Prezi Projec

My audio file was too large to upload to Prezi.com.. so I rearranged it and got a little inventive with screencast-o-matic to present it. Watch the video first, and if you would like to go back and check out some of the youtube links then you can access those slides using the link below. I have one of the tracks from the podcast in the background playing, but no podcast.

http://prezi.com/fuvymmizl8k_/copy-of-means-of-survival/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Reflective Piece

In writing the script for the prezi, I had a lot of trouble visually representing it. It especially became troublesome because I had already spent so much time on the visuals in parts. Piecing them together was quite annoying. Going back again, I’m going to solidify my script 100% before I do the visual stuff. On the other hand, because of the way my mind works (visually), mapping the project out was something I absolutely needed to do before writing. It was a catch 22, and the middle ground between the two was not easy. I also think from now on I will use a blank prezi instead of a template. The only things I kept from the original one was the tape and one notebook paper. Everything else I deleted and customized the fonts and colors of everything after changing the color theme to Midnight. I didn’t like the color scheme in the template I used so I either changed the colors or got rid of it.

            The overall look of it is trying to accomplish a contemporary ‘student’ feel which would cater to people with similar problems. Though you may think this is more geared toward creative endeavors, it’s actually addressed to everyone – science majors included. This is about focus, not necessarily creative process. I tried to address the root issues that could be detracting from a person’s ability to focus on studying, reading, writing, yoga, a conversation with their mother, anything. Some people are affected visually – which is why I did the stop motion screen cast and tried to make everything cohesive. Also the sight of clutter is connected to the emotional affect clutter can have on an individual. Emotional distraction as I referred to it: depression during finals week is not what I mean. During finals we tend to “excuse” certain unhealthy habits. But what if you’re going 100MPH 24/7? Then your body will really start to suffer and you can become addicted to various substances and sugars to maintain animation, as I call it, animated corpse.

            I learned a lot about the connection to image and words during this project. Especially in the process. I was used to photoshop key shortcuts and track pad gestures that had to be re-learned in Prezi. I also struggled with PNG files that had a lot of clear space around them until I realized I could just crop them. I have layers and layers of frames in one, like the “Controlled” Environment slide, where I had to actually go in and delete the stuff in the first box, create new frames to focus on different things and then add the rest back in the last frame. Timing was really important and it took many run-throughs of my script read out to figure out the visual flow, and how best to represent the words. I would go back and add more visual components, but have them all my original drawings and photos. The part about NET is annoying because those aren’t my images. The only one that is is the NET hands and the brain, to represent that it helps to bring out the subconscious (the majority of our brain) for us to deal with.

            I should have done my entire project on applied kinesiology and Neuro-emotional-testing, because I know a lot about it, and am extremely interested in Chinese medicinal practices, which is part of a heritage I’m passionate about. It’s a hybrid of many different types applied sciences and practices, which I think is really cool. I made one of my ways of getting organized that focal point, because I figured it would offer something new to start thinking about. I also focused a lot on music because it is the single most important tool in doing almost anything. Whatever I’m feeling or doing has a song. And if there’s no music available I’ll sing. I hope that it at least started a thought process about the many forces at play that contribute to an overall sense of control in an ideal study environment or situation.

            Making it your own was the main theme I wanted you to take from this. I wanted it to be more of a food for thought piece, to raise awareness of different methods I, and others use to improve productivity. I did so not just through ideas, but through the lettering and pictures I created in photoshop. The letters are constructed of the photoshoot I did in my room which is part of the video in the “controlled” environment frame, just heavily edited. The pictures were done in several shoots, and I’m really happy with how they turned out. I tried to create consistency through the pictures, having a boy and a girl, a video, and the layout similar. I spent the majority of my time probably on manipulating fonts!

            The research I did was mostly for psych related articles. I recently attended a research colloquium that taught me that google scholar can lead you to the bottom feeder articles that aren’t as reliable. I used the Davidson access to JSTOR and found exactly what I was looking for. It’s always exciting to find that perfect evidence. One thing I would add for future research is that it takes a while (and sometimes should be done on google to start) to find the proper terminology which is widely used in tags, and may not be how you would normally phrase your search. Those key words you pick up through finding sharper connotative meanings through the net, will lead you more relevant articles!

            From this assignment I really learned that before I can do anything visually I needed to have the audio done first. That was a nightmare. I changed so much of my presentation throughout the writing and recording process and am still considering going back and changing it again. I depended to much on an audio script and wanted my presentation to be more like a movie than a powerpoint. I felt the need to visually entertain. There are points where my words don’t match up with the text, but that is to try and elevator pitch those ideas to you while I explain the depth.

            I would say that for the next class, definitely pass on the research information I have in here. That helped me a ton! Also, I would tell students that before they even get the visual representation together, they should treat it like a podcast that will be shown visually as an aid, but not a necessary one. Or, for screen-casting, to record a written piece after rehearsing the motions on the computer, in audacity. Then, play that in headphones and record the screencast silently. I think I should have done this, and I might end up doing it, but taking the sound out of the screen-cast video and importing it to imovie, then adding the podcast over it. These are things I hope will help to think about.

