DMA Units I-II Reflection

DMA UNITS I-II REFLECTION

I. ACTIVELY RECALL (WHAT I HAVE LEARNED)

    

1) Content Summary

The content pages on the website have assisted me in terms of better understanding the goals of the class as well as better grasping the weekly topics of discussion. I have learned to use them as tools for gathering outside information as well as another way to hear the concepts being described through my teacher’s opinion compared to the opinions of the other scholars from outside resources we watch or read. Mainly, in the first two units of study, the content summaries have revolved around the topics of the essence of new-media, working effectively and practically online, gathering information online, online communication, web-presence (unintentional and intentional), self-reflection in regards to working online, creating a workable space online, composition (new-media and everyday composing), and working with and learning the basics of complex systems and new-media sources for creative purposes.

      

2) Exemplars Studied

Throughout the course of study, there were several specific individuals we learned about who have served as the founding fathers or revolutionaries in new media, technology, and particularly as artists that have pushed or are pushing boundaries in their fields by way of new media composition and the social media. Particularly in the second unit of study, we learned about the artists/visionaries/new-media composers known as JR, the Sacrificial Poets, Katerina Cizek, and Aaron Koblin. By examining their work, goals, and methodologies, I learned about new and unconventional forms or art, in which new media has practically become its own art area. Additionally, I discovered how new media composers can reach out to vast numbers of audiences, even more so than traditional methods of displaying or performing art works might. The exemplars really gave visible evidence for me to see the outcomes of the concepts we would discuss.

     

3) My Image-Compositions

The image-compositions I was asked to make in these foundational units of study were a split image, a double exposure image, an image using text, and another image that used both double exposure and text. Through the process of working on the images, I was able to develop and apply some practical new media skills, thus starting to meet the goals of Unit I and II (working effectively online and understanding what new-media is). More specifically, I was able to learn some basic skills in a new program I had never used before, and more importantly, I was able to edit pictures, which is a valuable tool to have in this generation.

4)    My Website & Blog

During the course of the units of study, I had the task of setting up my own pre-professional-type website and blog, specifically for sharing my coursework for this class. By actively following the specific instructions, I had to learn how to follow detailed guidelines as well as to think aesthetically and carefully about the design and content that I wanted to create and share.

5)      My Facebook Contributions (Posts & Comments)

In addition to participating in distinct assignments, I was asked to watch or read several resources and then share my opinions on the subject matter as well as to interact with my peers through Facebook posts and comments. Through the acts of listening and deciphering the material and then reflecting, it made me gain new perspectives and think more critically about topics I normally would not have thought or learned about. Moreover, posting and commenting forced me to work on my communication skills as I had to take time and effort in knowing how to express my thoughts to others in a non-verbal, but rather written manner.

            

II. BRIEF SUMMARIES OF THE “ACTIVELY RECALL” CONTENT

1)      Content Summary

Each week the content summaries would discuss specific topics associated with the goal of the class, the goal being to understand “What do young/emerging artists need to know about digital/new-media?” (as stated on the course website). Particularly in Unit I, the content summaries addressed “How to work effectively online” and in Unit II, examining “What new-media is” (also stated on the course website). See “Content Summary” under “ACTIVELY RECALL (WHAT I LEARNED)” for the specific topics addressed in the content summaries.

2)      Exemplars Studied

The use of learning about different important figures involved in the new-media world, particularly, artists who work with new-media technologies, is another key element to the course. By either watching videos, exploring/interacting with new websites, and/or reading new material, I was able better grasp the concepts by learning through a new medium, and the individuals we studied served as evidence to reinforce the concepts discussed.

3)      My Image-Compositions

The first task was to use the program entitled “Pixlr”, where I was to create a diptych image of a particular size where the picture was one image that incorporated two photos of myself: one doing everyday composing and the other, composing in regards to my art form.

The next step was to create a separate image in a particular size, called a transparency image. Here, I had to overlap the same two images that I used in the diptych picture.

