Experience and plans

After my french presentation yesterday on my experience at l'Arche in Egypt, I was thinking about it and thinking about going to another l'Arche, maybe for experiential learning? But I want to do as few (expensive) experiential learning blocks as possible. If I want, I can still do cool things, right?

So then I had this brilliant idea to take Spanish next year. And since I'm a block behind the average third year now, I could do it all as normal, then go on partner exchange for language learning in Guadelajara, Mexico (I just pay Quest), and from there get hired by l'Arche in Mexico! And work there for a year...

I think it's a beautiful plan! There's no saying I'll stick to it, but it's a cool idea and I think I could do it. And sometimes that's all you need, right? I looked on their website (in Spanish) but they don't seem to have a "work for us" button anywhere. I'll look into it. I'm excited!!

Question

My Question is huge... it covers, basically, culture.
Institutions, understanding, expectations and experience, identity, subversion, cultural norms and shifts, interactions between people and people, people and art, people and their environment, people and ideas. Change. Stagnation. Balance.

So after the about eighth conversation this year with Brian, in which all conversations have pretty much been the same... Basically I get really excited every time about my Question because I've learned so much more and there are so many more connections since the last time that we talked. And then Brian say it's all very good and he sees how it connects, and it has a lot to do with what I've been talking about in past sessions, but I should focus things a bit more, get an example of some sort to really grab on to so I can learn more about how these things work.

In Question block I've been looking both behind and ahead, and realizing how little time I have left at Quest. And, in a sense, how much it doesn't matter what my Question is. I mean, I'm interested in so many things that I could pick any one out of the multitude, and most of them would have to do with my Question cause I can synthesize like that. So this time we had that conversation and I realized how silly I've been, and I mobilized.

So I wrote down a list of things I'd be interested in exploring, material themed like one block or one class. I started making this list which included native north and/or central american culture, education, scientific paradigm shifts, poetry, graffiti, philosophical novels?, spiritual meditation, prayer, history/styles of architecture, creation myths... then I thought about personal myths. Or rather, something along the lines of how art (maybe even stories) can be used to heal and develop an individual.

And after having focused on how to use art and stories to heal the individual (and how that connects to the community), I feel like I'm flying! (but maybe that's just the product of "having a new Question" and getting all excited about the possibilities.)

Well on Wednesday night there was a queer conversation, trying to see whether people should try to set up a queer community, what needs are not being met, etc. And one of the things that came up was to have a circle, like a group therapy where confidentiality and respect are paramount and where people can just talk or listen, just be as they wish. And that sometimes, even just listening to someone else tell their story can strike chords within yourself; allowing yourself to feel whatever it is can help you deal with it.

The way I see it, the same thing is happening for the queer "community" as it is for the international "community". There was this whole hubub around the movie that Hassan, Evon, and Dimi made for their final film project. They actually aren't allowed to show the film outside of that film festival and in their own portfolios. It has some funny dynamics, where at some points the what the school is saying and what some international students are saying are totally different. And apparently someone from our class got quite offended by the movie because it seemed like the international students were trying to divide themselves off from the rest of Quest. Which I think is bullshit, because anyone who's been a foreigner living in a different language and culture for a significant period of time can understand the 'troubles' that come with that territory. I think that's just the product of someone who doesn't understand. And actually, the movie probably brought the community together a bit. I made a point of visiting a couple of my (international) friends to thank them for being here and to just let them know that I would love to talk to them about these sorts of things, or about their culture. And I mean, I'm always fascinated by different languages.

Also, Jaimie and I want to do an experiential learning this next semester to set up a support network (involving crisis phone lines and a safe space). These two issues of contention, as well as other issues of just counseling and people with problems who don't know where to turn or how to deal with things because everyone's on the block. As Jonathan Warner (my tutor for Question block) put it, at other universities you have this mask of, "Of course I get excellent marks, and I don't put any work into it". Here there really is a culture of nerdiness, getting really into your work, discussing with classmates after class, or over lunch, or explaining to others who aren't in class, or writing songs about class, or making art for it. However, there is always this mask of "I'm working hard and I'm doing well doing well, thank you", even when you're not doing well. You just gotta keep going cause the blocks are so intense. Which is cool, until something big hits you. And then everything slips.

