1999.
I wasn't about to do anything damaging to this stuffed animal until I saw how much it was worth. Ebay. Turns out, this thing is actually worth 60 times what it was purchased for. OMGOMGOMG!! Exciting right?!?!
Nah... It was on clearance and only being sold for $0.50...
So, I could sell it for $30.00... Not bad, but I'm not sure if it is worth my time to try and find a buyer or pay to ship it and all that jazz. Still, kind of funny to think that you threw 30 bucks at me last class.
Anyways, if I decide to sell it, I will probably use the money to make some food item for all the members of the class. Or just buy gas... have you seen that ridiculous shit? I am a college student!
Well, I think that's about it for this edition of the Almighty Helmet's blog entry. Later bitches!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Day 4
As I said in my previous post, I was unable to attend last week's class due to a doctor's appointment. (And we apparently went on a field trip!!!) But alas, I spent my time wisely. At least, in my opinion.
So what did I do?
Well, I decided that in the New Media world, we are too focused on making products for the client or worrying about our target audience. To try to counteract this, I decided I would spend 3 hours (the amount of time I would have spent in class) doing art just for me.
I have really been getting back into Pokemon lately, and some of the redrawn Pokemon characters are really, really cool. So I decided that I would draw one of my favorite Pokemon and try to make him look a little more badass.
Here's what I was able to do:
I am pretty impressed with myself. I just started drawing and painting in Photoshop, so I am still trying to get the hang of it. This was a pretty good improvement from some of my other pieces, so I am happy about that. Also, since it was for me and not for someone else, it was something I was excited to work on and something that I wanted to do well.
Maybe the Art people are onto something there. I think most people can agree that when they are doing something for themselves they don't have to force themselves to do it, they just want to! And on top of that, they want to do it to the best of their ability, because it is for themselves!
However, I still stand by the fact that it is much harder to financially succeed when you are only doing what you want to do. You can lie to yourself all you want and say that you don't care about the money, but everyone needs at least enough to keep themselves fed and clothed. If you can't do that doing what you want to do, you are going to have to do what someone else, someone with deeper pockets, wants you to do.
Helmet's Helpful Hints: Catching Pokemon in the Safari Zone can be difficult without the use of your own Pokemon to help you. From my experiences, I find that the supplied rocks and food don't really help you out. Just throw Safari Balls and hope for the best!
So what did I do?
Well, I decided that in the New Media world, we are too focused on making products for the client or worrying about our target audience. To try to counteract this, I decided I would spend 3 hours (the amount of time I would have spent in class) doing art just for me.
I have really been getting back into Pokemon lately, and some of the redrawn Pokemon characters are really, really cool. So I decided that I would draw one of my favorite Pokemon and try to make him look a little more badass.
Here's what I was able to do:
I am pretty impressed with myself. I just started drawing and painting in Photoshop, so I am still trying to get the hang of it. This was a pretty good improvement from some of my other pieces, so I am happy about that. Also, since it was for me and not for someone else, it was something I was excited to work on and something that I wanted to do well.Maybe the Art people are onto something there. I think most people can agree that when they are doing something for themselves they don't have to force themselves to do it, they just want to! And on top of that, they want to do it to the best of their ability, because it is for themselves!
However, I still stand by the fact that it is much harder to financially succeed when you are only doing what you want to do. You can lie to yourself all you want and say that you don't care about the money, but everyone needs at least enough to keep themselves fed and clothed. If you can't do that doing what you want to do, you are going to have to do what someone else, someone with deeper pockets, wants you to do.
Helmet's Helpful Hints: Catching Pokemon in the Safari Zone can be difficult without the use of your own Pokemon to help you. From my experiences, I find that the supplied rocks and food don't really help you out. Just throw Safari Balls and hope for the best!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Workflow Style Chart
This week (or rather a few weeks ago now), we discussed how people work. A chart was put up on the board that read like this:
Inspiration --> Idea --> Concept --> Trial --> Refine --> Product
Originally, I thought this was a pretty good chart for my workflow style, but after discussing it a bit more, I started to see spots where I tended to do things a bit differently.
Before I can really take this chart and make changes to it, I should define what each word means to me. This way, individual definitions won't get in the way of understanding my workflow style.
Inspiration: This is when I am suddenly struck with passion.
Idea: This is the initial vision I have of what to do.
Concept: This is the finalized vision of what to do and how to do it.
Trial: This is the stage where I've begun working towards a product and I'm trying to see what works and what doesn't.
Refine: This is the stage where I take what's working and what isn't and change how I'm working or what I am doing.
Product: This is the last stage, where all the work comes to fruition and I have done something that is (hopefully) similar to what I set out to do.
So that's all of them, but I need to add in a few of my own:
Motivation: This is the longing or desire to actually do something.
Planning: This one is pretty straight forward. This is the stage where I set a schedule and deadlines for myself.
OKAY!
Now that all that is out of the way, let me show you my workflow style chart, and then I will explain my process.
For me, the first thing I actively do is come up with a concept. As you can see in my chart though, that is not the first thing that happens. Three things have to all happen simultaneously in order for me to start my process: I need to have inspiration, an idea, and motivation.
Many times I have one or two of these things, but that's not enough for anything to happen. However, once all three hit, I am off like a rocket. I wanted to convey that these three things were flowing in and out of me all the time, so instead of a solid square, they are in a cloudy/blobbish shape.
Once I have my concept, my first instinct is not to jump right into the trial stage. Too many times I have started a project only to lose my motivation halfway through. I feel that planning is a good way to hang onto that motivation as long as possible.
