1. I think that if your practice time gets in the way of you spending time with friends or family, or trying new activities that don’t necessarily directly relate then it would be excessive (it’s good to have “down-time” and other hobbies, fulfillment, and maybe it’ll lead to inspiration later on). I think it would be best to at least have a couple nights each week when you do not have any goals set or things to do. I also think that not putting your interests and career goals/practice time as a consistent priority in your week also wouldn’t be good. I don’t think that I put enough time into practice time. I sometimes set aside time to draw and doodle, but I haven’t really been experimenting or getting excited to do it lately (I do less productive things to pass the time). I guess I might get a little overwhelmed/intimidated at first, especially by unfamiliar technology/techniques/preferences/the field, and sometimes even by all the work that it already out there (but I’m also realizing that practice time would help with that).
2. I think sophisticated work is work that has a strong sense of what it is; it is aware of what may be too much, and what is appropriate. It is also unapologetic in a way, and bold enough to carry through a complete idea (a consistent presence) and bold enough to be inspired and new. It is thought-out and can maybe even “stand alone”. I think the direction of my maps and the ideas behind their themes have a sort of sophistication. They could use a lot more work (and are not very edited or in ways complete), but I think the ideas behind the color choices and themes are moving in a good direction (“Let’s Get Physical” flow chart, the “classy” Tony Pierce dining and entertainment chart, and the more traditional and warm-toned “St. Edward’s Seating”…eating?…seating?).
3. For the Tony Pierce chart, I received feedback on how to make the graph more interesting and dynamic, and so I worked towards laying out the graph.I also made sure that the pie graph didn’t resemble Pac-Man too much!
4. I found that it was difficult figuring out the final layout for the maps, and after printing out the maps, I also realized that if I were to do them again, it would be a challenge to decide just how large the icons should be, and how large the maps should be as a whole.
5. For one of my Halloween costumes this year I planned out the costume and makeup (I was going to be the Monkey from Kubo and the Two Strings). I made a headpiece out of plastic bags, and went to Family Thrift to find other materials. I didn’t end up wearing it anywhere, but it was really fun to plan and make. I didn’t really do many creative projects outside of school this semester.
6. I think my life outside of school has been positive for me. I hang out with my friends every Friday night (we play board games and/or watch movies), and it really helps! I also keep in touch with my mom throughout the week, and I love when she sends me pictures of my siblings and dog. My boyfriend who goes to school in Houston is also a great friend, and we send each other funny messages/videos throughout the week, and we try to call each weekend, which has also been helping me stay connected and motivated, and also helps me to set aside time for both social life and school because everyone is so understanding.
7. I think the ideal class environment for me would be one with people working in groups together, brainstorming, with people contributing their ideas and perspectives. Then it would also have time for you to work on your own. I think that I contribute my attention and thoughts sometimes, but also that I could be more engaged in class.

Use of Practice Time RATING: Uneven

I haven’t been very steady with my workflow/project processes this year; for the symbol project, I noticed that I would push working in the lab or brainstorming on a project to later than I should have. I’d set aside times for me to work on the project (usually long periods of working spread across a couple days that were far from each other), and this would lead to me working on things a little last-minute, and I couldn’t put as much time or thought into them.

Over this past year I’ve noticed that I’ve become a lot more stuck in the habit of procrastinating through watching YouTube videos and scrolling through social media. I think using YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are great ways to connect with others/relax/get new ideas; however, I haven’t really been using them in a mindful way like that, and it definitely contributes to taking up a lot of time and energy when I could be working on some many other things that I need to work on as well as things that I enjoy.

Sophistication of Work RATING: Medium, aware

I think my work has been becoming much more refined and purposeful (a lot through the course of this symbol project). During high school I did pieces that expressed a lot of meaning and ideas at once; however, I was still having trouble with finishing works and understanding contrasts and composition. During freshman year I began to work with new tools because of the classes, and I began to understand composition a little more.

