I am using this crazy piece of “artwork” to describe and explain the idea of individual development and perception of culture. Nichols describes anthropology through autobiography and ethnographic works of documentary (153). Autobiographical documentaries explain someone’s outlook on life or an experience. Ethnographic documentaries study a culture and participate in the society, gathering fieldwork. Ethnographic documentary types are nonfiction, as Nichols describes, however they do cater to the filmmakers perception or outlook on the culture/ situation allowing for persuasiveness. The above picture is a piece of artwork created by many different hands. I started the original doodle and had left it out in the living room at my apartment. My friends, being creative too, decided to add to it each time they came over. Whenever my roommates and I had gatherings, someone was always adding something to the picture. Each person added their own ideas to the masterpiece and the above picture is the result. The picture has a lot of hidden meanings and expression of feelings within the clutter. Each person views this picture a little differently, especially those of us who have worked on it. This picture reminded me of how each person has a different outlook and idea about a certain culture or particular situation. Like viewing this piece of art, each person who studies a foreign culture will notice and have different perspectives about the culture while studying. It is up to the filmmaker to portray the culture they studied as truthfully as possible. There is however room for persuasion when making these types of films. For example, the documentary Super Size Me is clearly persuading the audience that fast food is not healthy to eat everyday. The filmmaker persuades through experiments and by stating facts. The documentary Stories We Tell, which we watched in class, was an autobiography about Sara Polly’s family. This documentary was explaining the way we tell stories about our lives. Polly did a good job of letting the story unravel itself and almost allowed her subjects to write the story for her. This artwork created by my friends and I reflects different perspectives and outlooks on life. It is a symbol of mixing culture and the idea that everyone sees situations a little differently. As you examine this piece of artwork, try to see drawings from different perspectives.