Day 5 - Creative Visualization

To start off class, we flipped a coin to determine if we we're going to go over the homework first or do a creative visualization exercise. What's funny is that once Jimmy was given the coin, he started analyzing it & went off on a completely different tangent. He began discussing the design on the back of the quarter. Each state has a different representation on this specific currency. To be honest, I never really took much consideration of what exactly was on the back of a quarter. So when Jimmy asked us what we would put on the back or what represents California, I just threw out random ideas cause I honestly didn't know what was on our current one. I decided to google it, just out if curiosity. I was surprised to find that John Muir, along with Yosemite & some sort of bird flying is what is actually on the quarter for California. I also found a different version or perhaps mock-up of what could have been on there, which was the Hollywood sign & the Golden Gate Bridge. Those 2 were actually some ideas I threw out there. Someone else must have had the same idea as myself. Ultimately, I felt this was a good practice because it causes is to think about not only what our interpretation is if something, but when designing something for a client, we must take into consideration who our audience is or who we're designing for.

The next activity had Jimmy read us a story, having us focus only on the words he was saying w/closed eyes. At the end of the story we come to a door w/our name on it & then open it up. Then we were instructed to draw what we saw behind that door. What I saw reminded me of Alice in wonderland. It was pitch black and the only objects within the space were floating. There was a whimsical, stark white staircase leading to god-knows-where. Then there was a large, gold-framed, impressionist painting of flowers in a valley or something. A small clock suspended in the air like everything else and a wooden trap door the very bottom. To be honest, my experience was kind of scary because is this really what goes in in my inner thoughts? On top if that, what does this all really mean? When we went around to look at our other classmates drawings, I realized that I'm a weirdo. Then again, there were a few demented ones too. I think we did this exercise because it shows us, each one of us has completely different ideas. This is a great point because when working in groups, each one of us brings something different to the table. In a studio or collaboration of projects, this can be very beneficial. I liked this assignment, but it definitely made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps it's because I'm not as in tune w/my inner self or maybe I'm just over thinking it and simply has a weird day-dream.

Thanks for listening,
Ruby

Day 4 Shift Meaning

My thoughts on today's exercises are that it was very interesting and insightful. I especially liked the TED video with Stefan Sagmeister. I went and looked up the video later after class and read a few comments underneath it. One reviewer noted that a sabbatical seems like a great idea, however, it is not as easy to achieve for the average person due to life's responsibilities. I wish I could take a sabbatical. I've always wanted to travel and still yet have not left the states. Some day though I will get to go to Europe and other exotic parts of the world when I have the time and resources to do so. I truly believe it does give someone a different perspective or outlook on life. So many of us are always in a hurry and get so caught up in the hustle & bustle of life we forget and don't take the time to really appreciate the things around us. Lately, I assimilate myself to parts of a machine, constantly turning in a cognitive manner to get the job done, but am still stuck inside not moving forward. I believe we watched this video not only to encourage ourselves to take a step back or show that a break is beneficial in the creative process, but it also showed how whimsical or different one's creative process can be. One may look at a problem and simply move on from it or create a direct/typical solution or could think of way to alter the emotion or reverse the problem by doing something completely out of the ordinary. Yet those extraordinary solutions are in my opinion, the best and almost ingenious in my eyes. It matters because a lot of us are so used to doing things a certain way, by showing us this video, it allows us to question our regular technique. Everyone has a style, it's fairly prominent in their artwork. But perhaps, we could take a break(not necessarily a year) and them come back fresh with new ideas in mind.

In regards to the other activity we explored with viewing an object from a magazine print and then giving that print a phrase to go with it, I felt a little internal struggle. This activity was a little more difficult for me because I so often want to see things in their literal form. Which is somewhat ironic considering the fact that I'm an art student and should be so used to seeing everything from a much more deeper perspective, it's still not the case. An apple is an apple in my eyes, but not with this scenario. An apple could be a home, a briefcase, a paper weight, etc. The assignment given associated with this activity is definitely going to take some time. I suppose this is what goes on in advertising/marketing companies. Developing a concept for a brand is much harder than I thought. It's often in films that a lightbulb will light up in someone's brain and bam! Epic outcome! I hope that same spark hits me over the weekend so this assignment won't take too long. I believe this exercise matters because if some of us want to go into the advertising/marketing industry this will definitely help. Also, not even just those industries but in any work we decided to do, this definitely aids in our ability of coming up with concepts.

