Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top!!!

Participants who have filled out their Definition of Self and given it to me:
Abbey
Alex
Amanda
Ashley
Briana
Byron
Christine
Daniel
Drew
Eddy
Elaine
James
Jenny
Kasia
Kelly (Me)
Luke
Mike
Nina
Nico
Travis
Unknown
=22


I think I'll be able to get it all done by the end of this week, but I just in case some of the possible participants don't make it I'd still take more Definitions of Self from anyone :)


Fill out your own Definition of Self on blank, line-less paper and either give it to me personally or scan it and email it to chibiladykelly@gmail.com

The Point I'm At...

So I'm at the point where I've decided what to do for thesis and the only thing I'm lacking is in my ability to care enough.
 I wish it were just senioritis that I could blame, but too much is going on around me that is making me feel like a sitting duck.

I just wrote my own Definition of Self today, I decided to wait until I felt I was in a better place mentally, physically, and emotionally. By 'better place' I honestly mean a place that is usually me, what I honestly believe to by my true definition of Self. What I wrote mainly consisted of how strong I am, how I fight through, and how I love and understand Me, and how I wish it could be the same way for everyone else.

I think what I really wanted from this project was for people to look at themselves and define their Self... and feel good about it? I was questioned about my methods for collecting the definitions, I felt accused of 'leading' my participants to answer a certain way. This is something I rebuke because I never wanted my participants to answer a certain way, I wanted them to answer their way and yeah, essentially I hoped all my participants would write something they'd be proud of, and I am also understanding that means something different to everyone. I am the designer of this little thesis creation, I am also an 'Incurable Optimist' to quote Michael J. Fox; So if that permeated into my directions and thus the results... well, good.

What I've observed is people wrote both good and not so good things about their Selves. Not terrible being as we're all human, we have flaws as well wonderful parts that makes us who we are. But I think it makes me sad to see that the people around me never really say how beautiful they are and how they love the person they have become (and this is a generalization, I'm not pinpointing anyone at all.) Only two or three people stated clearly their confidence and openly expressed their love for their Self.

Right now in my life, I watch the people that I love struggle with their perspectives on their physical, emotional, and spiritual beings. No one feels complete joy, no one feels beautiful, no one seems to love themselves because they are struggling with weight and eating disorders, they husband or boyfriend or the girl they secretly love doesn't acknowledge them, they aren't smart enough, they are struggling for validation by someone who never gives it... etc etc etc.

You have to wonder if it's too much to hope that I could touch people even a little bit to make them look at their selves and feel love?

Poster Sets v1

Critique on 3/4/11

I was up for critique this week, and after all the work, thought and alterations that I've been putting into my thesis, not to mention this that and everything else that life has been throwing at me, I'm completely exhausted. I am at that point where I was listening and open to what was said throughout the crit, but I am confident and dedicated to what I want to do for the show, all that needs to be worked out now is some details in my book content and my means of installation.

I felt this time around that the over-all opinion was that I was not going in a direction that is
'expected' of a graphic design major. Some suggestion consisted of my changing my means of presentation all together by use of technology such as a computer, projections, websites, etc. The thing is that none of that, in my heartfelt belief, really helps me in what I am trying to do. I think an important element of being a designer, or in the words of Raphael Ortiz 'an artist who is now practicing in the field of graphic design,' is to remember that you shouldn't be married to a tool such as the computer. As a designer it is my goal to convey information, but I want to do it in the same passionate and heart felt way just as designers like Stefan Sagmeister. To do that I have asked a question to people who were reliable and available to me, because I had to invest and element of emotion and trust in knowing that my participants would take the time and really dissect their Selves in order to try and translate that into hand written words. Handwriting is something that is raw, emotional, eye-opening, and a unique extension of one's Self that is the most captivating and stimulating element of what I am trying to do, it is the most meaningful part and I feel adds that heart into my design, something that a typeface would not be able to do as well.

I was given a very good suggestion of how I should install my posters (even though there was doubt of whether I should do them...) so I'm looking into heavy duty mounting magnets to hang them.

This critique was completely different from any of the others I've had in thesis or in my design class. As I had mentioned, I am feeling very fatigued with the whole process and just want to do what I want to do, and personally feel that I was much more confident and happy with the feedback and support I'm receiving in my design critiques (I suppose that is to be expected). I also am pleased because it seems that my idea is translating very well in the way I am going about it, and that the only debate was in the way I am presenting the information, which I will stick with and improve on until it is time to install.