Next, I had to take the diptych image and add text to it, sharing my thoughts on composing, or the intent behind that image.

The most recent composition was one where I used outside images and created another transparency image, where I added text. The goal of the image was to use the skills in Pixlr that I had already learned, and then to add text that reflected on a particular topic from my website about one of the things that bothers me about the world I live in.

4)      My Website & Blog

The purpose behind the website and blog was to create a professional-looking space where I could establish a strong intentional web-presence as well as to upload my coursework for DMA, other courses, and any of my artistic work if I so choose to.

5)      My Facebook Contributions (Posts & Comments)

Finally, the goal of the Facebook comments and posts is to have me reflect on the material we are covering as well as to gain new perspectives.

III.  STAND OUT LESSONS

1)      Content Summary

I really enjoyed learning about artists I had never heard of, who are using new media for a purpose, to spread a message, and/or to assist people and to create awareness and community. Additionally, I like the fact that they are current as well as individuals that make me question what it means to be an artist, what art is, and what art can do.

2)      Exemplars Studied

I mainly drew the same lessons from the exemplars as I did the content summaries, because both of them drew me in since there were people behind those ideas. The exemplars have been my favorite part of the coursework thus far because I realize that I listen and process information better when I can see it or hear it than I do by reading it. Particularly, the Jeremy Rifkin video on “The Empathic Civilization” grabbed my attention, because the step by step sketching set to the narration gave me imagery to help me better process and enjoy the information being presented to me. Ultimately, the exemplars have been one of the most enlightening parts of the course for me in regards to me gaining more self-awareness (of my learning style and opinions) and general awareness and education about the world I live in.

3)      My Image-Compositions

The work of creating image compositions is something that particularly interests me. I do not consider myself a visual artist, but the process of refining an image has taught me to be more considerate when composing. Furthermore, by relying on a program like Pixlr, I have had to learn patience, to really rely on my trial and error skills, to be willing to use outside resources for help, and to communicate to my teacher or peers when I need assistance.

4)      My Website & Blog

Establishing what I wanted to convey to the readers of my blog and website, have required that I become more introspective as well as hopefully more articulate in sharing my thoughts through word. Particularly, the homepage self-description on the website and the list of things that concern me about the current world, gave me confirmation in my own convictions as I began to share them with me readers.

5)      My Facebook Contributions (Posts & Comments)

The Facebook contributions have served the same purposes—for the most part—that the website and blog have in regards to making me think and express more carefully. The ability to read the posts of my peers and to engage in discourse with them as given outside perspectives, thus causing me to examine, explore, question, and debate new and interesting perspectives I would have never developed on my own.

IV.  HOW THE STAND OUT LESSONS CONNECT TO MY ART AREA

1)      Content Summary

Certainly, the lessons we learn in DMA address topics that directly affect me as an individual and therefore as an artist. In fact, the outside individuals we study serve as a way for me to develop the practice of gathering new knowledge, an essential tool for any person, particularly for dancers, choreographers, and any kind of performing artist, especially since they need to research character.

2)      Exemplars Studied

The exemplars are an inspiration to me as an artist, because I tend to be old fashioned, but I know that all of the arts are growing closer and closer to using new-media, and I as an artist should accept and embrace that. Additionally, the new-media composers we study inspire me to want to use my art to reach out to vast numbers of people, to spread a message, and to hopefully create lasting and impressionable art that is a product of my investment in others and in it.

3)      My Image-Compositions

Since my image-compositions have hopefully enhanced my eye for aesthetics, I know that will be a skill needed to create stronger choreography, which I must be able to do if I want to succeed at UNCSA and in my field of dance in general. The need for a critical eye is imperative as a dancer/performer or just as an artist. Also, the patience I needed, sense of trial and error, and ability to ask for assistance when using Pixlr, are all traits that will serve me well as a dancer, since a dancer needs both a sense of independence and interdependence.

