Amanda Buhay

for ART101 Creative Christian

[amandabuhay]

Manifesto Art Project

Please zoom in to read the “mantras” I have created for myself to keep me on track for my God-given mission in this world.

All background photos were found on Pinterest.

This was created on Procreate.

[amandabuhay]

Class Discussion Response

Tina said this in class: Talk about your own experiences. Talk about something true. Talk about something you know. Vulnerability. Authenticity. That is what is going to change someone’s life.  I love that this class has shown me that it is OKAY to be vulnerable, authentic, and true to myself.  One of my goals in life is to always be real to everyone that I encounter.  That means that I show my true self and my true heart.  That means that I show my true emotions, to show that I am not always “happy” but that I struggle and I cry (a lot, but it’s good for me!).  I have real stories to tell, and I have a real heart to share.  In my future profession, as a therapist, I want to be real and genuine, and I want to CARE for my future clients!  I think that the only way that I can help someone to become healthier in their lives is by being a sincere, honest, and genuine therapist who deeply cares for and wants to help her clients.  And I just want to thank you Tina for showing your true heart in this class and allowing me to be free to do the same! Thank you for teaching me to really explore more of who I am and of course introducing me to art!

[amandabuhay]

Week 15 Reading Response

In Art as a Twenty-First Century Calling, I really like that the author called out some Christians who wear two different worldview “spectacles.”  They are Christian when they are in the church, but not when they are at the studio.  There are many Christians who do this.  I am sure that everyone has experienced wearing different glasses or identities when they were in different places (church, in the home with family, at a restaurant with friends, in the classroom, or at work).  I have experienced this; especially in high school, I would put on a different identity based on where I was and who I was with.  I was a “good and happy” Christian when I was at church, I was a rule following daughter when I was at home, and I was a “wild introvert,” as I like to call it, when I was with my friends.  As a Christian, I was living a double life, and if I am not aware and careful, I can easily end up living that double life again today.  The author of this chapter says that “If we do our art with any integrity, our Christian worldview will unconsciously and inescapably enter our work” (p. 185).  In my life, I finally realized that living a double life, or living with one foot in and one foot out, was not the right way to live.  I had to be either fully in it for God, or fully out.  I couldn’t fool Him with my double life, so why was I trying to “fool” other people?  So I kind of just prayed that God would come into my whole life, that He would be saturated literally in everything I do, say, and think (I have to do this daily).  The Christian life for me is not just going to church on Sundays and checking off a list that is “required” to be Christian.  No, the Christian life for me is the one where I literally follow Jesus with my whole heart, and let Him be a part of my everything.

In How to Look at Abstract Art, I like what Lloyd has to say about appreciating abstract art.  Appreciating abstract art is like appreciating football.  As a football lover, myself, I really liked Lloyd’s example of him not appreciating football.  My family is a football family.  We have Superbowl parties every year, we all are fans of different teams (I am a Kansas City Chiefs fan!!!), and we all follow and are well aware of a lot of the different players in the sport.  I really like football!  But I like it because I grew up with it, my family and I watch it every Sunday when it is in season, and because I understand it.  So it makes sense why I might not understand or fully appreciate art, especially abstract art: I have not been to any galleries, I can’t name a whole lot of artists, and I can’t even name a whole lot of art styles.  I just have not surrounded myself with art, and so that’s why I need more help to look at art and fully understand and appreciate it!

A little glimpse of my family and our different teams. My mom (on left) is a Cowboys fan, I am a Chiefs fan, and my sister (on right) is a Raiders fan.  My dad is a Broncos fan, my aunt is a Seahawks fan, and my uncle is a 49ers fan.  This was taken at this years Superbowl party, unfortunately the Chiefs lost... badly. 

[whywhohowwhat]

Questions of the Week:

What art is most challenging for you? Why?

What makes an artwork good or bad?

[amandabuhay]

The art that is most challenging to me is probably abstract paintings.  I don’t know, I just think that there are some paintings out there that look as if a child just scribbled over the entire canvas.  The fact that sometimes these kinds of paintings get sold for thousands of dollars confuses me.  Are people buying these abstract paintings because of the artist, the method used to paint them, or simply because they look “good?”  I have to be honest, I don’t think all abstract paintings look “good.”  To me, they kind of just look like a bunch of colors on a canvas, and to me, there is just no meaning or purpose; there are just different paint colors on a canvas.  What I really like about some abstract paintings is that some artists use techniques of showing the “paint bumps” (as I call them for I don’t really know what that method is called).  I really like to see that element of the paint drying in a way that it “jumps out.”