Being able to manipulate my own images to create a look was so fun and fulfilling. I definitely plan on doing many many more of these with my original artwork completely. Down to every shape and every letter.

***On a final note, I struggled with technical difficulties during this project. I couldn’t upload the audio file for some reason, so I ended up changing it into more of a movie and playing the audio on my computer. The recording is low quality and that makes me sad, but hopefully I’ll figure out how to get a better video of it. The audio file wont be emailed or uploaded anywhere… I must be saving it wrong. I’ll figure it out!

Media for the soul

G r e e t i n g s. I come to you as a 21 year old English student with a music and visual addiction.

I like the point fast, I want it clear and I want style. I find when reading, take poetry par example, I don't quite enjoy the poem until I start to get some of the references and pick out the greater meaning of it. That's why your high school teachers made you read poems three times (which I'm sure you did, of course). With things too over my head, I become frustrated and put such authors in with Milton, lost, blind, and bitter. (Harsh, I know, but really? making a quicky one-line reference to Philomela after a packed line of muses, flower goddesses and allusions, then moving on to the next flower? Philomela has a GNARLY story, as we North County San Diegans say, that is not to be touched on lightly. So this story of Philomela encapsulated in one line - are we supposed to delve into the story like good little golden retrievers, do our homework then return to the poem? And suppose Milton just uses the story to do the work for him. "Those suckers are going to do the work while I'll just sit here in my bower, highness of intellect." Show off.) That was a long aside. The point I may or may not be transparent in relating to you is that as a contemporary young person interested in communication, arts, culture and language I, despite having the consciousness of some distant longer attention span, still fall into the category of "I want it NOW."

You want Art with a capital A? HERE. TAKE IT. JUST TAKE IT.

http://www.booooooom.com/

OH AND THIS. TAKE IT.

http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php/tag/collage

Ha! Now I've got you right where I want you. Once you take a look at these sites, you'll start to find art you might like to know more about. Well that's where google search comes in, and then you're looking at an artist's page, and you might look at artists they follow, or gain inspiration from. I spent a good chunk of my free time freshman year drowning myself in the SF art scene. Oh how things (don't) change.

And duh, I'm sure you already know this one:

http://pitchfork.com/

But here's one you may not know about. They're pretty quick, they get it done. They're informative and relevant to the Isla Vista, college community. If you like to be up on good music, they cater to all audiences, but are a little heavy on live-electronic. That said, in no way should "genre" of music limit you in discovery. Listen to it before you judge it, that's how I started to trust their music taste. I was an Elliott Smith girl before I listened to How to Dress Well. It's all done by SB kids, a small group of them. They're having a zine release down town March 6th. I'll have some art published in it as well! Their designers are really talented, and there's a gem in there called "Bruce Springsteen is an American Hero, God Dammit". This is not just a plug, but it's a site I actually use. They'll compile top 100 songs of 2013 and set up a playlist. Or, you can read about a local Sun Daes or Eastern Bakery show in IV.

Oh yeah, and they post free music.
http://speakvolumesmedia.com/

This stuff is short and sweet, gets to the point, fluffs it up a bit so the necessary plumage is flaunted, then tucks itself back away and you can move on with your life yielding the spoils of a very long music search.

Mutlimedia writing, people think, is mostly journalistic. But it's not. I would die to work here:

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/

and

http://www.popshotpopshot.com/

oh and woah... they updated their site. Jerks. Yale... who are they again?

http://yalelitmag.com/


If you're bored and have abundant time, (ha!) I would love to hear your ideas for this satirical piece I'm writing for fun. I need ideas for the latter part, where you'll see some of the beginnings.

Here's a bit of fun I had last night, thinking about Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html

Dear Student & Family,

As a matter of upmost importance concerning the wellbeing of all University of California Santa Barbara students, it is with great necessity and fastidious nature I take on this disconcerting topic.

Hipsters.

Hipsters, both agent and affliction have spread (our sources suspect) originating from the Pacific North West, with almost identical traces found in the Portland area, and from SoCal: the LA and North County San Diego region, to our previously unaffected campus. Judging by the severity of this onset of symptoms, there is little time to waste. A growing number of twenty-something’s have not only taken on characteristics identical to the well known outbreak centers as previously stated, but it has been observed that recent victims have begun to hybridize, cross and regenerate new forms of the condition. While mirroring the open-relationship, unwashed, cigarette huffing , freeloading habits most commonly witnessed in Portland, there are no signs that the live-electronic storm brewing in the LA region will subside before completely engulfing the Isla Vista area. Yet, this particular breed stretching from Isla Vista to down town Santa Barbara, unlike Portlandians, the afflicted are significantly less resistant to cold; accounting for the significant migration from the Northern region of San Diego, and are weakened further, for they do not possess waterproof clothing or footwear. Regrettably, these students are increasingly caught in the clutches of adverse distraction, as many have been known to, in accordance with weather conditions, neglect their studies to examine what one called, referring to rain drops, “the silver snakes” running down the window, or, become otherwise removed from normative social behavioral patterns, such as the dissociative tendency to reside in the home on a sunny day, explore the beach in the fog, or gravitate toward a damp cigarette in the rain rather than a dry one. They, in addiction[1], appear to either have lost or deteriorated connections in the brain that associate self-preservation with health, and choose to, despite claiming a higher education, smoke tobacco related products.