By setting goals and deadlines for myself, I can't procrastinate or push back the parts that I know are going to be difficult or a pain in my ass. I also like to make a rough schedule so that I know when I will be working on which parts of the project.
Now that I have a plan, I begin working and trying to find out what works and what doesn't. When it is time to refine and make changes, I try to judge how the process is going. If it is going well, then I continue on and will eventually reach the product stage.
However, if it is going badly, I have to assess how badly it's going. If something isn't working I can go back to my trial stage and see if I can fix the issue. If it really isn't working at all, I can go back and make a new plan before continuing on into the trial stage. If it is SUPER HORRIBLE NOT WORKING EVER, then I just scrap the whole thing and go back to trying to get inspiration, motivation and an idea together again.
This assignment actually came at the perfect time for me, because I just started undergoing a HUGE project, and I was able to take that and what I was doing there and really dissect what it is that I do in my workflow process. Because of it's size, I cannot tell you if this style was effective or not yet, because it probably won't be completed for another year or so, but let's just say: I'm pretty excited."
The last thing I want to talk about that we discussed in class is this concept:
Art = Me, New Media = Target Audience
I've never really thought about this, but it is actually a really great point. It seems like in New Media, we are all artists, but we don't think about making art for ourselves, as much (if at all) as we do about making it for our target audience or our client.
This is not the case when it comes to art. Art is done simply on the whim of the artist. (Unless of course the artist is commissioned, in which case that artist is often looked down upon like a "whore" by other artists. This is pretty stupid in my personal opinion, because while I understand that it can be viewed as selling out or what have you, everyone needs to pay their bills somehow, and, let's face it, most non-commissioned artists aren't bringing in a whole lot of money.)
So, I decided to do an experiment. Since I was going to miss next week's class because of a doctor's appointment, I would dedicate the time I would have spent in class (3 hours) to doing a piece of art just for myself. It will be in my next entry, so keep your eyes peeled.
Inspiration --> Idea --> Concept --> Trial --> Refine --> Product
Originally, I thought this was a pretty good chart for my workflow style, but after discussing it a bit more, I started to see spots where I tended to do things a bit differently.
Before I can really take this chart and make changes to it, I should define what each word means to me. This way, individual definitions won't get in the way of understanding my workflow style.
Inspiration: This is when I am suddenly struck with passion.
Idea: This is the initial vision I have of what to do.
Concept: This is the finalized vision of what to do and how to do it.
Trial: This is the stage where I've begun working towards a product and I'm trying to see what works and what doesn't.
Refine: This is the stage where I take what's working and what isn't and change how I'm working or what I am doing.
Product: This is the last stage, where all the work comes to fruition and I have done something that is (hopefully) similar to what I set out to do.
So that's all of them, but I need to add in a few of my own:
Motivation: This is the longing or desire to actually do something.
Planning: This one is pretty straight forward. This is the stage where I set a schedule and deadlines for myself.
OKAY!
Now that all that is out of the way, let me show you my workflow style chart, and then I will explain my process.
For me, the first thing I actively do is come up with a concept. As you can see in my chart though, that is not the first thing that happens. Three things have to all happen simultaneously in order for me to start my process: I need to have inspiration, an idea, and motivation.
Many times I have one or two of these things, but that's not enough for anything to happen. However, once all three hit, I am off like a rocket. I wanted to convey that these three things were flowing in and out of me all the time, so instead of a solid square, they are in a cloudy/blobbish shape.
Once I have my concept, my first instinct is not to jump right into the trial stage. Too many times I have started a project only to lose my motivation halfway through. I feel that planning is a good way to hang onto that motivation as long as possible.
By setting goals and deadlines for myself, I can't procrastinate or push back the parts that I know are going to be difficult or a pain in my ass. I also like to make a rough schedule so that I know when I will be working on which parts of the project.
Now that I have a plan, I begin working and trying to find out what works and what doesn't. When it is time to refine and make changes, I try to judge how the process is going. If it is going well, then I continue on and will eventually reach the product stage.
However, if it is going badly, I have to assess how badly it's going. If something isn't working I can go back to my trial stage and see if I can fix the issue. If it really isn't working at all, I can go back and make a new plan before continuing on into the trial stage. If it is SUPER HORRIBLE NOT WORKING EVER, then I just scrap the whole thing and go back to trying to get inspiration, motivation and an idea together again.
This assignment actually came at the perfect time for me, because I just started undergoing a HUGE project, and I was able to take that and what I was doing there and really dissect what it is that I do in my workflow process. Because of it's size, I cannot tell you if this style was effective or not yet, because it probably won't be completed for another year or so, but let's just say: I'm pretty excited."
The last thing I want to talk about that we discussed in class is this concept:
Art = Me, New Media = Target Audience
I've never really thought about this, but it is actually a really great point. It seems like in New Media, we are all artists, but we don't think about making art for ourselves, as much (if at all) as we do about making it for our target audience or our client.
This is not the case when it comes to art. Art is done simply on the whim of the artist. (Unless of course the artist is commissioned, in which case that artist is often looked down upon like a "whore" by other artists. This is pretty stupid in my personal opinion, because while I understand that it can be viewed as selling out or what have you, everyone needs to pay their bills somehow, and, let's face it, most non-commissioned artists aren't bringing in a whole lot of money.)
So, I decided to do an experiment. Since I was going to miss next week's class because of a doctor's appointment, I would dedicate the time I would have spent in class (3 hours) to doing a piece of art just for myself. It will be in my next entry, so keep your eyes peeled.
