Narratives of our Community:
Stories we live by . . . . .
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| Lauren's mandala |
An update on Judith Moffat's presentation. Judith plans to join us on Wednesday when Rob Dunlavey is at Bryant. She is hoping you will share your work with her, so she can see how your sketchbooks are developing. So when you see her on Wednesday, please do not be shy. Come say "hello," and share something you have been working on.
Also, I am attaching a link to her blog (Miss Moffat). Please take a look, especially at the entries on Bryant. She posts some pictures and comments from her work with us, and some pictures of fellow sketchers. Lauren's mandala (the completed mandala, above) is referenced on the blog, calling to mind Moffat's recent work with the "eye" as a deeply important symbol.
Also, an added acknowledgment: I failed to mention the inspiration for the last challenge--found collaging. I drew upon my studies with Suzi Cousins, an excellent collage artist and educator, who works with multiple collage styles, including shadow box (Cornell Boxes), paper-making, and book binding. She has been a real inspiration for me in my work in collage and in paper and book studies. Because of being her student and working with Lauren Pearlman (The Paper Connection), I have developed a course on books and the materiality of books. This course will focus on the history and culture of paper and books and the artistic development of collage. This course is offered in the spring.
On to our inspiration from fellow sketchers:
Some great images have been coming in. Let me share a few more with you:
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| Ahmed's mandala |
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| Abby's symbols through the eyes of her mother |
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| Sandra's tribute to the woman who introduced her to the beauty of seaweed |
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| Lauren's acknowledgement's page |
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| Megi's found collage |
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| Lauren's improvised inspirations |
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| Kayla's word of inspiration |
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| Joe's symbol through the eyes of his inspiration |
On to today's challenge:
In anticipation of our visit with Rob Dunlavey on Wednesday, and his plans to have us work on a sketch that has a "story" or narrative to it, we will work on doing some writing/sketching in the next few days.
Our goal will be to move from the visual representation of a community we participate in (made visible in our symbols) to the stories that are a part of that community--stories that have already been told, are yet to be told, and will be told by us!
One of the most compelling quotes I have ever read is by Oliver Wendall Holmes, Sr.:
Most of us go to the grave with our music still inside us.
Richard Pimentel, a disabilities rights activist, used this quote in a commencement address he delivered in 2008. I include the link below (for you to read at your leisure). Pimentel questions what it means for your particular post 9/11 generation, which has inherited a whole mess of a world, to reflect on this concept of making your own music.
On a personal note, this quote by Holmes got me to finally sit down and write the novel that was bottled up in my body. I wanted to sing those words, even if no one cared to listen. I did not want to take them to my grave.
Let's sing the stories of our life and our community:
- Using construction paper, cut out 4 squares of a size that they could all fit comfortably on your sketchbook page. They can overlap or not. They can be whatever colors you choose.
- Square one, using pen or pencil write down a word or brief phrase that captures a story of your community. This should be an EVENT. For example, if you are a Boston fan, you might write Boston Strong. If your community has overcome obstacles, as many have, you could put down moments in time--Stonewall, Ferguson. These could be happy events, troubling moments, etc. This event may be more intimate if your chosen community is your family--the death or birth of someone.
- Square two, again with words, write down the players in the story of your community. This is about CHARACTERS. Who are the people who are a part of this story--living and dead, and, perhaps, yet to be born? Who is in your version of this story? This isn't about historical accuracy, this is about narrative truthfulness.
- Square three, again with words, write down your part in this story. This is about you as an INDIVIDUAL who is a PROTAGONIST in the story of your community. Your community's story has not just happened to you or around you: you are stepping in and seeing the part you have played or are yet to play.
- Square four, again in words, explain your PROXIMITY to this narrative you are starting. Are you very close to this story, separated by time and location? You might use words like "So far away in space" or "As close as my breath to my body," something that captures your proximity to the event and characters you are thinking about for now.
You can go elaborate and beautiful with your words, or simple and clear. Your choice. Like the symbol, we are going to start building on this idea over the next week--telling narratives with words, collage, and other visuals.
As with the symbol, do not feel you are locked into any one thing. If you want to change the focus of your narrative as we go along, please feel free to do so.
Keep the pictures coming! thassele@bryant.edu
One particular event that happened in my hometown was a teen who was in a lethal car accident. I decided to reflect on this and how it effected the people in my life.
ReplyDeleteI work as a Courtesy Booth Clerk at Market Basket Supermarkets. This summer, Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted as CEO. I picked this as my community because all 71 stores and customers alike were able to come together and bring him back. From standing out in front of the stores with protest signs to rallying at the main office, everyone was able to come together as a community to support a cause.
ReplyDeleteThis activity really made me reflect on past events that have happened in my life. It was nice to really think about these events instead of just holding it all in. It was nice to get all of my thoughts down on the paper.