Parents and sources have complained of the bottomless bank account syndrome: a semi-advanced stage of the condition. Due to the brevity of this message, I will only relay a small fragment of the extent of this stage. Despite openly acknowledging a sparsely equipped checking account, these unfortunates have been known to engage in the practice of one or more of the following: shopping for specialty food items at the Food Co-op, buying festival tickets which include accommodations and fare, paying admission for several music events sometimes per week, (and bartering what profit that otherwise might have been made through journalistic endeavors at these events for free admission), the weekly or by-weekly purchase of cigarettes from SOS, a bag full of thrift store items or a trade of old for new-old clothing with negative net cost, or finally a day’s pay spent on a weekend ski trip.

If your child, friend, or loved one is suffering from any if these symptoms it is best to seek help. The only way to change the early onset is by large numbers of people, otherwise, the young hipster’s ego may become too large to control by sheer numbers. When the ego has been enlarged, the semi-incurable mindset shift allows any hipster to transcend the majority, and therefore empowers the experienced hipster to further enable others to engage in the angsty pleasures of counter culture.

Because of our unfortunate location here in Santa Barbara, we, now fallen victim to the crossfire, are unable to hold the forces at the gate any longer. I call on you, members of our luminous Greek-affiliated groups, brothers and drunk-ass-bitches, your parents, and friends to help put a stop to this atrocity.  This, a horrid affliction threatening the very existence of well-to-do sons and daughters, must be put to a short drop and a sudden stop, beginning with the newest cases, which still might be reversed. The lost causes are those who brought this controversy here with them, or have experienced high involvement in literary, artistic, or musical activity, and they must simply be driven out. There is no hope for them here.

Continues to the Solution, Cures, and extermination procedures.

Ideas:

Bros band together: hold jam sessions on the beach, offer poison wine

Clothing

Pide-piper – draw hipsters out of town in crowds with ice cream trucks filled with marijuana, beer and whiskey playing [1 of fifty million artists I could say]

Bait and switch – concert tickets, Coachella tickets

Laugh at them – they don’t like it

Laugh at them especially when they are doing something intellectually stimulating or intellectually showboating

Tell them they haven’t seen the world

---

[1] Pun. Couldn’t not.

Photoshop Project Reflection

I'm not a goth, just to clarify. It's not some thing I do on the weekends... just this particular weekend. So that little slip in the middle of the video where files say "GOTH 2 SV" that was for a goth themed music party that some friends of mine put on this weekend. With my newly found handy-dandy photoshop capabilities, I have been taking a lot more photos. Here are a couple highlights from the goth party, Goth 2.0 Speak Volumes style. Check out their website http://speakvolumesmedia.com/ they're pretty cool and stuff. (Quick publicity shout out). You should go to these parties, or check out the new zine coming out. Here's the last one:

I had fun with the effects on my camera to try and create a gothic environment (still dark, lots of reds and oranges) and messing with lighting, but still get decent shots of the people. I'll post photos once I get clearance to do so :)

Okay here's my video.
Sorry about the length.

Also, This came back around today. So there's that. Enjoi!

Meta Media

This is in response to a post made by Megan Carter about social media. It was also inspired by American Psycho, which I saw for the first time last night (it blew my mind)! It's about the need to project, to fabricate a mask or persona to hide behind and operate from. The scene where Christian Bale (Patrick) peels off his mask, I couldn't ignore the "symbology" behind that. (If you understand my reference, yes, I love Willem Dafoe). I'm going to delve into some metacognitive meditation on this media phenomenon. I've talked about it with my parents' generation, but now that our generation is starting a dialogue, it's even more complex. No one states their opinions about social media without first keeping in mind their social media identities, consistency, and maintaining the image, whether you're off the grid, pseudo-nonchalant but obsessed, an insta queen, or you're proud of the fact that you have X number of followers/friends.

What's also haunting is the way social media networks infiltrate our daily conversations (in person)! I've heard my friends discussing when the best time to change their profile pictures on facebook to maximize 'likes' - "8pm on Sunday - Tuesday is way different than 8pm Wed - Saturday" for example. The 'prime time' for maximizing likes, and the fact that this is a concern for people so much that it's a topic of discussion is really interesting. We're hanging out with friends in person talking about our digital lives and how best to portray our real lives. It's a trip!