Monday, February 7, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Breaking the Rules
For this assignment, we were supposed to break a rule of some kind. I really struggled to come up with something to do for this assignment, because I feel like I don't really have a problem breaking rules on the regular. That's not to say that I just go around disregarding laws and being an obnoxious ass all the time, but if per say I felt that I could get better results on a project by breaking a rule or if I felt that a rule wasn't serving any purpose, I would feel no remorse in breaking it.
At one point, I decided I just wasn't going to do this assignment, but I felt like that was taking the easy way out. (Even if I tried to play it off as that being my way of "breaking the rules.") After thinking long and hard about it for 4 or 5 days, I realized I was beginning to run out of time. Then, the idea just sort of came to me: You aren't supposed to wait until the last minute to do a project.
Now, I procrastinate all the time, so this needed to be some SEVERE procrastination in order for me to really be breaking a rule. I decided that I would wait and do my project exactly one hour before I had to go to class on the day it was due. As for the actual project, I decided to make a picture in Photoshop that broke as many of the Photoshop rules that I could think of.
Here's how it went down:
I woke up at 10:30 this morning. I have to leave for class at 11:00. I threw on the same clothes that I wore yesterday and skipped showering and brushing my teeth. (Sorry classmates, I don't have time for that shit.) I did a Google search for some random images to combine and made sure to break all the rules I could think of: Upscaling an image, poor extractions, hard to read text, and lens flare. This thing was hilariously bad.
So, that's the first rule I broke. As for the second rule, I don't suggest waiting until the last 30 minutes to do your assignment. It really sucked. I wasn't able to do a lot of things I would have really liked to do with this image AND I stressed about it hard. I was laying in bed trying to sleep last night and all I could do was think about how the hell I was going to pull this off the next day. Anyway, I did. It wasn't great and it wasn't exactly easy on the nerves. At least not for me, since I care about school and my grades. I guess if you didn't care about any of that, this wouldn't be an issue for you at all. Although, if you were in that boat, I don't see why you wouldn't just skip doing the assignment altogether.
Helmet's Helpful Hints: Wake up late for class/work? Here's a morning checklist that will get you out the door in five minutes looking and smelling as close to normal as possible.
At one point, I decided I just wasn't going to do this assignment, but I felt like that was taking the easy way out. (Even if I tried to play it off as that being my way of "breaking the rules.") After thinking long and hard about it for 4 or 5 days, I realized I was beginning to run out of time. Then, the idea just sort of came to me: You aren't supposed to wait until the last minute to do a project.
Now, I procrastinate all the time, so this needed to be some SEVERE procrastination in order for me to really be breaking a rule. I decided that I would wait and do my project exactly one hour before I had to go to class on the day it was due. As for the actual project, I decided to make a picture in Photoshop that broke as many of the Photoshop rules that I could think of.
Here's how it went down:
I woke up at 10:30 this morning. I have to leave for class at 11:00. I threw on the same clothes that I wore yesterday and skipped showering and brushing my teeth. (Sorry classmates, I don't have time for that shit.) I did a Google search for some random images to combine and made sure to break all the rules I could think of: Upscaling an image, poor extractions, hard to read text, and lens flare. This thing was hilariously bad.
So, that's the first rule I broke. As for the second rule, I don't suggest waiting until the last 30 minutes to do your assignment. It really sucked. I wasn't able to do a lot of things I would have really liked to do with this image AND I stressed about it hard. I was laying in bed trying to sleep last night and all I could do was think about how the hell I was going to pull this off the next day. Anyway, I did. It wasn't great and it wasn't exactly easy on the nerves. At least not for me, since I care about school and my grades. I guess if you didn't care about any of that, this wouldn't be an issue for you at all. Although, if you were in that boat, I don't see why you wouldn't just skip doing the assignment altogether.
Helmet's Helpful Hints: Wake up late for class/work? Here's a morning checklist that will get you out the door in five minutes looking and smelling as close to normal as possible.
- Mouthwash; It's almost as good as brushing your teeth. Your teeth might not be sparkling white, but your breath won't reek.
- Deodorant is a necessity every day, but if you don't shower, it becomes even more important.
- Cologne when combined with deodorant will hide the fact that you haven't showered 99% of the time. That doesn't mean go overboard on it. No one wants to have their nasal passages assaulted by an over-cologned dude either.
- Jeans can be worn 3-4 days in a row, presuming you haven't spilled anything on them.
- Shirts only get about 2 days of use, also presuming you haven't spilled anything on them.
- Sock aren't even necessary. No one is going to notice you aren't wearing them.
- If you aren't required to shave by your job, DON'T. If you are, make sure you have an electric razor with a cigarette lighter adapter so you can shave in the car on your way in.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Day 3
For some reason, I can't remember a whole lot about our most recent class session... I remember a bit involving a prosthetic leg and some reasons why you shouldn't take pictures in the mirror with the camera showing, but that's about it. Hmm... I am just going to assume that we covered so many topics that my brain refuses to acknowledge any of them. On to the prompt!
Concept vs. Final Product
Well, this is something that is really weighing on me currently. My Capstone is just around the corner, and I still have no idea what I am going to do yet! That's not to say that I haven't thought of any good ideas... Actually, I have thought of quite a number of really awesome ideas! Sadly, though, I am not sure any of them can be pulled off with the resources available to me, the time I have to work on it, and my overall set of skills.
When coming up with a concept, you have to keep your final product in mind. Is it something you can actually create? How much time and energy will it require? Do you need outside help or can you do it all yourself? Will it ultimately be worth it? These are the questions I find myself asking... myself.
I can't just do a boring-no-one-gives-a-shit Capstone. I need to do something that really stands out and makes people say, "Whoa! That's fucking epic!" It's not that I am hoping my Capstone lands me a job or seals my graduation with a 4.0 GPA (Though, neither of these would upset me). I want to make something that I can be proud of!