4)      My Website & Blog

When developing content on a website and when creating blog posts, the abilities to clearly express myself as well as to discover and stand firm on my convictions are all skills I need as an artist and dancer. As a performing artist—especially as a dancer—my life and career involves constant communication with those around me in order to be safe as well as to express important messages both in rehearsals and on stage, therefore, the skills I am practicing in my website and blog are helpful for myself as an artist.

5)      My Facebook Contributions (Posts & Comments)

The same skillset applies in the Facebook contributions as they do in my work on the website and blog, however, through the Facebook interactions, I can work on my listening, processing, and responding skillset. As a dancer and performer, I absolutely must be able to listen to teachers, choreographers, my dancers, and my fellow dancers in order to either fulfill the wishes of my authorities or to ensure that others can meet my demands while still being safe. Basically, being able to interact with others—just like in the Facebook conversations—is one of the most vital skills I could have in my art area.

V.  THE OVERALL STRENGHTS IN MY WORK THUS FAR

Ultimately, I think that I have succeeded in paying close attention to detail, spending a fair amount of time, even on simple tasks. I have put worth work that is thorough and mindful, I believe. Additionally, I think that I have demonstrated my ability to grasp material and to ask for help when I do not understand the task at hand.

VI. THE OVERALL STEPS NEEDED FOR ME TO ADVANCE MY WORK-PROCESS AND WORK-PRODUCTS

In general, I know that if I were to allow myself more time to do the work, it is more likely that I will put forth higher quality work. Therefore, I need to procrastinate less and work in more advance. Additionally, I could work more on the aesthetic qualities of my work-products. Overall, as I continue through this course, I believe I will learn new ways to improve my skills and rise above whatever challenges I struggle with currently.

Project Write-Up #1

I. INTRODUCTION

 

This blog post serves as a self-reflection on a recent assignment where I was asked to create my own website (https://sites.google.com/site/emilyhartportfolio/) and blog in order to establish or enhance my intentional web presence and to familiarize myself with new aspects of working online. The goal of creating a personal website is to give myself an area in the web where I can establish a pre-professional e-portfolio. On the site, I will be able to share my art and academic projects I have been involved in and will be involved in throughout my time at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. By uploading my work unto a personal website, I will begin to establish more of a professional image that may be helpful both while I am still at school and for when I leave and seek work as a professional performing artist. Additionally, the second part of the assignment was to create this blog, where I may put my DMA projects on display and also write reflections on my work in DMA project-write ups (this being the first one). Overall, the outcome of creating a website and blog caused me to begin to meet the main goals of the Digital Media for the Artist course, which are to develop/become more aware of my intentional web presence and to learn how to work effectively online.

 

II. SELF-ASSESSMENT

 

1.      WHAT THE PROJECT ENTAILED, MY CHALLENGES, AND SOLUTIONS

 

Here’s the link to give specific requirements for creating the website using Google Sites: https://sites.google.com/site/uncsaeportfolios/how-to-make. Basically, I just had to create a username and password, and there was my blog. In addition to that, I mainly just set up the template it would be in. That was the easiest part of the assignment. The other part of the assignment was much more time consuming and detailed. It basically required that I follow 10 steps: 1) understand assets (the products I produce) and platforms (the spaces where I share my work) 2) fill out a terms of use form, 3) create or log into my Google account, 4) create a Google Site, 5) set up navigation panels on my site, 6) create new pages on my site, 7) create links to my pages from my navigation panel, 8) set the sharing preferences for my site, 9) add text and a photo to my homepage, 10) save the web address of my site onto a directory. Several of the steps involved watching video tutorials and following them step by step.

 

I did not really encounter many challenges. The process was fairly easy to follow; it simply took me a fair amount of time because I would usually pause the video tutorials to follow the directions step by step. Also, when I thought I was getting the hang of something, I would stop following the directions and go with my memory and instinct, which sometimes led me to errors that I had to correct. I suppose, the only other aspect I mainly struggled with was knowing what to write on my site. I tend to be too lengthy in my writing (just like in this assignment, quite possibly) and I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take at first in my self-introduction.