But there are entire cultures created around these things that I'm not even aware of. I have a good friend who I don't follow on instagram (for the reason above) and apparently she posts multiple things a day to add to the 'image' she is portraying: healthy nut, yogi, dancer, artsy, musical etc. News to me, but my other friends apparently judge her and are annoyed with her instagram 'image' and it's influencing their view and relationship of her. Because I was unaware, I didn't even know of this. The overall treatment my other friends give her is that of a short fuse. When I had the option to look at her instagram, I refused, because I didn't want that to affect my perception of her. How do we separate media identity with 'real' human interaction identity? We find it hard not to factor in what so-and-so said on their facebook status when they repeat the story to you in person. It's a strange pull between communication online, what a person will project for the world to see, and whether or not we should acknowledge these things in personal communication. Looking at someone's information online still has the stigma that it's invasive, so we don't always bring up information we are privy to because it implies we gave this person attention online.

The phenomenon of being 'off the grid' and not having a facebook is something that infuriates potential interests, and disrupts the social exposure to parties, events and your friends' lives. It's become old hat to 'stalk' or look someone up when a person of interest (between girls and guys). It's a joke, but it's also kind of serious. We are given free reign to invade private lives, yet like tabloids and movie stars it all becomes public information and we are "allowed" to have a look. It's also a tool used for malicious intent - an ex posting pics of his new gf strategically tagged at a location significant to his ex gf for example. Human nature will continue to be the same, but now passive aggressive tendencies have a much larger outlet than ever before. The art of being direct takes so much extra courage and effort, especially since those you aim to be direct toward aren't prepared for that kind of communication either. We oscillate between the two it seems, some more than others, but the default communication seems to be all beating around the bush and denial of the 'real' between two people. Instagram, facebook, even twitter, brings so much stress to our already anxiety-ridden society. Worrying about which filter to choose, which hashtag to use, whether or not you even write "hashtags" or joke about it in person, "hashtag:____" you're still responding to culture. We are careful about image and staying consistent, and if we want to portray that we don't care about social media, we have to follow suit with the most nonchalant way of posting things. I was discussing this with a friend the other day - the whole passive, indirect communication which is achieved through indirect action. Having someone else sponsor your cause by doing the media communication, while never actually requesting they do so. It's a social cue between friends rather than a scheme. Lets say you want your ex to see you having a good time, you get your friend to post something, but you deny her the direct request and instead "hey can you get a pic of this?" and it is implied. Crazy huh?

Impertinence and faux-pas are still just as prevalent as they were in Jane Austen's time, but they have evolved and are magnified. The final post might be the 4th draft, the action of posting could be contrived through a measure of steps taken to hint the post should exist, and the act of posting is always to achieve some means. Psychologically, we can have a field day looking at people who post that they got a mosquito bite or had a bagel 'on the reg'.

Megan's point about how media is supposed to bring people together yet isolates them is also so true. Social identity is one thing I think about from time to time. How do we portray ourselves? Why do we feel the need to do so? Is it one giant pissing match between you and your friends and (frienimies) about who is happiest, coolest? I've never had an instagram, and I don't want one. Facebook frightens me enough! I also rarely use Snapchat, and I have seen relationships go up in flames because not the girlfriend is the boyfriend's top friend on Snapchat. There is a sense of denial when public 'tell tails' reveal perhaps true feelings. "It's just snapchat, it doesn't mean anything" I've heard them say. Just because it's something publicly shown, people feel like they can hide behind it as an illusion when they want to, by deeming all of this social network media a bunch of hogwash. But when we want it to be legitimate when it's not, the reverse is true.

Not having a presence on one of these networks spares you the exposure to things that you'd rather not see. Social networking is one giant Mardi Gras or Carnival! We get to control (when it comes from us or our friends) or conceal whatever we want, and we project our characters onto a screen to be viewed and admired, but we don't often use it to be just ourselves. Aphra Behn's The Rover is a perfect example of the way signs we project get mixed around and affect our relationships and interactions, when they may be the furthest from our true identity or intent. It's a chance for everyone to be an actor, for everyone to become a character starring in their own screenplay or novel. And when we build false identities and then false-ish relationships in tow, what happens when we are forced to let the real come through? Don't even get me started on the online dating thing. People can't keep up illusions for long, so I guess all I'm trying to say is be as real as you can be, and leave your social agendas out of media networking. (Yeah, right).


This is one of the most incredible scenes I've seen. It's so haunting, beautifully done, and is so unbelievably sickening. What gets me about the character of Patrick Bateman is the way he talks like a commercial, documentary host, or radio host. He speaks in generalities and uses exact, emotionless names for objects. It's as if he is entirely made up of and fabricated by words he has picked up from every cliche. "There is no Patrick Bateman. There is no real me... I simply am not there." Mask Scene from American Psycho:

And here is what I was referencing with "symbology" and Willem Dafoe (who is also in American Psycho). This is from my favorite movie (perhaps of all time) Boondock Saints. If you haven't seen it, you're going about this whole life thing wrong.

Fantastic.

To the Ends of the Earth

Woke up and decided to do this. This band is incredible, especially for the beach. 

Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCqbuJxTEs&feature=kp

4 photo overlay, 'marble' effected photo of a rock through the letters.

For the Record...

I would just like to state that I combined my podcast and shitty first drafts blog post. That said, I would like to elaborate on the Shitty First Drafts piece by Anne Lamott. My writing process now actually factors in the shitty draft stage and I am SO much less stressed! Bulgakov: you got nothin' on me tonight!

