Belief is sometimes hard to put into words. It is also hard to choose one belief to talk about, given the opportunity to do so. So it was great to have one night where we could hear so many different beliefs shared, in many different ways.
I prepared my piece before doing the readings. The mother's story was similar to slam poetry in that it didn't hold to a tight structure or timeline, it followed stream of consciousness and that allowed us to experience a fuller understanding of a girl and of the mother's experience raising her. That is what I have enjoyed since first learning of it. The lack of structure allows for really good expression, but it also allows for heightened language and rhythm that better expresses thoughts and emotions. I hoped that I could accomplish some of that with my piece.
Again, though, the strong structure of the story of being 1/2 black, 1/2 white worked well in that setting to describe a struggle or life. Many of my classmates chose that route and were very effective. I think that much of this assignment, as it is about belief, is very personal. And personal expression should come in as many varieties as there are personalities. And some statements work better with some mediums than others.
Things I'll take away from this class:
1) There are thousands of mediums. Find the one that works for you and your statement.
2) Use your beliefs to fuel your work.
3) Experiment always with the expectation that it will work out well.
4) Don't be afraid or ashamed of your own beliefs. And don't ask others do so.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Concerned Citizen
https://soundcloud.com/rissa6/cami-hansen-1-2
For our concerned citizen project we interviewed a young woman who co-founded an organization with her friend to help out people who suffer from mental illness. Cami, the woman we interviewed, is very aware of the inadequate structures or lack thereof needed to help those who are struggling. Her organization is created purely out of the goodness of her heart because she knows personally what it is like to be improperly treated as someone with a mental illness. She seeks through her work to encourage and support those who need it through advocacy. She wants society to be aware that people are still human beings, even when they are suffering internally with a mental issue. Her organization is about bringing about awareness to the truth of what mental illness is and in turn inspire those around her to be more patient, kind, and considerate towards those who are struggling. Cami is aware of the social and political injustices that occur in the lives of mentally suffering individuals. She states clearly that people have physical problems are allowed far more treatment and care than people with mental problems, when in fact the mental issues are more damaging and take longer to heal than the physical ones. That is why she wants to freely help those who cannot help themselves. Her work reminds me of summer camps that kids go to for medical reasons to learn that despite whatever disability or seeming disadvantage, they learn through activities, encouragement and help that they can be whole and do whatever they want to if the set their minds to it. If they believe in themselves and have others believe in them they can be truly successful and whole. As Arlene Goldbard said, “Rights are mere abstractions without the means to implement them.” This is something that Cami is very aware of and that is why she is so altruistic and helps those that she can. She has made herself the means by which people can rightly get treatment for their problems.
For our concerned citizen project we interviewed a young woman who co-founded an organization with her friend to help out people who suffer from mental illness. Cami, the woman we interviewed, is very aware of the inadequate structures or lack thereof needed to help those who are struggling. Her organization is created purely out of the goodness of her heart because she knows personally what it is like to be improperly treated as someone with a mental illness. She seeks through her work to encourage and support those who need it through advocacy. She wants society to be aware that people are still human beings, even when they are suffering internally with a mental issue. Her organization is about bringing about awareness to the truth of what mental illness is and in turn inspire those around her to be more patient, kind, and considerate towards those who are struggling. Cami is aware of the social and political injustices that occur in the lives of mentally suffering individuals. She states clearly that people have physical problems are allowed far more treatment and care than people with mental problems, when in fact the mental issues are more damaging and take longer to heal than the physical ones. That is why she wants to freely help those who cannot help themselves. Her work reminds me of summer camps that kids go to for medical reasons to learn that despite whatever disability or seeming disadvantage, they learn through activities, encouragement and help that they can be whole and do whatever they want to if the set their minds to it. If they believe in themselves and have others believe in them they can be truly successful and whole. As Arlene Goldbard said, “Rights are mere abstractions without the means to implement them.” This is something that Cami is very aware of and that is why she is so altruistic and helps those that she can. She has made herself the means by which people can rightly get treatment for their problems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)