 

My solutions to the above challenges were to first go back to the tutorials when need be and follow the directions carefully as well as to use common sense, my recollection, and trial and error. I believe that my strategy worked in the long run, but it may not have been the most efficient method. Now, I know to just be patient and to take my time and pay closer attention to detail. My solution to knowing what to write as an intro on my website was basically to focus on my worldview or outlook on life.

 

2.      THE PROJECT’S RELEVANCE TO ME AS AN EMERGING ARTIST

 

I most certainly feel that this project is extremely relevant to me as a young, emerging artist, because it is giving me new tools to promote myself in a professional and personal sense. Not only is it practical in teaching how to enhance my intentional web presence, but also, it has made me reflect on how I want to present myself online. Additionally, the blog and website are now spaces where I can put my work on display as an artist—or even just share my creative visions—and reach out to a larger audience. Thus, I find the project very helpful in my artistic endeavors, because it serves as a networking tool.

 

3.      OUTSIDE APPLICATION

 
After creating a personal website and blog, I may want to share my perspectives and work from other UNCSA courses during my time as a student here. In particular, under the “Music Perspectives 1” tab, I might want to upload music that inspires me to choreograph or just musical artists that motivate or influence me as a dancer and individual. Additionally, under the “Dance Perspectives 1” tab, I may want to list which choreographers, companies, or dance works inspire me as an artist/dancer/performer. Furthermore, under my English Composition courses, I may feel that uploading my essays would give the public a better understanding of my mental processes and opinions—especially in regards to the arts, since several of my essay topics have to do with the arts. Overall, I can see how helpful the website and blog will be for me in establishing a stronger web presence as an artist and a person by sharing other information outside of my DMA coursework.

 

4.      CORRELATIONS IN MY WORK PATTERNS IN THIS PROJECT AND OTHER WORK

 
I noticed that I follow certain work patterns that translated over into this assignment. I tend to procrastinate doing assignments, but when I complete them, I do put a lot of effort into them. I try to be very conscientious and thorough when I am given almost any task. In this case, I should have begun working on the assignment sooner in order to give myself more time to work through it in an effective and efficient manner. When I finally got to the work, however, I paid close attention to what the requirements were and tried to complete them to the best of my ability.

 

5.      SELF-EVALUATION

 
I think that I followed the guidelines to the assignment fairly well, doing what was asked of me, and I certainly put in effort. I read all of the directions carefully and sought to follow them very cautiously. I especially worked hard in the formation of the homepage on my website in regards to the text portion of the project. I met my expectations as far as following the basic requirements and writing thoroughly on the homepage; however I think that I let myself down in regards to the appearance of the blog and the website. From what I gathered, it was not required that I work on the aesthetics of the blog and website, yet I think I could have improved in that sense. Additionally, I could have spent more time on the text of the website and organizing the formatting. Overall, however, I feel that I put honest and strong work into the project although it is not by any means perfect.

 

6.      CORRECTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE

 
I would like to improve my performance as a student, first of all, by forcing myself to work ahead as well as to get more outside help and to use the resources around me when I need them. Basically, the improvements that I want to make are what I have said above and below, where I focus more on the visuals of my website and blog. Furthermore, I would like to slightly alter the texts on the sites.

 

III. CORRECTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS I MADE

·         Add a personal picture to my blog

·         Change the backdrop on my blog

·         Write a self-description on my blog

·         Include some more background on my dance training on my website

 

IV. CONCLUSION

 
The purpose of the project was to develop ways to promote my intentional web presence as well as to learn new ways of working effectively online. This project accomplished the task by having me create my own blog and e-portfolio website. Moreover, the project-write up has caused me to reflect on my work, how I approach work, and has allowed me to better understand the purposes and values of the assignment. I am grateful to be learning from the process of completing the project and of evaluating my work, because I feel they will help me to improve as an individual, a student, and an artist.