One thing to think about, and this is a point Steven Beringer made in a comment, that there is a muscle memory factor, but organic inspiration or almost 'divination' is so important. The shitty first drafts is a great idea for academic or critical writing, because we are forcing ourselves to do something we would probably choose to do after a pretty lengthy list of other options. But the creative writing aspect has a lot to do with being really into your idea. The shitty first draft plan works because it takes the pressure off to get your ideas down on paper, and it needs to function as just that, since not everyone is William Faulkner, storying The Sound & the Fury in their head. Once that happens, you have a base. It's really important also, to make sacrifices. If you're not willing to stay up all night (or for days) to write your novel, what are you doing?! Just kidding... sort of. When else will you write everything down? It's best (I've found) to fully commit to your story until it's more or less finished. I never finished my novella because I planned out the meaty middle section and went to bed instead of just writing it. I have a great beginning and ending of something I won't publish because it's too far removed from me now. TANgENt.. But the writing process is just about being open minded toward yourself and all existing outside of you and your writing.

I've had a few classes that have taught me very significant lessons: I want to perform an Indian raga some day, I don't want to be an art major, I want to become a Taoist sage (or Eastern preventative herbalist) after retirement, and actual introspective analysis on my writing process, which I never thought to examine before! Being stoked on the process is what it's all about. Krishna told these two experienced yogis when they would transcend. The first yogi - uptight, serious and exact asked when he would reach enlightenment. Krisha responded: next life. The yogi flew into fit of rage and bitterness because he had worked so hard for 40 years. The second, silly, happy yogi asked because it had just occurred to him to, and Krisha said: "Do you see all of those leaves on the tree? That is how many life times you have before reaching enlightenment." The yogi was so happy and said "Wow! I will be enlightened some day!" "Then you are already enlightened," Krishna told him. There's a difference between working towards an end and working because it's a way of life, an extension of the self. I suppose though I will never admit that I consciously want to be an artist, I will always find my way into doing art. The passion is what attracts me to all of this. The multimedia powers I hope to gain from this class and the minor in the future will be used not for a posh career in advertising SO that I can make a lot of money, but I want to continue doing the things I've been doing recently, working with amazing, brilliant, talented people on music, art, culture, & literature and enjoying the experience and process behind all of it. My friend Reida coined the term "Renaissance-ing". I hope to be Renaissance-ing for the rest of my days!

The Infamous Place

I thought that title would sound intriguing, though I now think it's a bit of dad humor pun-age going on. I'm referring not to an actual place, but the "place" option in photoshop. I have struggled so much with it. I noticed double clicking locks it where it is, but I still haven't figured out how to isolate the image I'm placing and edit only that. Though I lock other layers below it... well, I'm figuring it out slowly.

The name of the game is Trial and Error, and currently Error is winning. I prefer to learn that way almost, because when something goes horribly wrong, there's that dramatic drop to the pit of my stomach like when Elizabeth fell off the fortress/cliff in Pirates of the Caribbean (1) and there's that DUN sound in the orchestra. I have these "DUN... ELIZABETH!!" (Commodore Norrington) moments all the time during my photoshop experiences. It makes it so much more lively! I recently reclaimed the creative suite I was waiting to license, so this is the beginning of a new era, a time to grow and learn.

I apologize for my off-beat attempts at humor, I do in fact have critical things to say. The letter project was a simple concept, but it was the small perspective adjustment I needed to start thinking about photography, image and text in whole different way - a conscious way. Before, the thought of font and image was just a minor subconscious acknowledgment. But I realize that all the time I've spent in the past trying to find the perfect fonts for my comics or illustrations, that is me deliberately trying to match the aesthetic and connotation of the font with the image or concept. Serif vs. Sans Serif... literary versus contemporary art zine? Working on The Catalyst the last few months (the design end of it), my layout director and I took days deliberating over which fonts belonged where. It's important, and we had a lot of feedback from old pros from the publishing industry. They all seemed to say the same thing - contemporary is sans serif, classic/academic/literary is serif. But we were trying to go for both, so we elected to use sans serif in the titles and continuity aspects, while using a subtle, clean serif font for the bulk text. A perfect example of the way text conveys meaning is on page 72 of The Catalyst, the Mermarlin story. The sans serif almost comic sans is used to represent online chatting (like AIM chat from back in the day) and the serif takes us back into the present narrative where the kid is actually in his room hiding from his mother. Because it is set in the midst of the "literary" text we have, the playful video game font is then transformed into an artistic representation of the computer game world rather than setting a tone.

