As the end of the semester approaches, I have a meaningful opportunity to look back over the past few months, notice how I have progressed, and set intentions for continual growth. I usually write these types of reflections through stream-of-consciousness style paragraphs which I later edit and refine; this time, however, I would like to take a more list-like approach so that I can easily skim over and reference this post in the future. I have provided some links and visual documentation towards the end for additional reference.
Reflection: analysis of my development in Advanced Digital Processes
What skills have I developed through working on solo projects this semester?
Research
- Collecting images, artists, articles, videos, and other resources to inform my process
- Making connections between the topics I am researching (or have researched in the past) for other academic and personal projects; determining when and how to utilize supporting materials and apply them in new, relevant ways
Self motivation
- Practicing time organization and prioritization
- Paying attention to the natural ebbs and flows of creative energy; learning that I do my best work when I honor those rhythms intuitively
- Embracing the pursuit of the pleasure of making and doing; letting that sense of joy and satisfaction serve as the central catalyzing agent to my process
Self reflection
- Cultivating more attentiveness to my practice through observing and documenting the way that I work and tracking what methods serve me and which do not
- Thinking about which areas I would like to focus on as centers of growth
What skills have I developed through working on partnered projects this semester?
Collaboration
- Witnessing the magic of building something together that extends beyond the capacities of what I could have accomplished alone
- Watching how ideas interact when brought in conjunction with one another: meshing, shifting, and evolving organically
- Learning from the ways that other groups worked together and delivered their project presentations; analyzing their approaches and applying affective methods to our own work
Compromise
- Learning how to let go of some of my personal ideas and desires to better make room for those of my partner and honor her unique interests, skills, and creative vision
- Recognizing that both the process and the end product are strengthened through the inclusion of multiple perspectives
Communication
- Listening to the needs and wishes of my partner and adapting my actions accordingly
- Advocating for my own feelings and goals to my partner through respectful, open dialogue
- Making sense of my ideas in a series of communicative iterations: first in my own head, then on paper, then to my partner, then to the class, and eventually to a broader audience
What skills do I still need to cultivate, based on my reflections?
Though there are countless things I can work on and improve, I would especially like to focus on the following areas:
- Organization: maintain more effective systems for cataloguing materials, resources, physical and digital notes, and process documentation
- Self motivation: adopt healthy and sustainable habits that help energize myself to do work when and how it needs to be done (specifically during times of fatigue and overwhelm)
- Collaboration: gain more experience meshing the pace and methodology of my own work style with those of teammates
How might these skills play a part in my future beyond this class?
My intended academic and career pathway in interdisciplinary education will include many situations that will require the skills I have discussed. There will be times when I will be responsible for self-directing my work, and times when I will need to work in cooperation with fellow students, coworkers, community members, and friends. The experiences I’ve had during this semester, along with the technical prowess I’ve gained in digital software and design methods will serve as a useful foundation for me as I continue learning and creating throughout my life.
What themes have I explored in my research this semester? How might these themes inform my future work, study, and personal life?
As I’ve stated in previous posts (here, here, and here) this semester I have become increasingly aware of my interest in the intersection of social and natural/environmental ecologies. I have enjoyed exploring the notion of art and design carrying multiple functions, including as tools for pedagogy, communication, collaboration, togetherness, and play.
In this class and others, I have spent a lot of time this semester researching artists, makers, educators, ecologists, and community organizers. I am fascinated by people whose work creates opportunities for social and environmental engagement, learning, connection, interaction, participation, and pleasure. I loved getting the opportunity to take what I’ve learned from the self-directed research I’m conducting about these folks’ approaches, and integrate it into the projects I’ve done in this class. I am excited to continue that pattern of inquiry and application through all modes of my future creative work.
I hope to spend the course of my career developing and facilitating accessible, engaging, and educational programming for the public in museums, libraries, schools, and other community centers. I believe that no matter what capacity or situation I am working in, artmaking, researching, and design thinking will always play an integral role in my practice.
Additional documentation: visual insights into my process towards the end of the semester
Here is the link to my and my partner’s climate justice brainstorming document. This shared online space where we poured out all of our thoughts was super helpful in letting us communicate our ideas to each other at times that worked for us individually. (When we needed to have conversations in real time, we spoke over the phone or through Zoom).
Here is the link to our climate justice presentation. We chose to rely on the familiarity of Google Slides as our platform so that we could spend more time working on our content rather than figuring out how to operate new software. My partner and I naturally gravitated to adopting our own team roles and responsibilities as we created the presentation. We both helped with each other’s “assignments” when we needed extra support.