I have a handful of unfinished projects on my portable hard drive... I never finished anything. I want to have something that I can look at years from now, even if I have no job and no money, and say, "I made this. Look at this, fellow soup kitchen patron, I fucking made this."
For me, coming up with something to do is easy. But coming up with something to do that is awesome and actually doable is damn near impossible. I've been stuck in the conceptual stages on a myriad of different projects for as long as I can remember. Part of it is laziness, I'll have to admit (if I am going to be honest with myself), but a lot of it stems from envisioning grandiose ideas that are all but impossible.
Anyways, I feel like I am rambling and... honestly, I have no idea where I am going with this. What I just said probably doesn't have much relevance to the original prompt either. Whoops. I guess I'll think on it some more and get back to you guys.
Concept vs. Final Product
Well, this is something that is really weighing on me currently. My Capstone is just around the corner, and I still have no idea what I am going to do yet! That's not to say that I haven't thought of any good ideas... Actually, I have thought of quite a number of really awesome ideas! Sadly, though, I am not sure any of them can be pulled off with the resources available to me, the time I have to work on it, and my overall set of skills.
When coming up with a concept, you have to keep your final product in mind. Is it something you can actually create? How much time and energy will it require? Do you need outside help or can you do it all yourself? Will it ultimately be worth it? These are the questions I find myself asking... myself.
I can't just do a boring-no-one-gives-a-shit Capstone. I need to do something that really stands out and makes people say, "Whoa! That's fucking epic!" It's not that I am hoping my Capstone lands me a job or seals my graduation with a 4.0 GPA (Though, neither of these would upset me). I want to make something that I can be proud of!
I have a handful of unfinished projects on my portable hard drive... I never finished anything. I want to have something that I can look at years from now, even if I have no job and no money, and say, "I made this. Look at this, fellow soup kitchen patron, I fucking made this."
For me, coming up with something to do is easy. But coming up with something to do that is awesome and actually doable is damn near impossible. I've been stuck in the conceptual stages on a myriad of different projects for as long as I can remember. Part of it is laziness, I'll have to admit (if I am going to be honest with myself), but a lot of it stems from envisioning grandiose ideas that are all but impossible.
Anyways, I feel like I am rambling and... honestly, I have no idea where I am going with this. What I just said probably doesn't have much relevance to the original prompt either. Whoops. I guess I'll think on it some more and get back to you guys.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - What did you see?
For our second assignment, we were all given a few minutes to run around the IUPUI campus and try to find something that no one else in class would find. We then told what it was we saw to the professor and she compiled them into a single document. It was then our job to read the list and choose something that was seen and "interpret" it in some way.
I read one that said, "A footprint on the ceiling." My original plan was to get some rope, a ladder, and some muddy boots and try to recreate that on film, but I had neither the time nor energy to undertake such an endeavor this week. (I started a new job and as a result, a new sleep schedule.)
Helmet's Helpful Hints: After working the graveyard shift (11pm-5am) for almost three years, transitioning to a normal (8am-4pm) job is hard as hell. While you may not be tired at 10pm and you really want to finish the World of Warcraft raid you are currently in, just know that at 7am you will hate EVERYTHING.
So, I went back and looked at the list again and nothing really popped out at me. I mean, I can draw pretty well, so I could have drawn "A red truck with a burnt out headlight" or "Three trashcans spaced 5 feet apart," but where is the fun in that.
Then, just as I was about to give up, I read: "A nick on my cell phone." I don't know what controls my Smartass button, but sure enough Smartass mode was activated and I literally said outloud, "A Nick on your cell phone? Nick who? Nick Lachey? Nick Cannon?"
Bing-O!
Google Images, Photoshop, and a couple minutes of tinkering and I bring you this:
THE NICK ON MY CELL PHONE GALLERY OF AWESOMENESS!!!!1
Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
That is all.
I read one that said, "A footprint on the ceiling." My original plan was to get some rope, a ladder, and some muddy boots and try to recreate that on film, but I had neither the time nor energy to undertake such an endeavor this week. (I started a new job and as a result, a new sleep schedule.)
Helmet's Helpful Hints: After working the graveyard shift (11pm-5am) for almost three years, transitioning to a normal (8am-4pm) job is hard as hell. While you may not be tired at 10pm and you really want to finish the World of Warcraft raid you are currently in, just know that at 7am you will hate EVERYTHING.
So, I went back and looked at the list again and nothing really popped out at me. I mean, I can draw pretty well, so I could have drawn "A red truck with a burnt out headlight" or "Three trashcans spaced 5 feet apart," but where is the fun in that.
Then, just as I was about to give up, I read: "A nick on my cell phone." I don't know what controls my Smartass button, but sure enough Smartass mode was activated and I literally said outloud, "A Nick on your cell phone? Nick who? Nick Lachey? Nick Cannon?"
Bing-O!
Google Images, Photoshop, and a couple minutes of tinkering and I bring you this:
THE NICK ON MY CELL PHONE GALLERY OF AWESOMENESS!!!!1
Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
That is all.
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Day 2
In this class, we talked a lot about rules and why we have them. Obviously, we don't always agree with a rule or see it's purpose, but I think for the most part everyone understands that they are there for a reason. I was trying to rack my brain for a time when a rule was keeping me from doing something that I wanted to do, and the first thing that popped into my mind was "Free the Cheese."