InDesign is another way to accomplish text and image, though it's more cut out for posters, books, printed matter, newspapers etc. (At least that is my perception of it). This is what we used for the magazine, but I had never worked with photoshop for text. I had a lot of fun manipulating the text after putting it in, as an image almost. Instead of increasing the font size within the text box, click the group selection tool and depending on how you click on it, you can drag, manipulate or turn the box of text. The only thing that was bothering me was I couldn't figure out how to make the fonts more condensed or farther apart. I had seen it done on InDesign, but couldn't figure it out on photoshop. I was messing around with the effects to try and replicate bubbling, ebbing waves like a tidepool. I also used the font I used because it reminded me of The Little Mermaid capital lettering wavering underwater. I wanted that magical Neverland kind of feel, because it was a make believe magical kind of day. It's 18 seconds in: 

Here's my first draft of my photo project, but it's not done. It was more of a visual representation of the waves and whimsical environment I was trying to create within the poem, as a reflection of that. It does not necessarily go along with contemporary or clean layout design. It's more of an artistic formation of the words, meant to be read into and studied. It's less about making it clear. It's supposed to be a little bit of a challenge, because I want it to maintain a sense of mystery. I still haven't figured out exactly where I want to go with it. I would like to make a series of photos that go along with the poem (which I would add in sections) while also incorporating another poem about the fat little birds in another related photo. I used three images: 

Then, I used the paintbrush tool to add some blue to contrast/compliment the orange and gold. I also brought out the whites to try and sow the foam better. There's something really beautiful about found objects arranged. I did a whole series on it in NY recently, going through the garbage and putting found objects in environments out of context. For example, I hung an umbrella from a white ceiling upside-down with a light inside it. It functioned as a light instead of as an umbrella. The transparency in the fabric showed a different function besides blocking rain. The shells could be anything, but I saw them as butterflies or fairies to add to the whole Neverland imaginary world people sometimes allow themselves to indulge in. I found them near the butterfly preserve too. This whole scene was a charade, a moment of clarity which was underneath a lot of pretending. I hope I can convey that a little better in my second draft. Less text, and spread out over a photo series. That's the goal! Feedback would be much appreciated. Don't worry about sandwiching that criticism, I survived art camp, I can handle it. 

(I took out the poem, but here's the image. The text was over it like seaweed.)

I've gone to the beach several times to get the shots for the poem, but I keep finding more and more textures I want to overlay. I liked the bubbles, but I need to get my actual camera fixed so I can get higher resolution. Here are a few from my iphone:

The letter project was more interesting to me when there were people involved. Jaime's picture of the H on the back of the man was my favorite. People are attracted to people, and to show the interaction between person and letter can provide a lot more material for things like memes. The letter picture I took of Jahangir at the AS Bike shop: 

Now, excuse the horrible meme, but the point is that the letter became part of the joke. This meme is like an onion. It has layers. Inappropriate layers. But in the context of Isla Vista, it's funny. Especially for me personally, because I know some people in AS, so it's a funny joke because the people I know are pretty straight edge. The irony is killer. I also used the "associated student" as the subject rather than the "associated students bike shop" to add to it. 

For the Tagzedo project, I struggled a little bit with how I wanted to convey the moon effect. I'm still not pleased with it, because I don't like centered things, but I didn't really know how to fix it. This photo is in response to the last line of the poem "Something There" in previous image. I used the rock from above for the moon, and tried to make the letter circle ones look like album covers, and the other one just looks like some air and space museum book cover. I showed the crack intentionally. I think I like the first one out of the three the best. Still messing around with other textures. I used this font because it was similar to the one I used for the other poem, but it works well because it doesn't look too bubbly or pop art, yet still fills pretty nicely. I really like the way "LOST" appears the largest in the center. I messed around with the settings on Tagzedo to move the lettering closer together, inverting it, orienting it. I kept remixing until I found the combination I liked. It was also on the setting where the "I" and "THE" were taken out, so I went and deselected that setting. I got it to look pretty moon-rocky. I've come a long way since this project fortunately!

(Images Removed)

I was also trying to figure out how to work masks and clipping masks. Here is my unsuccessful attempt at that. Hopefully that will be sorted before I turn in the project.

They're Action Figures!

This post is dedicated to the brilliant Scott McCloud. I thought about the difference between what is considered "graphic novel" and "comic"; hence the title. Figurines, action figures, barbies. When words and stories are given to them, they perform action. In chapter six, it wasn't just about image and text, but also about the stigma that goes along with 'comics': their purpose, the culture that pervades them, and the way the art of comics is viewed by the public versus those who understand McCloud's argument. My favorite part out of the reading:

(Obviously). This kid is adorable. Somehow, McCloud was able to make him identifiable to us with the complete opposite of exaggerated expression. The words, barely any changes in his body language, and the subtle changes and interjections from the teacher (off screen) made it exactly clear and imaginable. Without the words, he wouldn't have had any kind of story. This generally is my favorite type of comic, because I've always been a huge fan of Garfield. (Generally the same environment, little change in movement or expression, but the words do the rest of the work). I find that type of comic brilliant, because the words allow the reader/viewer to project his or her own nuanced interpretations onto the character. To a darkly sarcastic person such as I am, Garfield has a whole attitude, a disposition that has developed over the time I grew up reading the comics. I began to think "Garfield wouldn't do that, because he's Garfield" when anything demanding effort would present itself to him. Then, later, I heard a joke that Garfield was a stoner, and because he looks out of it, grumpy and lazy (and always has the munchies) I started to see him that way too! 