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ReplyDeleteWhile my event wasn't a happy one, the ability to reflect on the event made it an enjoyable assignment for me. Always enjoy the activities where it is based on our own personal inspiration. Always feel more of just thinking and doing rather than feeling like im being forced to do an assignment required for school.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to bring our personal life into the artwork is always so interesting and comes to an amazing final piece!
ReplyDeleteI used a recent event that I completed in my life for the four squares. It was fun to write a personal piece using words and shapes.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this activity, especially being able to put personal touches such as these events into artwork.
ReplyDeleteLooking in the past it brought back some sad memories but I enjoyed being able to put my own response in the challenge.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this assignment took a lot of thought, I loved going back in time and creating a story through a visual representation.
ReplyDeleteI picked a very personal event that is rather confusing trying to narrate because it could be told from two different points in time, or even both. It personally helped me to put some of this down on paper, whether or not I end up using this event for the rest of the challenges.
ReplyDeleteThis activity allowed me to express my thoughts and beliefs on who really inspires and influences me to be who I am today. It took some thought but all the pieces clicked once the story began.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing chance for me to pare down what has been a memoir length story about the death of my father when I was a young girl. The structure of the assignment required a lot of thought but was mainly a freeing exercise because one couldn't put down everything as beautifully as one might.
ReplyDeleteBreaking down an event from the past into just a few simple words was very difficult but interesting to see the words that I chose. Choosing an event, however, was very difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteAs I looked back into my life, I brought a lot of it into today's assignment and I found it remarkable. I love assignments that I can really incorporate my own style into
ReplyDeleteI loved that this challenge allowed me to reflect on an event that I feel connected to and to tell the story of that event using words and visuals.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very emotional challenge for me, I made mine about a young girls death in my community over the summer. It made me go back and think about the toll it took on my town.
ReplyDeleteThis brought me back to high school when our hockey team's bus driver was diagnosed with ALS. This was an emotional period for us, seeing our #1 fan go from energetic and lively to incapable of doing basic daily tasks. She would succumb to this awful disease but her spirit still lives on with our annual remembrance hockey game and walk in her honor.
ReplyDeleteThis activity took me back to historical times in my community. It was nice to remember what my community has gone through to get to where it is today.
ReplyDeleteI decided to use a humorous event that happened in my town, so it was fun to reflect on what happened at the time.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was very simple and fun to do! I liked being able to write down my feelings in a creative way. It actually looked really cool when it was finished too.
ReplyDeleteSo fun! Loved this activity! Made me think back on all the amazing things my town has done.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge I was stuck on which event of two I should choose from, but ultimately I am happy with the choice I made. Luckily the event is a happy one that occurs annually in our town. Often there are more people at the event than live in the entire town!
ReplyDeleteI decided to represent my community based around my school. It was a bit difficult at first to try to simplify a huge community into a few words or phrases, but it turned out nicely. It's cool to see how something complex, like a community, can be simply put and described.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting challenge. It got me thinking of home and all the things I miss about it.
ReplyDeleteI chose a personal event that happened within my family. It brought back some good and bad memories, but it was interesting to express my feelings in this way.
ReplyDeleteI chose an event that shaped my worldview, despite not having happened to me directly. Sometimes lessons learned without consequence can be hard to retain, so when they do stick, it's important to continue reteaching yourself and reminding yourself of them.
ReplyDeleteThis was definetely an enjoyable challenge because I was able to consider the best parts about my life, my home. I miss it so much so it was definetely a good opportunity to reflect on those aspects.
ReplyDeleteThis really reminded me of when we did the three squares to represent our past, present and future. I like how these over lap and relate to each other. I enjoy being able to reflect on these events and use these challenges as a method of reflection.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this activity because it made me think about my past and reflect on events that are special to me and my community. I chose an event that just happened and it is something my family and I cherish. I like including this in my sketchbook because it reminds me of what I value in my life.
ReplyDeleteThis one was interesting....I liked that we focused on words more than just sketching a picture.
ReplyDeleteI completed the challenge with the first story that came to my head, considering Bryant as my community. I plan on changing the focus of the story in the same format later on, as I don't think my story will have enough to work with.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite challenge because it was something new and fun to do.
ReplyDeleteIt was neat to reflect on an event in the past and think about it in a creative light.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was pretty challenging to pick a certain event that happened in my own community. But once I did pick one I thought this activity was really interesting and a lot different than what we've been doing so far. It was cool see how words can be used to create art, too
ReplyDeleteI do not like to reflect on things or get deep into personal stories so this was a hard activity for me.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this challenge. I like the challenges that I can relate to my life and I liked that this was more interpreting words rather than drawing.