I'm positive that none of you know what the hell I'm talking about, so allow me to explain:
Both of my parents work full-time, Monday-Friday, every week. As a result, neither of them were capable of watching me or taking me to school during the ages in which I was too young to drive and too young to stay home by myself. This meant daycare. From age 4 to age 12.
It wasn't such a bad thing, really. Daycare is where I met 3 guys who are still my good friends to this very day, and it is also where I was introduced to video games, which is why I am now a New Media student.
Anyways, on to the point. One day during the summer one of my friends, Dean, brought in a single slice of processed American cheese. Why? I don't have a damn clue. One of the teachers, Mr. Jim, decided to confiscate the cheese. Why? I don't have a damn clue. Collectively, me and my friends decided to fight back. Why? I don't have a damn clue. But when three things like that just so happen to happen, hilarity will ensue.
Mr. Jim took the cheese and put it in the refrigerator upstairs. (Upstairs was where we had lunch, and was off limits except at lunchtime.) Thinking it was taken care of, Mr. Jim went back to doing, whatever it was he did around there. (The guy was the cook, but he was there all day... I really have no idea what his purpose was other than between the hours of 11am and 1pm while he was preparing and serving food.)
Boy was he in for a shock. Let me explain that the layout of the building was such that there were not one, but two staircases that led upstairs, and they were on opposite ends of the building. This being said, if one staircase was being watched, the other was more likely than not, not. Exploiting this, we snuck upstairs the back way and began our hunt for the cheese.
Before long, Mr. Jim realized we were missing and stormed upstairs, catching us just as we discovered the location of our imprisoned cheese. Dean snagged it and sprinted for the stairs. The rest of us tried to hold back Mr. Jim as long as possible to give Dean a chance to... get away? I mean, where was he going to go? We couldn't leave... we were like, 10 years old.
But alas, we were small, and Mr. Jim was able to bypass us and grab Dean moments later. The cheese was recaptured, and another teacher, Ms. Deb, was enlisted to guard the other staircase. Knowing that our chances of sneaking back upstairs now were basically shot to hell, we had to rethink our plan.
We decided on a good ol' fashioned protest. We took markers, crayons and paper and made probably a hundred signs. We went around telling our story to all the other kids at daycare and rallied up probably 20 sympathizers. We gave them each a stack of signs and told them to start posting them all over the building. They read: "FREE THE CHEESE!"
Within 30 minutes of giving them the green light, the walls were plastered with our propaganda. Mr. Jim and Ms. Deb (foolishly) left their posts in a feeble attempt to stop the chaos. They were running around frantically, throwing kids in time out, and ripping papers off the walls. This was our chance.
We rushed upstairs, threw open the refrigerator, grabbed the cheese and ran back downstairs. I'll never forget seeing Dean holding the cheese triumphantly over his head, huge grin etched on his face, walking through the building to raucous cheers and applause. (Not from the teachers, obviously, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you that, by this point, pretty much every child at that daycare was emotionally invested in this cause. I mean, we were bored... every day. We had given these kids excitement! Even if it was only for a few minutes, they were hyped. We were their Gods.)
At this point, the rest of the memory is pretty hazy... How it was resolved, I don't rightly know. I wish I could tell you that the teachers gave up and we got to play(?) with our cheese the rest of the day, but I can guarantee you that it was re-confiscated and we didn't get it back again. We probably ended up in time out, got our parents called, and then got lectured when we went home for the day. But, damn it, what a day!
I didn't type this story out of my head for any reason other than to share a funny, relevant moment of my life with you, but it actually speaks volumes about how I feel about rules and/or laws today: If a rule serves no purpose, other than to restrict my freedoms or make the rule maker feel more powerful, I find it stupid and I will not follow it.
This philosophy has gotten me into trouble with teachers and parents, but I think it has also gotten my point across to them at times. Having rules just to have them is silly, and enforcing them is sillier! What were a couple of 10 year old kids going to do with a slice of cheese that was so horrible? Surely it can't be any worse than what happened when Mr. Jim took it from us!
And really, it was taking it from us that made us want it so bad! If Mr. Jim had left us alone, we would have either eaten it outright, or played with it for all of 2 minutes before we decided it was stupid and trashed it. In this scenario, a rule was created to prevent a possible bad situation, and in turn, it created an even worse situation.
I'm not suggesting that everyone go do whatever they want, break all the rules, and tell law enforcement officers to blow it out their ass. (Seriously, don't.) But you should definitely question what is going on around you. If people tell you how to act and you don't question why, you are ultimately just a slave to others.
This is the Almighty Helmet, signing off.
I'm positive that none of you know what the hell I'm talking about, so allow me to explain:
Both of my parents work full-time, Monday-Friday, every week. As a result, neither of them were capable of watching me or taking me to school during the ages in which I was too young to drive and too young to stay home by myself. This meant daycare. From age 4 to age 12.
It wasn't such a bad thing, really. Daycare is where I met 3 guys who are still my good friends to this very day, and it is also where I was introduced to video games, which is why I am now a New Media student.
Anyways, on to the point. One day during the summer one of my friends, Dean, brought in a single slice of processed American cheese. Why? I don't have a damn clue. One of the teachers, Mr. Jim, decided to confiscate the cheese. Why? I don't have a damn clue. Collectively, me and my friends decided to fight back. Why? I don't have a damn clue. But when three things like that just so happen to happen, hilarity will ensue.
Mr. Jim took the cheese and put it in the refrigerator upstairs. (Upstairs was where we had lunch, and was off limits except at lunchtime.) Thinking it was taken care of, Mr. Jim went back to doing, whatever it was he did around there. (The guy was the cook, but he was there all day... I really have no idea what his purpose was other than between the hours of 11am and 1pm while he was preparing and serving food.)