And we were talking about these issues and things that came up were a lot of what I had been thinking about more abstractly: institutions, renewal, creativity, expression, individuality, needs being or not being met, gaps, etc. In a sense I'm not sure that that proposed question up there is QUITE it, but I also am very encouraged by seeing that these ideas are put into a concrete and real context. It's like the seeing those ideas in the context, rather than trying to see some sort of context in the ideas. I feel like that might be a sign that I'm closer along the right path!

Sometimes it's easier than it is hard...

Here's the poster I made for another workshop:

Simple and to the point.


And the one that ended up being used for the film festival. For both of these, I shamelessly stole stock/google photos for backgrounds. And Kiersten honestly fell in love with this film festival poster. She actually freaked out: she must have said "oh my God" about twelve times.

Then she asked me to make it as an invite, as a poster, and for VIP passes. Well, you know, sometimes it really is easier than it is hard.

But I guess that doesn't really answer the question as to whether art should be some sort of struggle, a personal boundary-pushing kind of thing.
There are metric tonnes of people who just make pretty things which serve a purpose but which don't actually stretch the artist. One part of being an artist is just the fact that you have developed that vocabulary and that you're able to express things perfectly. Art has to be spot on, and people notice that. Or rather, they don't, and are just carried away. Sometimes, you know, something doesn't need to be executed perfectly, but it all needs to be in balance in that piece. I mean, I don't like the slightly awkward little rectangle of text down in the bottom half of this poster as the invite because I don't think that the whole piece has its flow. But, well, it's done now. And the actual poster posters didn't have that on it.

I often find that when I see or learn a new technique, I become enamored with it to the point that my love for, well, whatever (I think last week it was the case of my downloading a bunch of new fonts) blinds me. I thought the fonts sold the poster and then realized (or rather, Kiersten enforced the realization) that they actually weren't. So I've got to absorb that shock, that love, to stop making it exotic and just incorporate it into my toolkit so that I can use it well.


And today Ashley wanted me to make her a poster for Questival, and at least right now, I feel like it's in harmony with itself. It stands as one piece where no particular parts of it take away from any of the others, or the whole. Maybe I'll look at it again in a week and see differently.
I still like making posters. To be bold and to the point, to convey the mood without stating it, to intrigue, to pass on the information. It has its own zen. It's not something I'm used to doing, but it's nice to pare things down and work on this level.

...posters

Oh man, it's been a while since I've posted anything on here.

Well, I've been commissioned yet again to make posters for Kiersten and the Learning Commons.
This time she included a poster and invite for the Film Festival, with a specific request for "over the top".

Well.....

I spent, what, two hours downloading fonts?
They're so preeetty...
and then, hm, another two hours making too many posters which I eventually whittled down to four?












I just can't decide!!
But I guess I really like the drama and boldness of the last two. And I think the first two are the least movieish.



And then I started making poster for normal workshop sessions but I'm not sure if it's just too weird and out there and artsy for a poster for a workshop. So I'm blogging instead.



I just want to make pretty posters....

Silly school, tricks are for kids!

Tuesday: I have a math assignment due tomorrow and a French presentation I haven't even thought about for Thursday. I'll do the math homework tonight.

Wednesday: I have a French presentation I need to get done for tomorrow and a math assignment for Friday. I'll do my presentation tonight.

Thursday: I have a math assignment due tomorrow at 9 and I have appointments until 3:30 this afternoon.

It's almost funny how with these two classes, with two semi-major assignments due close together, I feel all stressed because I put in all this work and then I finish something... and then I am caught off-balance by another big assignment and it feels like my life is falling apart because it doesn't have this nice flow.


And then there's the Homeworking Mood Swing Effect:

8:30am - I am busy until 3:30om today, which gives me... 17.5 hours to work on this assignment if I don't eat or sleep. Okay. Let's start the day

3:30pm - Dang I hope I can pull this off. Some of my classmates started working on this yesterday. I don't know if I'll have enough time.

4:30pm - Wow I've been doing math for an hour and got about one question done.

6:00pm - I've completed about 30% of the assignment!

8:30pm - I've completed about 30% of the assignment...

1:00am - I've finished everything except our class wiki. It shouldn't be long before I get to sleeeep...

2:30am - Wiki's done! What else can I do? Laundry? Play music? Stay up until class at nine?

It's fall...

Thanks note

I decided that every day I'm going to make (or work on) a thank-you kind of note for someone. Doesn't matter who, as long as it's spreading the love around.
This is my first, made today and yesterday, for Theresa, who works in student affairs.