ReplyDeleteImmediately my mind went to my great-grandma who passed away. We were very close and I felt as if this was like a mini tribute to the time we had together. Everything cannot always be explained by words, but I felt like the one word or phrase was enough to convey the perfect story of what we meant to one another.
ReplyDeleteBeing from Massachusetts, I couldn't resist the urge to comply with the Boston theme, starting with "Boston Strong". I chose Red, Blue, Yellow, and Black as my square colors to represent the Red Sox/Patriots and the Bruins. I would love to go back and perfect this activity along with the previous ones for the week once I am relieved of the distractions of midterm exams.
ReplyDeleteI decided to reflect on Hurricane Sandy. My town was one of the most affected towns by the storms and completely destroyed from the Hurricane. My town has become stronger from the storm, but we have not completely rebuilt yet. It was interesting to incorporate this even into my sketchbook.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was a good way to get some release. I did my piece on my grandfather who recently passed and the amazing legacy he left for me and my family.
ReplyDeleteI did a piece about my girlfriend going abroad. This meant that the community was just us two, but it still has a large impact and a lot to be said for it.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was fun. I liked the idea of using cut outs again. I really enjoyed the first square challenge with the past, present and future, and this one reminded me of that. I enjoyed this challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe squares were a good idea. I wrote it about going back to school.
ReplyDeleteBeing from a suburban town it was somewhat difficult for me to think of a good representation for community but once I did I enjoyed putting my ideas onto paper.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was nice in that I liked reflecting on my own community back home. My opinion of my hometown changed completely when I came to college and was a little bit removed from it so that was interesting to think about.
ReplyDeleteI had a difficult time coming up with something to sketch with this challenge. Once I came up with an idea it was an interesting way to reflect.
ReplyDeleteI liked this one because it was simple yet revealing and reflective.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this challenge because I think people need to reflect more to really be able to understand what occurred. My story has impacted my life because the story has changed how I live now.
ReplyDeleteI liked this challenge because it was at the same time a very straight forward task, yet it made me reflect on a hardship my community has gone through. I liked the limited words we were allowed to use to describe each box.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that we were able to focus on words and also reflect on past events. It was a challenge I really enjoyed doing.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge wasn't one of my favorites since we didn't need to get creative and create something. I did liked the fact that it was simple and based on true events that have occurred in your surroundings.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was actually really therapeutic because it allowed me to open up about something that recently happened to me and something I am still going through. It allowed me to separate the event into small issues and helped put it into perspective a little bit. I really enjoyed this challenge.
ReplyDeleteI found this challenge nice. It was interesting to decide between a happy or sad event, but still reflect on both. I really enjoy how sketchbooking has become therapy like. It's become a source of escape that I appreciate greatly.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting challenge. I wrote about the 26th July monsoon floods in Mumbai. My dad got stuck and he had to stay at his friend's place. There was no electricity, there were people stuck in schools, offices, on the road etc. It affected my community as a whole and my family too.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge I found to be most meaningful since we had to bring up a past event. It makes you stop and think about something meaningful in your life and how it affected you.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this challenge because I got to sit and reminisce about my home community and particular battle we all shared.
ReplyDeleteI like this challenge because it allowed me to think about my hometown and the things that took an already small community and made it even closer.
ReplyDeleteI thought this challenge was interesting because I had to think about a personal event and bring it into my work. It made the creation more meaningful to m
ReplyDeleteVery interesting assignment since we are allowed to reflect on the importance of a particular story in our community and our relevance in that story.
ReplyDeletei honestly did not completely know what i was doing on this activity. it was kind of a tough task to complete because i did not really understand it completely. i didn't really like this one
ReplyDeleteI see where this activity is trying to go, but it is not my type of activity. It is more relaxing to reflect on my own rather than directly have to.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting challenge. I made me think of a lot of different hardships my community has gone through. I chose to talk about the worst tragedy that did not only affect my town but affected the whole country, the Newtown school shooting, I live in a town next to Newtown and had family friends who were working in the Newtown school system during the event. So when asked to think of an event that captures a story in my community this event immediately came to mind.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge brought out the patriotism in me. As a Ghanaian, I am proud and thankful for the Freedom and Justice my country possesses. Furthermore, I love to hear the story about how we gained independence and became the first West African country to do so. "God Bless our homeland Ghana!"
ReplyDeletei like this challenge because we were able to express our personal thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI liked this simple challenge. It made me kind of look at my life and the way I live it. Do unto others as you would do to yourself is a phrase my family lives by and it kinda made me remember it.
ReplyDeleteAlot of personal expression in this challenge while mine was simple do feel that I got my point across
ReplyDeleteThis activity made me reflect on the last few car shows i have attended. In my typical simplistic way, I laid out squares with text that shows the typical car scene across america.
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