This unit is all about finding out who are you. For Design we expressed it in a diptych which is two different photos that present the same story. The photo had to be based off of one of the essay we wrote in English. I choose my Common App essay, which was about the failures in my life and what I have learned from it. In English we read a book called Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine, it is about African Americans facing racism every single day. Whether it be from thier friend or a complete stranger. Rankine states that although we may think that we are not racist deep down we have a prejudice mind that we must be aware of. We were asked to write a story with the same type of writing style as in Citizen, we had to interview someone or mutilple people about something that is different from ourselves. For example; race, ethnicity, income, sex, sexuality, etc. I decided to write a story about what it is like to be Asian. My questions concentrated on stereotypes, and if they feel obligated to follow them. In Webaudio we made 1-2 minute videos, one video was about the things we have learned this year, and the other video was about a perspective story. It could be about anything, but it had to have a message at the end. I decided to write about my love for fashion and how it all started.

Because of this unit I learned how to take HDR photos and merge them into photoshop, I also learned how to edit my photos with curves. I also learned how to use a camera in After Effects to make my movie appear 3D. For English I learned the difficulty of writing about oneself. Through this unit I discovered that although I do not witness racism it doesn't mean it isn't happening. I should also remember to think before I talk, because it may sound completely innocent in my mind but maybe interpreted a different way. I also learned that my dyslexia is a gift and that I should embrace it. Lastly, I learned where my passion for fashion truly started.

Here is the recording of my personal essay. In English we were asked to pick a prompt for one of our colleges we are applying to. I choose to the Common App essay. My Essay is about my dyslexia and what went through my head when I was a child. I refered my brain to an old silent film, and how I need images and sounds in order to form a word in my brain. I choose to write with alot of imagery, and a bit of poesy. I am very proud of my essay, it was extremely hard to write about myself, and my dslexia. If you want to find out more than you will just have to read it or listen to it! I hope you enjoy it!

Click here to read my Personal Essay

 

 

After reading the book Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine we were asked to write a story with the same type of writing style. First let me tell you what the book is avtually about, the author had asked all her African American friends what they faced everyday due to the color of their skin. Some of her friends had people giving them racist names, or some feared walking down the street because of prejudice policemen. Her main point was to educate the reader that although you may not see racism happening right in front of you, doesn't not mean it doesn't exist. You also must be careful of what you say, because it may sound innocent in your mind, but it maybe interpreted a completely different way.

For my essay I decided to interview my Asian friend. I wanted to know what it was like to live through the typical asian steroetypes and going against them. I asked him if he ever felt uncomfortable becasue of his race, or felt that he wasn't accomplishing enough. I also asked him if he felt that he could not be himself. Through this assignment I learned that even I have to be careful at what I say. I do not identify people by their race, but I find myself making stereotypical jokes. Even if in my mind my jokes are about the person and not their race, it doesn't come out that way. That's why at the end of my essay I wrote that you really have to stop and think if deep down you are prejudice. And if so you must concentrate on how you interact with others. Because it is all in the mind. I learned alot from this essay, and it further taught me about who I am as a person. I choose this photo because this story taught me to reflect on whether I am prejudice or not. And that before I speak I must be careful. If I believe that I am not racist, then I must make sure that my actions can contradict that. I should also educate myself more about the racism people face today. Even if I don't see it, doesn't mean it is not happening.  

Click here to read my Lyric Essay

In Design we were asked to pick an essay we had written in English this unit. I picked my Common App essay, the prompt was what have been my failures and what have I learned from them. Being dyslexic I have had to face alot of bullying, and self esteem issues. I have attempted to write about my childhood, and this would be my fourth time. Since it is such a sensitive matter for me I was never able to write my story in depth. Most of my painful memories I locked them away, and even thinking about my past brings back all the pain I had gone through. Due to my dyslexia I am quite familiar with failure, I have failed in everything. Talking, reading, drawing, homework, test, emtional control, self esteem, etc. But because I have failed so much in my life it has taught me a valuable lesson that I must never give up. To this day I will try my hardest no matter how small the task is, and if it doesn't work the first time I will do it again and again till I have mastered it. We first learned how to take HDR photos in design. HDR photos are at least three to five photos that are taken with different exposures. After that we must merge those photos into photoshop. You will end up with a perfect exposed photo. I had a lot of difficult taking my photos because you can not move will taking your photo, or else when you merge them your photo might be a little blurry. I had to learn to use the tripod, and after many tries I managed to position it in a way that it would no longer move. For our project we had to take two different photos that represented the same stroy. I choose to take a photo of old film strips to describe what it is like for my brain to comprehend words. As a child I have needed images and sounds to come together in order to form words, and understad them. For my second photo I took a photo of scrabble letters on a mirror blank. It was to represent what happens in my brain, and how the letter float around. Once we had our two photos we put them on the same canvas and put it in black and white. You may learn more about my photo by reading my artist statement I wrote for Design.

Click here to read my Artist Statement

 

In Webaudio we were asked to write a perspective story. It could be about anything, whether it be an opinion or a memory. It just needed to have a message at the end of the story. I chose to write about the moment in my life where my passion for fashion grew. I wrote about a memory when I was a child taking my first sewing classes. I mentioned how frustrating it was to only make simple project like pillows, and pencil cases. Also had the very beginning my teacher only allowed us to use plasic bags to create any article of clothing. I still had no skills in sewing so I pinned my dress on the mannequin. At the end of my sewing classes we had to participate in a fashion show. This fashion show was to be braodcast on Tv, and I had to walk in my homemade outfit in front of an audience. Our designs had to be made out of recyclable materials. Originally I wanted to use computer wires, feathers, and old pocket watches. But due to time constrants I was unable to create my dream outfit. So I had to redesign it, in the end I learned to manage my time better and that in the mere future I would have the skills to go back and finish what I had started.

Above you will see a screenshot of the process of making my Perspective video. I used the application After Effects to make my Perspective Video. We learned how to use Cameras in order to make our movie look 3D. We also learned how to take apart a photo in Photoshop in order to move object further and closer in After Effects. Making movies has also made me extremely stress, there is alot of stuff to do to make everything transition smoothly. I also had a hard time finding photos online that would connect to my story. The audio was the hardest for me because I had to match my words with my images. At first my compositions were too short for my audio, so I had to make each one longer. Then I had to animate my layers to smoothly dissolve into one another. This video has helped me understand why I have choosen to pursue fashion. It was a small memory, but it was what started everything. I also learned that I must relax myself whenever I am stress. Becoming frsutrated will not make the process go faster. I am proud with what I have come up with for my video. I hope you enjoy it.

In English we had to write up a list of at least 10 things we had learned through the year. Then in Webaudio we were asked to pick five of them we thought were the most important. Through the years I learned not to push away my friends, and that you can never have too many. As I have grown I have stepped out of my shell and tried to be more social. I also learned that I have been too serious and that I shouldn't forget to smile. Also due to teen romace over the years I have struggle with either follow my brain or my heart. Sometimes I should stop thinking logically and follow my heart for once. Because I am a senior time seems to be flying by, and I although I wish to be an adult already I should appreciate the time I have. Lastly, because of college essays I have had to learn to write about myself, which is extremely difficult. But this unit has helped me look deep inside and figure who I am. That is why my five things I learned were; try to make more friends, remember to be a kid, sometimes your head and your heart don't agree with eachother, don't forget to smile, and writing about myself is the hardest thing I have had to do. For the video we had to find each thing we have learned an image. On top of that we had to make smooth transitions with the photos and the text, along with a recording of ourselves and some music. I hope you enjoy the video.