High School Senior Year Art Class Works: 

Freshman Year Works, Digital Art using Photography and Scans:

Sophomore Year GDES 1, Skyline Vector Work:

I think looking more at professional’s works will help me strengthen my eye for sophistication, as well as working more and becoming more familiar with the tools. I think giving myself more time to work on pieces will also help me refine and finish them in order to make them more sophisticated.

Use of Feedback RATING: Improved

I think I used the feedback that I received well (especially towards the end of the Symbol project when I was making my final revisions dealing with white space and the continuity of lines). I worked to understand why the feedback was given, and how I could fix most of them. However, with some of the designs (maybe out of laziness!) I didn’t put as much thought into transforming them into something better like I could have.

Level of Challenge to Self RATING: Mild ~ Medium, here-ish there (more there than here, but not exactly beyond)

Looking back on the Symbol project, I think I pushed myself to create symbols that I thought were interesting and dynamic, but I think I could have pushed myself to learn and understand more about Adobe Illustrator and its tools, and purpose of the project itself. I get a lot out of projects when I immerse myself in them and push myself to learn new things.

Freshman year we were sort of challenged automatically by the task itself (especially with the VISU 1 Gestalt and book projects, and the Foundation in Art and Design Circle book and Shelter projects) and it seems like its becoming even more important about us developing inner motivation and challenging ourselves without as much external push and guidance.

Expert Experiences RATING: Some extra stuff, but mostly class assignments

This semester I haven’t really participated in any workshops or outside activities that deal with graphic design.

I did go to the faculty show in the art building with my friends, but we didn’t really stay too long. I am planning on going to the Me, Myself and I exhibit at some point hopefully this week! Last year I went to Zine Fest in Houston with Command-G, and it was such a great experience!

This year I have worked on some personal drawings, however not too consistently (I used to draw a LOT more than I do now. I had two one-sketch-a-day journals that I had kept up with for two years, and I think starting up a habit like that again would be great for my skill and my learning!).

Personal Exploration this semester outside-of-class!:

Social Emotional Development RATING: Young ~ Mature

I’ve been trying to be more honest with myself and others, and I’ve also been working to not be as hard on myself about little things/not take myself too seriously! I think I’m becoming much more independent and self-assured, and more relaxed with myself as I’ve been growing up.

During college I think I’ve become more social, comfortable, mature and independent, but also more insecure in different ways (about my personality, my opinions/lack of opinions or knowledge). I’ve noticed that I still care so much about how people see me and what people think of me (to an extent) and that I don’t spend a lot of time on positive self-reflection.

However, over the past few weeks I’ve been working towards really focusing on my own issues of social anxiety and self esteem/love. I decided to list out exactly what was bothering me about:

I like the “me” that likes people; I like the creative “me” who’s not that afraid of making mistakes; the compassionate “me” who works to be fair and who looks at both sides of arguments; who’s not afraid of being kind to people, listening to people, and sharing feelings/ideas with people; the “me” that’s okay with uncertainty and excited about unknown possibilities; and who supports people and who’s not afraid to try. I don’t like the “me” that tries to be so much like someone else that I lose the sense of who I “am”, or the “me” that gets super-embarrassed or ashamed for making a mistake and who then quietly sits in the background.

I used this sort of thinking to really help me understand myself. And I’ve just been trying to remember that it’s totally okay to not have everything figured out, and that we’re always learning and growing! I talked to my mom about how I’ve been feeling and she sort of sighed, saying, “I remember being young”, and then she talked about how she still doesn’t have everything figured out at all. It’s just difficult to remember to be patient sometimes!

Contribution to the Climate RATING: Room Temperature, 3ft radius

I try to contribute a positive energy to the class by talking to others when they need help and have questions, or if they just want to talk! I think that I could contribute a lot more to the critiques by thinking through and sharing my opinions more, and by asking questions.

I feel like I could put myself out there more and engage with others and the class more genuinely. I get a little socially anxious sometimes in classroom settings (…in lots of settings), and I think I either try to act how I think I should be acting, or I am there to just get the class over with for the day and I don’t put much thought into contributing to the class and actually getting something out of it.