I think that when someone defines an artwork as “good or bad,” it is really based on what they are perceiving.  Each person has their own opinions about EVERYTHING.  So to define what makes an artwork as good or bad really depends on who is defining it.  This is funny to answer because in this week’s question of the week, I answered saying that most abstract paintings just don’t look “good” to me.  So I guess now I have to define what good really means for me.  I think defining what artwork looks good or bad is based on whether it is pleasing to my eye, whether or not it has meaning, and if it invokes a feeling within me.  I like to find meaning among everything in this world; I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that everything has a meaning behind it.  I really thought that the Manifest Art Project by Julian Rosefeldt was good because I saw that there was meaning behind each video.  Though I didn’t really understand what was being shown or said, I was literally on the edge of my seat with my face close to my laptop screen trying to understand it all!  With the reaction that I had, it proves that I thought that artwork was good.  

[amandabuhay]

Class Discussion Response

Tina said something like this in class: “Listening does not mean agreeing or conforming.”  This was based on our conversation about what Christians’ roles are in this world.  I notice that I am someone who is easily influenced.  I am a listener and I am an “agree-er.”  So, as a Christ follower, I know that I have to be extremely careful about what I am watching, listening to, reading, and even talking to or engaging with.  I have been reading the book of Luke during my devotional times.  Luke 6:45 says this: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  This has caused me to really reflect on what I am putting into my heart, and therefore, what is flowing out of my heart.  As a twenty year old Christian, I want to be “relevant” in this world so that I can be within the loop and be able to talk to people about the relevant stuff going on in this world, but I also want to ensure that the things of this world are not making room in my heart.  This is only possible when I literally put Christ before me and the world behind me.  This world is my temporary home, and I am on a mission here, and that means that I have to be some-what in the know of all that is relevant, like Paul in his ministry speaking to Romans, Jews, and Gentiles.  However, Heaven is my forever home, and I am on a mission for God.  So, while I can listen to, watch, read, talk, or engage with things and people in this world, I must always put God first.  I must always listen to what He has to say first.  I must always watch as to what He is doing, read His truth, pray to Him, and worship Him first before this world.

[amandabuhay]

Week 14 Reading Response

I feel that this week’s content had a lot of different ideas to think about and tackle.  In the video, “Love the Art, Hate the Artist,” the speaker brought up Chuck Close who produced amazing portraits, but his actions were out of line.  For me, I find it very hard to look at his art or even enjoy it knowing that some of the female participants, who he had produced portraits of, had very uncomfortable and humiliating encounters with him.  I really liked what the speaker had to say at the end of the video though.  We must be aware of what we are consuming, and therefore be aware of how what we are consuming is affecting our lives or others’ lives.  There is art out there that hurts other people.  I think of the film “Cuties” that sexualized young girls.  People see film as art, and while I have not seen “Cuties,” I have only heard of it, I do not see this film as art.  It degrades young girls, and is actually just quite to hear what the film was about.  Therefore, I believe that no one should ever consume art that hurts other people.  “Be intentional about what you see or consume and either actively or passively support.”  I think that we all have a responsibility to ensure that what we are consuming is not hurting others or ourselves.  All in all, this video has just shown me that I have a harder time supporting art that is created by an artist who has done highly offensive actions.  I cannot look at the art without thinking about what the artist has done.  I just cannot support something knowing that other people were hurt in the process of the creation.

In “Art as a Proper Job,” I really liked when the author pointed out that Paul made tents to support himself while on his mission, sharing the Gospel.  I really like that the author clearly points out that going into the arts only to find fame and fortune is a bad deal, and I totally agree with that!  The author says this: “But our worth can never be measured by the commercial price placed on us, or even by our self-estimation.”  Our value only comes from God.  It can be a very dangerous and sabotaging thing to rely on money for our value.  This causes me to think about my future career.  My dad has high standards when it comes to jobs, money, and work ethics.  Growing up, I always thought that he measured value and success by the job you have and how much money you make.  Therefore, I always thought that I needed to go to school to be in this extravagant career that makes a lot of money, and oh man, is that a dangerous place to be in.  Because I was placing my identity in my job and the amount of money I would make, rather than putting my identity in Jesus Christ.  I went through a health scare, and I lost the ability to play softball.  Softball was my whole life, I started playing when I was 6 years old, and at 14, I could no longer play.  I was devastated, but my dad said something that I will always remember: “You are not Amanda, the softball player. You are Amanda, the daughter of the Heavenly Father.”  This really shifted my view of who I was: My value and identity is not in what I do, it is whose I am.  And to be quite honest, I am in a season where I am realizing that money is literally not everything.  While yes, it’s nice to have nice things, but money and things are not what make me content and whole.  It is only Jesus Christ who makes me content and whole, and I hope to never place my value on how much money I make; I hope to place my value on who God says I am.

