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.
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