But 'graphic novels' create an entirely different idea in my head. There is a class here in the English Department called Graphic Novels, which I have unfortunately never had time to take. I read some of the course material through a friend's recommendation and wondered if graphic novels were simply just more dark. But it really is just an extended comic. Sequential action, all of the types of ways to convey the passing of time or an idea are necessary of course in the graphic novel. But it's not a haiku, it's a novel. It would make sense that each page or two isn't a few panels and a punch line. I also wondered if it had anything to do with the art style of both comics and graphic novels. It really doesn't. Lynda Barry for example, has a very pronounced cartoon style, but maintains an overarching story in One Hundred Demons. Each chapter is a skit or scene, out of order when compared to each other, but all before a certain age in her life with themes of love, family and identity were rampantly in question and upheaval in her life. 

I really enjoyed Scott McCloud's work here. Not only is it dynamic for the short attention spans of current college students, but it's also highly informative, comprehensible, entertaining and metacognitive. My actual favorite page(s) where a little less like Garfield and more of a grateful relief that someone drew it and acknowledges it. 

I really enjoy when people vocalize a stigma, yet it bothers me that it doesn't really change anything. I had a really good friend who seemed to know... everything. Turns out, he had several volumes of world history in a crate under his bed that he would read whenever he couldn't sleep. They were comics! I found myself getting really into the story of Muhammed and the Mongolians and even the cavemen. The comics were what kept me interested, entertained, and aided buying into the comical thought that humans have been and always will be ultimately the same. I have retained those historical facts and dates better than any other approach. This surprised me, sadly. But we connect words to images and things. Words stand for things just as images do, but the signifier and signified are different things: the signifier (the word: chair) versus the actual pictorial or physical chair that the word is referring to. In language classes we are shown pictures of objects or the signified that the words represent, rather than just a list of translated definitions. This is so that we associate the signifier word with the object because it is most direct. I find McCloud's argument hilarious because it's a no-brainer! Image and text have always been the same thing, though text is a term now for words. Ideographs, (some) cave paintings, hieroglyphics may not be called text but they function the same way as words do, by conveying an idea. I like the idea of ideographs (not to be redundant) and hieroglyphics because there is a dimension of complexity that comes from them that just words cannot offer. I learned about Chinese ideographs in the origins of the Taoist practice, and how so much of the belief system is based on characters (literally) in the symbols, performing an action, or literally a drawing of the object itself. Watching a drawing of a bull go to a pictograph to finally the calligraphy form of itself, made me rethink language entirely.

This is getting way too meta. But long story short, McCloud is a huge inspiration. The subtleties are where it's at! It's all in the tiny details. He does a great job of oscillating to and from very basic ideas to complex ones. The converging image and text allows him to create depth, layers and extra context to ideas that would otherwise need much more word development to achieve what he does here. And props to McCloud for the upper left hand corner of the second screenshot. I laughed! It's nice to hear an artist bring that to our attention, but also stick up for his art by reinstating its legitimacy through the perceptions of other comic artists. My reaction to MOMA was similar actually. Until I became 'educated' and then all the fun was taken out of it! 

I'm currently making comics with friends for fun (and seriousness). I illustrated for a comic my friend wrote called Bitter Hipster. He gave me the ideas and words, but it was up to me to show the scene. I had a panel for each hipster per age. I thought of McCloud as I was drawing it, because it is definitely us interdependent. Can't have one without the other! I had to put in the references to set the scene as well as develop facial expressions to add to a very minimalist script of dialogue. It was a really interesting challenge. Huge inspiration: Kevin Hooyman. If you don't know him, look him up. He has some really really deep thoughts with the strangest art. It's the best, and also made me cry in public with laughter. Here are a few shots form my favorite comics by him.

I could get this tattooed: 

The design aspect comes next, but that's a whole other thing. The tie between image and text is thoroughly understood to be the groundwork for all multimedia projects. Conveying ideas in certain ways is all it is!

Totally Audacious Audacity & Meditations on Writing

So this is my super late post about the Audacity tutorials. Overall, they served a great purpose. I was already familiar with the program by the time we went over it in class. The only criticism I have is that the resolution was so low that I couldn't tell which buttons he was pressing! Even his podcast was a little quiet in the second one. The reading about Podcasting was very general, but it's always great to be reminded.

The "Shitty First Drafts" article we read I now have saved on my computer. I loved it. The writing game is all about getting excited in the moment. Inspiration can happen so easily when exposed to material like that. It's also comforting to know experienced writers go through the kinks too. Editing creative work is probably one of the most difficult forms of editing. The author first edits, which is all fine and good. But then when the editor comes in, it's difficult to stop and just copy edit. I find myself thinking: oh man that prepositional phrase should not go there, exist, or should just be... and it starts to blur the lines between style and grammar. 

The whole writing process is made so much easier when the writer can learn to relax. Take the pressure off, enjoy the experience. But when the urge to write comes... BY GOD GO WRITE. On several occasions I have left parties to go home and write. It's important to get it while it's fresh in your head.

