I feel that as one gets older, one has less and less time to truly reflect, probably because one has more responsibility. It seems the MORE responsibility you have, the LESS time you have, and consequently, the MORE stress you have. And the MORE stress you have, the MORE likely you are to spend your sparse spare hours doing anything and everything MINDLESS--such as watching Southpark, or listening to Mitch Hedberg on youtube, or making funny faces in the mirror...
but every now and then you take a few seconds out of your busy schedule and come to some sort of conclusion about life, where you are in it, where you are going with it, and whether or not this is a good thing.
So here we go.
I've come to the conclusion that GMC is possibly the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Honestly, I could have gotten into an Ivy League school. Honestly, I don't think that such a situation would have worked out for me. I wouldn't have been surrounded by the amazing kinds of people I'm surrounded by now. I wouldn't have had such close connections with my professors, with my peers. I wouldn't have had the types of opportunities to shine so brightly as I have had here in a place where I actually have a name and a face in every classroom. I wouldn't have had such a cool job. The list seriously extends.
I think GMC's greatest effect, however, has been on my creativity. I have been noticing (especially recently) that I have a random creative impulse almost every night now. Naturally, I don't get the opportunity to express said creative impulses all the time, but as of late, the work load has decreased a bit (since I've written all my papers and finished a bunch of stuff early), so I find myself actually acting upon these impulses. Not only do I get a sense of accomplishment when I finish a project, I also get to give out artsy presents. It's a pretty good deal. Plus, I'm sure it will certainly come in handy when I become a teacher, as I will have a plethora of ways to communicate my ideas and to have students communicate theirs.
Among other things, this past week has included the creation of
a hat:
Our lovely model is a student by the name of Kevin who lives on the floor above me. After overhearing about his recent difficulties with staying warm, I knitted him a hat. It's a totally different design than I usually do, so I feel particularly awesome.
Next on our list is a finger painting I did on the bottom of an outdoor canopy for a friend of mine.
This is actually an interactive piece (huzzah!) as I've left ample space (this space is to the left of the mouth... you can't see it in this picture) for people to fill in a single word that either expresses how they are feeling that day or one that describes them or whatever they really feel like. It's pretty fantastic. I can't wait until people actually start adding to it. Since my addition, there have been multiple additions to the canopy in and of itself, but I'm still waiting for someone to contribute toward mine. We'll see. I've actually created interactive pieces before in which I've had people co-construct a drawing on a piece of paper in the hallway. Essentially, I forced whomever walked by to add something to it. It's a little forceful, but... they always end up really neat.
And I've also been continuously working on this fuzzy poster that my friend gave me the other day when I was bored.
I don't know if any of you have ever tried one of these posters, but they are a TON of fun. I have yet to complete this one because my blue marker is dying (I will find a way to remedy this), but once it is completed, it's going on Brent and Alex's door. Sweet.
And of course we have the mini movie that (at least I believe) was what inspired me to begin taking time out of my schedule to work on these projects. It helped me realize how valuable such creative projects can be. AND IT WAS AN ASSIGNMENT!
Here's the link to it. I hope you enjoy.
So in conclusion, this college also rocks because it inspires me to create CONSTANTLY. And it doesn't matter whether these creations are Picasso or Michelangelo... as long as I'm working on something and doing my best, I feel successful. This is an entirely new feeling for me-- one that I hope continues for many years to come.
Oh! And before I go, I'd like to share a picture of some campus-wide creativity.
I'm a little sketchy about the details, but essentially, there's this art class on campus in which students had to decorate a bunch of 2 by 4s and then the entire class had to agree on some sort of shape for said 2 by 4s to be in. Over the weeks, as I've made my way to the library, I've seen them in all these crazy designs. Everytime, I've thought to myself: Wow! I should really take a picture of that... but I never got to it. AND THEN the class opened it up and encouraged students from campus to do what they wanted with it. I eventually took this picture because it was (oddly enough, in retrospect) the first time someone had considered using the pieces of wood as letters. I'm not sure who Alex is, but I was given a number of funny looks as I brushed off the thin layer of snow that had accumulated on it. Maybe they thought I was some sort of secret admirer? Haha.
Some sneak previews of what's coming up: music. I recorded some excerpts of an amazing concert last night that I want to share with everyone. It'll be part 3 in reasons why this college is superb.