Thanks for listening,
Ruby

Day 3 Soooo exhausted

Today in class we did a few activities, some very successful while others lacked. Our first task given was to seat ourselves in chronological order of birth date. We actually managed to do this perfectly. With communication amongst ourselves and organizational skills, this was achieved.

The next project given was to rank our graphic novels from best to worst fitting to a criteria that we all agree upon. The criteria we came up with was broken down into 4 parts. They were "clarity of message", "neatness", "creativity", and "use of color". I agreed with most criteria given except for maybe the neatness portion. I originally said aesthetic appeal, but a peer did not agree with myself because he thought maybe we should consider the fact that some people may not draw as well and that they shouldn't be graded/ranked on such terms. While he is right, I feel as though we are all human and are simply drawn to more aesthetically appealing objects. I think at the end, most of us agreed that the majority of the judging being made was based on aesthetics, especially in the short amount of time we were given to do so. So with that being said, had we been given more time, the rankings would surely change.

Our last event of the day was to get into groups of 4, use what random things you have with you and come up with a story using though those items. I contributed my penguin shaped usb flash drive named, Rupert. He actually ended up being the main character of our story. What's funny is that our story was the only one where noone dies. It was very light-hearted and cheery. The plot was much like that of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I think all the stories were intertesting.

P.S. I'm tired.

Day 2: Visual Literacy

Today in class we explored many different concepts surrounding the overall idea of visual literacy. I'm not entirely sure if I have the definition correct, but from my taking I believe it is the ability to read/understand something visual. Everyone interprets a picture or image in different ways. The way something is framed or laid out can have a dramatic effect on the viewer's interpretation. Not only that, but the use of color, value, and several other factors will make a difference.

We were given an in-class assignment to draw a comic sequence of 4 in 20 minutes that shows us how/why we got to Cal State LA. I partly struggled with this because I felt as though there are so many different components to what got me here in the first place. How am I to represent that in just 4 little frames? Not only that but in the short time alotted? Looking over my finished product and comparing it to others I realize perhaps that it isn't as clear to a reader that does not know my story. It's clear to me, because well, it's MY story. We're given a second chance to re-do the assignment over the weekend(this time in color). I'm going to have to brainstorm and figure out a way to either a condense or perhaps just pick a certain aspect of what got me here so that the transitions and overall story is much easier read.

Just a little side note: I love the quote in the short film we watched. I think they're great words to live by. "Learn from everyone. Follow no one. Watch for patterns. Work like hell." - Scott McCloud

Thanks for listening,
Ruby

Day 1(January 7, 2012)

Today in my Concept Development class we played a typical "opener" game to break the ice. Each of us were to state three things about ourselves, 2 of which would be truths and one of them being a lie. The goal of the entire class was to try and figure out which of the three was a lie.

What's interesting is that although this game on the surface appears to be completely harmless, I find that I, myself was stereotyping my fellow students to try and figure out the falsification. Of course, I tried to factor in other things for example body language, behavior, pitches in their voice and other things that might clue me in to what exactly was not true, yet ultimately I find myself gravitating towards their appearance as the main component that would lead to my assumption. I felt like such a hypocrite, because I always even say, "Never judge a book by it's cover". Yet, I was doing just that. Not only was I doing it, but I know my peers were doing it as well because when it came my turn, I lied about having a cat. What's funny is that most people did not guess this was the lie. I heard one even say "Oh, she looks like a cat person." Even more ironic is the fact that I despise cats. Furthermore, this leads me into thinking about what story does one tell simply by their appearance. It truly makes a significant difference on how you may come off towards others. That also makes me wonder what does my appearance have to say about me. Just some food for thought I suppose, but I'm glad we had this exercise, it was very insightful. 

Thanks for listening,
Ruby