Drafts are so important. They mature, as you do, with time. Stepping away for a while is a luxury you can only have when you don't procrastinate. Letting it breathe, getting out of your head, and changing the scenery are invaluable to making something that appeals to a wider ranging audience, or if it is the intent, a very specific audience. Perspective is vital. When writing the original draft that's just one train of thought in one moment of time. On second, third, fiftieth drafts we can jam in all the hair-fine details that makes creative fiction so lifelike.

For critical writing, my opinion differs slightly. This is something you can chip away at over time and do in parts. That is, ONLY if you have a central idea or thesis to tie it all in together. If you don't the paper is subject to change every time the author revisits it. It is my opinion that meditating on the the idea, letting it develop and take form while doing some general research in the meantime will allow the paper to flow naturally once it's written. Researching before writing also helps us find our topic!

Literary Criticism for example is all about focusing deeply on something with concision. This is where editing becomes really fun. Cutting is my best friend. Yes friends, cut that thing until it's clean! All of that extra stuff, those adjectives you can't part with so you put all three in, those superfluous words like superfluous used more than once, you know the drill.

It is also important to determine the tone, voice and narrative voice. I'm very informal in life, business, and writing. But I have trained myself to sound 'scholarly' when writing academic papers. My solution for matching the type of writing with the voice is to look at examples before writing. If I wanted to sound like the dense material I have read for my science classes, I would read that. But I would rather sound like Harold Bloom, who works a conversational tone in here and there.

Better Late?

Hey Y'all,

I'm Natalie. I'm not from The South, per say, but I am from down South, San Diego. A sleepy little surfer-yogi town called Encinitas. There is quite a distinction between North County (where I live) and San Diego - you should visit sometime and find out why. I love where I live, and I have to laugh at the quirky-pseudo hip attempts like a cafe and surf shop opening up together, called "Coffee Coffee" and "Surfy Surfy."

Sometimes, while on the bike path, I question the cliche, "Better late than never." Really? Is is really better late than never? Because being late is pretty annoying isn't it? If you know me, have had a class with me, or work with me, you would know I am notoriously late for everything. You've probably seen my green bike (or clothes) frantically pedaling along like the Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, with the faint 'dun dunnunna nunna' music playing in my wake.

Art commissions are probably the most obscene, as I am always willing to take ALL of them on, but I (at least) prioritize school over those. I once spent an entire quarter with a blank white skate deck in my room reflecting my mounting guilt back at me, (probably preying on my nightmares while I slept). Then, when I brought it to my friend finally, he asked me to do one last thing. Well, that was another month. I ended up offering to pay him for the inconvenience!

Don't let my unkempt appearance fool you, I do shower and I sometimes sleep. I am the reigning queen of underestimating the amount of time there is in a day. But hey! Better late than never... I always say?

One thing I'm never late for, though, is with my undying dedication to the magazine I've been working on since April of last year. It's nearly been a year's work of what first seemed an insurmountable job to tackle, and that now is finally close to its debut. I've been called "catalyst girl" or "that Natalie from Catalyst right?" It's been hard to shed that from my identity, which is why I've included it here. It has become a vital part of who I am, though I wouldn't define myself by it. Working on this project, and for the majority, working on my own, I've had a lot of time to reflect on the reasons why people do the things they do. In regard to success, I have discovered there is no peace in living through your successes (and failures). Goals are so important! But I've learned not to assume things will drastically change, that I'll be "done" when this or that is finished. Well that got deep!

But really, who can keep that up? I'll accept a few B's and keep my sanity thank you. My new years resolution is to get back to my center. (Yep, here's the old Leucadia Yogini coming out in me). I really enjoy meditating, Yoga, (long walks on the beach...) and I'm an avid wakeboarder. Wakeboarding is a bro sport. It totally is. But I would say I'm better at it than my bro. So, knocked that stereotype! I've been going since 6th grade and it's something my dad was raised doing in upstate New York where my family is from.

Music = Necessity.

Things I like: Live music, discovering bands/artists at shows for the first time, Spoken Word (though I suspect I will never attempt it myself, though it is a secret dream), running and a good Scotch with my Paps. I write a satirical column for the Nexus about Manners and I work there as an illustrator as well. English Major, enjoy writing, and just learning photoshop! Favorite art medium: wood and burner.

I like talking about stuff. Really, any kind of stuff. I like stories. So tell me a story and I'll definitely listen! Also, I do art and I have this thing where I can only do art for other people. If you get to know me, it is more likely I'll surprise you with something. But if you ask, I'll probably agree on some price with you, then get to know you over the course of the commission, then give it to you.

I love a lot of things, am passionate about a lot of things, and have no idea where I will end up. I currently dream about living in New York, looking at art books with strangers on the subway, and running with my future mutt in The Park. I'm not sure what I'll be doing, but if it gets me to Brooklyn everything's groovy.

Looking forward to learning more about computers, because they give me headaches and sometimes make me panic, so this class will be great!

Very Very First Blog Post Ever

Hi! My name is Natalie.

I like coffee.