Boy was he in for a shock. Let me explain that the layout of the building was such that there were not one, but two staircases that led upstairs, and they were on opposite ends of the building. This being said, if one staircase was being watched, the other was more likely than not, not. Exploiting this, we snuck upstairs the back way and began our hunt for the cheese.
Before long, Mr. Jim realized we were missing and stormed upstairs, catching us just as we discovered the location of our imprisoned cheese. Dean snagged it and sprinted for the stairs. The rest of us tried to hold back Mr. Jim as long as possible to give Dean a chance to... get away? I mean, where was he going to go? We couldn't leave... we were like, 10 years old.
But alas, we were small, and Mr. Jim was able to bypass us and grab Dean moments later. The cheese was recaptured, and another teacher, Ms. Deb, was enlisted to guard the other staircase. Knowing that our chances of sneaking back upstairs now were basically shot to hell, we had to rethink our plan.
We decided on a good ol' fashioned protest. We took markers, crayons and paper and made probably a hundred signs. We went around telling our story to all the other kids at daycare and rallied up probably 20 sympathizers. We gave them each a stack of signs and told them to start posting them all over the building. They read: "FREE THE CHEESE!"
Within 30 minutes of giving them the green light, the walls were plastered with our propaganda. Mr. Jim and Ms. Deb (foolishly) left their posts in a feeble attempt to stop the chaos. They were running around frantically, throwing kids in time out, and ripping papers off the walls. This was our chance.
We rushed upstairs, threw open the refrigerator, grabbed the cheese and ran back downstairs. I'll never forget seeing Dean holding the cheese triumphantly over his head, huge grin etched on his face, walking through the building to raucous cheers and applause. (Not from the teachers, obviously, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you that, by this point, pretty much every child at that daycare was emotionally invested in this cause. I mean, we were bored... every day. We had given these kids excitement! Even if it was only for a few minutes, they were hyped. We were their Gods.)
At this point, the rest of the memory is pretty hazy... How it was resolved, I don't rightly know. I wish I could tell you that the teachers gave up and we got to play(?) with our cheese the rest of the day, but I can guarantee you that it was re-confiscated and we didn't get it back again. We probably ended up in time out, got our parents called, and then got lectured when we went home for the day. But, damn it, what a day!
I didn't type this story out of my head for any reason other than to share a funny, relevant moment of my life with you, but it actually speaks volumes about how I feel about rules and/or laws today: If a rule serves no purpose, other than to restrict my freedoms or make the rule maker feel more powerful, I find it stupid and I will not follow it.
This philosophy has gotten me into trouble with teachers and parents, but I think it has also gotten my point across to them at times. Having rules just to have them is silly, and enforcing them is sillier! What were a couple of 10 year old kids going to do with a slice of cheese that was so horrible? Surely it can't be any worse than what happened when Mr. Jim took it from us!
And really, it was taking it from us that made us want it so bad! If Mr. Jim had left us alone, we would have either eaten it outright, or played with it for all of 2 minutes before we decided it was stupid and trashed it. In this scenario, a rule was created to prevent a possible bad situation, and in turn, it created an even worse situation.
I'm not suggesting that everyone go do whatever they want, break all the rules, and tell law enforcement officers to blow it out their ass. (Seriously, don't.) But you should definitely question what is going on around you. If people tell you how to act and you don't question why, you are ultimately just a slave to others.
This is the Almighty Helmet, signing off.
Friday, January 21, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Eggsplosion
The first assignment for this class, while simple in concept, was quite difficult for me. It was just this: "Do something with an egg."
Yup... My thought process went something like this:
i could throw it at something. no. that's dumb. anyone can throw an egg. well maybe i could throw it out of my car. that would be cool. no shit. how am i supposed to get pictures or video of that. maybe i could make a catapult or... a really big rubber band and see how far i can fling it. no that's not cool enough.
After a few days I still hadn't come up with anything, so I decided to see what my friends had to say. I got "throw it at someone," "freeze it," and "drop it from the top of a building." I still didn't want to throw it at anything, and dropping it would be cool, but not very creative (and possibly illegal depending on what building I chose). Freezing it was a cool idea, but I wanted to see something exciting, and freezing is slow and dull and... yeah.
Finally, someth
ing clicked. Instead of freezing it, I was going to light that son of a bitch on fire. I went to my parents house (I live in an apartment and a flaming egg wasn't going to be acceptable on my second story balcony) and went straight to work. The process was straightforward: I doused the egg with lighter fluid and held a lighter to it.
The results were far from impressive. Nothing (not even the lighter fluid) lit on fire. The egg just crackled a bit and the shell got a bit... dry looking... where I had held the lighter for so long. Defeated, I went back and side and started getting ready to leave.
As I was getting some things out of one of my bedroom drawers, there it was: my collection of bottle rockets and firecrackers. A light bulb (or perhaps more accurately, an atom bomb) went off in my head. If I couldn't light it on fire I was going to make it explode.
Helmet's Helpful Hints: Always stock up on firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles around 4th of July. You'll never know when you are going to need them.
I gathered up a handful of each and some tape and got right to work. I taped six M-150 firecrackers around it and began trying to line up the wicks so they would go off simultaneously. When I was done I went outside and lit it. I failed... I was only able to get one of the firecrackers lit before I had to back away, and it was... mediocre at best.
Damn it all! I would not be defeated by an egg! I went back in the house and retrieved an egg from the refrigerator. This was it... the one egg. I was going out with a bang. (Pun not intended, but somewhat unavoidable. I apologize.) Thought process:
how many bottle rockets would i
need to make it fly. that would be epic. i can only line up about six of the wicks... shit. this isn't going to take off. maybe i can light more than one group of six. i'm not going to lose my hand because of an egg. ok. think. well if it won't fly it needs to blow up good. real good. ok. got it. add firecrackers as well.
This thing was beautiful. Was it going to fly? Not a snowball's chance in Hell, but it was going to do something, and I was excited about that. I carried it outside like a new father carrying his hemophiliac infant. I set it carefully down on a stump and did my best to get all of the wicks lit.
Success! I backed up as quickly as possible, trying not to slip in the snow or fall into the creek that was right next to me. (For these reasons, the video I shot is not the best, but if I ever attempt this again, I'll do better. Pinky Promise!)
The bottle rockets shot off with a fffffffooooooooosh!, but the egg didn't budge. Then they exploded almost immediately before the firecrackers went off. cccccuuuurack-ack-crack-ck-ack! I could not have been more happy. Egg was everywhere, and the shell was awesome. All the egg was gone, but it was almost all still in one piece.
Yup... My thought process went something like this:
i could throw it at something. no. that's dumb. anyone can throw an egg. well maybe i could throw it out of my car. that would be cool. no shit. how am i supposed to get pictures or video of that. maybe i could make a catapult or... a really big rubber band and see how far i can fling it. no that's not cool enough.
After a few days I still hadn't come up with anything, so I decided to see what my friends had to say. I got "throw it at someone," "freeze it," and "drop it from the top of a building." I still didn't want to throw it at anything, and dropping it would be cool, but not very creative (and possibly illegal depending on what building I chose). Freezing it was a cool idea, but I wanted to see something exciting, and freezing is slow and dull and... yeah.
Finally, someth
ing clicked. Instead of freezing it, I was going to light that son of a bitch on fire. I went to my parents house (I live in an apartment and a flaming egg wasn't going to be acceptable on my second story balcony) and went straight to work. The process was straightforward: I doused the egg with lighter fluid and held a lighter to it.The results were far from impressive. Nothing (not even the lighter fluid) lit on fire. The egg just crackled a bit and the shell got a bit... dry looking... where I had held the lighter for so long. Defeated, I went back and side and started getting ready to leave.
As I was getting some things out of one of my bedroom drawers, there it was: my collection of bottle rockets and firecrackers. A light bulb (or perhaps more accurately, an atom bomb) went off in my head. If I couldn't light it on fire I was going to make it explode.
Helmet's Helpful Hints: Always stock up on firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles around 4th of July. You'll never know when you are going to need them.
I gathered up a handful of each and some tape and got right to work. I taped six M-150 firecrackers around it and began trying to line up the wicks so they would go off simultaneously. When I was done I went outside and lit it. I failed... I was only able to get one of the firecrackers lit before I had to back away, and it was... mediocre at best.
Damn it all! I would not be defeated by an egg! I went back in the house and retrieved an egg from the refrigerator. This was it... the one egg. I was going out with a bang. (Pun not intended, but somewhat unavoidable. I apologize.) Thought process:
how many bottle rockets would i
need to make it fly. that would be epic. i can only line up about six of the wicks... shit. this isn't going to take off. maybe i can light more than one group of six. i'm not going to lose my hand because of an egg. ok. think. well if it won't fly it needs to blow up good. real good. ok. got it. add firecrackers as well.This thing was beautiful. Was it going to fly? Not a snowball's chance in Hell, but it was going to do something, and I was excited about that. I carried it outside like a new father carrying his hemophiliac infant. I set it carefully down on a stump and did my best to get all of the wicks lit.
Success! I backed up as quickly as possible, trying not to slip in the snow or fall into the creek that was right next to me. (For these reasons, the video I shot is not the best, but if I ever attempt this again, I'll do better. Pinky Promise!)
The bottle rockets shot off with a fffffffooooooooosh!, but the egg didn't budge. Then they exploded almost immediately before the firecrackers went off. cccccuuuurack-ack-crack-ck-ack! I could not have been more happy. Egg was everywhere, and the shell was awesome. All the egg was gone, but it was almost all still in one piece.
Sigh... A j
ob well done, if I do say so myself. As I alluded to earlier, there are videos, but they aren't that great... I'll upload them later for your viewing pleasure.
ob well done, if I do say so myself. As I alluded to earlier, there are videos, but they aren't that great... I'll upload them later for your viewing pleasure.Monday, January 10, 2011
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Day 1
So, today was the first day of classes for my Spring semester at IUPUI. My second (and final) class of the day was Seeing Sideways! with Beth Lykins. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there, but it turned out to be a pretty cool experience.
We sat in a big circle and turned out the lights. (Not sure what was up with the "no lights" thing, but whatever. Mood lighting.) Then we went around and told the class our names and an interesting story from our childhood. Then we went over the Syllabus and all that necessary but boring shit. At this point, everything was pretty standard for the first day of a New Media Arts and Science course.
Things first got a little weird when we took a 15 minute break and Beth told us that everyone (seriously, EVERYONE) had to leave the room and that no one was allowed to get out of their rolly chairs. Reason? I don't know, but you don't have to tell me twice. I was out the door and speeding along the hallways in no time. I contemplated seeing if I could roll my chair down the stairs, thought better of it, and decided instead to make a lap or two around the upper level. (It's basically a big rectangle with pretty long hallways, so I was able to pick up some serious speed.)
On my second lap, a couple of students who weren't in the class, but who were seating in some chairs waiting for their next class to start, were giving me weird looks. I smashed into a wall in front of them to stop myself and then gave them a very serious look and said, "This is for class." One of them acted like I hadn't even spoken and the other shook his head disapprovingly. Some people! I was having a good time and they were acting like I just punched an elderly man in the balls.
Anywho, I eventually made my way back into class and everyone reformed their circle. We started discussing what was considered "art" and where New Media fell into that. We watched a film by Blu, called "MUTO," and also listened to John Cage's "4'33."
Afterward, we continued our discussion. For me, art is making an emotion or a feeling and making it something someone else can see or hear or feel. Good art evokes an emotional response from the person audience. If I attended one of John Cage's concerts (and, presumably, paid money) to hear him play "4'33," the only emotion he would evoke from me would be anger! Not because of something in the "music," but because he had to audacity to play nothing and to think that I would just overlook that as an artistic stunt.
Do I think it was a bold statement? Absolutely! Was it art? Hell, no! Kanye West calling George Bush a racist on live television was a bold statement, but it wasn't any more artistic than my last bowel movement. (Which wasn't too shabby, if I do say so myself.) My point is that nobody is running out to buy a "4'33" CD and no one (without a lot of money to throw away) is going to buy a ticket to hear him play it live.
I understand that how much money an album makes or how much someone is willing to pay for a painting doesn't show how much artistic merit a piece has, but it does say something! We are willing to spend money on things that we love; things that make us laugh, cry, think, etc. Cage's piece doesn't do any of those things for me (or anyone I know, for that matter), and that's why I cannot possibly think of it as art.
Who knows, though? Maybe I am dead wrong. If so, I have a whole trunk full of "4'33" CD's if anyone is interested. $10 bucks apiece.
We sat in a big circle and turned out the lights. (Not sure what was up with the "no lights" thing, but whatever. Mood lighting.) Then we went around and told the class our names and an interesting story from our childhood. Then we went over the Syllabus and all that necessary but boring shit. At this point, everything was pretty standard for the first day of a New Media Arts and Science course.
Things first got a little weird when we took a 15 minute break and Beth told us that everyone (seriously, EVERYONE) had to leave the room and that no one was allowed to get out of their rolly chairs. Reason? I don't know, but you don't have to tell me twice. I was out the door and speeding along the hallways in no time. I contemplated seeing if I could roll my chair down the stairs, thought better of it, and decided instead to make a lap or two around the upper level. (It's basically a big rectangle with pretty long hallways, so I was able to pick up some serious speed.)
On my second lap, a couple of students who weren't in the class, but who were seating in some chairs waiting for their next class to start, were giving me weird looks. I smashed into a wall in front of them to stop myself and then gave them a very serious look and said, "This is for class." One of them acted like I hadn't even spoken and the other shook his head disapprovingly. Some people! I was having a good time and they were acting like I just punched an elderly man in the balls.
Anywho, I eventually made my way back into class and everyone reformed their circle. We started discussing what was considered "art" and where New Media fell into that. We watched a film by Blu, called "MUTO," and also listened to John Cage's "4'33."
Afterward, we continued our discussion. For me, art is making an emotion or a feeling and making it something someone else can see or hear or feel. Good art evokes an emotional response from the person audience. If I attended one of John Cage's concerts (and, presumably, paid money) to hear him play "4'33," the only emotion he would evoke from me would be anger! Not because of something in the "music," but because he had to audacity to play nothing and to think that I would just overlook that as an artistic stunt.
Do I think it was a bold statement? Absolutely! Was it art? Hell, no! Kanye West calling George Bush a racist on live television was a bold statement, but it wasn't any more artistic than my last bowel movement. (Which wasn't too shabby, if I do say so myself.) My point is that nobody is running out to buy a "4'33" CD and no one (without a lot of money to throw away) is going to buy a ticket to hear him play it live.
I understand that how much money an album makes or how much someone is willing to pay for a painting doesn't show how much artistic merit a piece has, but it does say something! We are willing to spend money on things that we love; things that make us laugh, cry, think, etc. Cage's piece doesn't do any of those things for me (or anyone I know, for that matter), and that's why I cannot possibly think of it as art.
Who knows, though? Maybe I am dead wrong. If so, I have a whole trunk full of "4'33" CD's if anyone is interested. $10 bucks apiece.
N385 - Seeing Sideways - Expectations
I saw the assignment to make this blog entry on the 9th (the day before the first day of the actual class), but I didn't know how to talk about my expectations for this class, when I really had no idea what it was about. I have since read the syllabus and attended the first "lecture," if it could really be called that.
So let's get to it: Seeing Sideways! is a class which focuses on "fostering creative exploration in New Media." While I am not entirely sure what that entails, I can easily infer that it will be exciting, unpredictable, and crazy. (I've had a class with Beth before, and I know how she can be. Not to mention some of the absurd rumors that I've heard from friends who have had this class previously.)
I hope this class will inspire me to do some things that I would not have originally thought to do. I want to get some ideas for my upcoming Capstone Project that will be due at the end of my next year. I also hope to meet new and interesting people who might be willing to work on projects or endeavors with me in the future. All in all, it should be quite an experience.
So let's get to it: Seeing Sideways! is a class which focuses on "fostering creative exploration in New Media." While I am not entirely sure what that entails, I can easily infer that it will be exciting, unpredictable, and crazy. (I've had a class with Beth before, and I know how she can be. Not to mention some of the absurd rumors that I've heard from friends who have had this class previously.)
I hope this class will inspire me to do some things that I would not have originally thought to do. I want to get some ideas for my upcoming Capstone Project that will be due at the end of my next year. I also hope to meet new and interesting people who might be willing to work on projects or endeavors with me in the future. All in all, it should be quite an experience.
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