This is a picture of me and my friends paddleboarding/kayaking this weekend! Super fun!!!

[whywhohowwhat]

Questions of the Week

What types of art are you most drawn to? Why?

Has an artwork ever changed your mind about something? Explain.

[amandabuhay]

I am not so sure if I can truly explain the kind of art that I am most drawn to, but I like art that has simple meaning, simple words, and simple designs, but yet also has color!  I am really into looking at art that consists of calligraphy and little designs (Usually people create these types of art on Procreate and post it on Instagram, Pinterest, or sell them as little prints).  I am also into murals on buildings!  I love driving or walking around streets with buildings that have murals on them!  There is not a specific reason as to why I am most drawn to looking and enjoying these types of art, I just really enjoy looking at them.  They make me happy, and they are just very pleasing to my eyes.  When it comes to murals on buildings, I am always surprised at how colorful and abstract they are.  I also love that some of these murals can bring about a message that the artist wants to tell the public citizens, and that they can even represent a community or bring a community together.  (I will attach a photo, so you can understand what I mean!)

I cannot think of many pieces of art that have caused me to change my mind about something, but I can think of some of the written words that cause me to have a new and fresh perspective on different things.  I like to read poems and written words, typically about Jesus (usually I find these on social media, like Instagram or Pinterest).  There are times when I feel down, anxious, lonely, sad, ashamed, or just like “blah”, simply because of the lies that I am feeding into my head or that the enemy is feeding into my head.  I of course try to lean on God through these feelings, so I would typically read my Bible, journal, and pray to God, but I also like to read words written by different Christian authors that remind me of who God is and His love for me.  Reading these really help me to “change my mind” about the lies that are inside my head to the truth about who God is and what He thinks about me. (I am attaching a photo of an example!)

[amandabuhay]

Week 13 Reading Response

“The Bible encourages us to know the times we live in and to choose our communication accordingly” (Turner, 2017, p. 129).  One of the reflecting questions from Imagine that I find to be interesting is, “Would you distinguish between ‘Christian art’ and art made by a Christian?”  Reading from Imagine, I found some interesting ideas that I seemed to have forgotten about.  Jesus chose words and illustrations for His own teachings during His time and culture.  Paul chose words to speak and write according to the specific audiences (Jewish, Greek, Roman).  I like this sentence from Imagine too: “The worldview doesn’t change, but the presentation does” (Turner, 2017, p. 129).  So this causes me to think about the question that I had stated.  I think that the difference between “Christian art” and art made by a Christian is that, in this day and age, ‘Christian art’ is less relevant than art made by a Christian.  What I mean by this is that ‘Christian art’ is only able to speak to Christians; it has too much Christianese terminology, and it can be very cheesy and away from the current times.  There is nothing wrong with that, but I think that art made by a Christian can reach so many more people in this world.  Turner (2017) says that we have to be listening to what is being said before we can even contribute our own thoughts and words to a conversation or debate.  Paul was aware of the audiences that he spoke to, for example, Acts 17, when he reasoned with the Jews and Greeks and pointed out an idol that says “To an unknown god.”  He did his own research; he listened and understood the backgrounds, values, and beliefs of the people in Athens.  So like Paul, Christian artists must be aware of the culture that they are living in so that they can create art that will be relevant.  This causes me to ask, how are Christians going to reach people for the Kingdom of God if they can’t speak the same cultural language as some people?  Jesus Himself spoke to all types of people.  He didn’t just choose one specific group and only minister to them, but He spoke to a variety of different groups: Children, adults, poor, wealthy, women, men, Jews, Samaritans, Romans, etc.  So we are able to do the same today, and we should do the same today.  We shouldn’t be afraid of today’s culture.  Yes, there are lots of sinful things in our current world, but there were a lot of sinful things in Jesus’ time in the world too.  We should listen to what is happening and what is relevant today so that we as Christians can be a part of the conversations and debates that are going on in this world today.

As for the Manifesto art project by Julian Rosefeldt, I didn’t understand it at all.  (I wish you could’ve seen the confused look on my face as I watched three different videos trying to understand what the heck was going on.)  In the video with the family, why did she pray and start saying “I am for blah blah blah” for so long?  Why were there animals and why was there an alive bird?  I also watched the “punk rock” video, and I was still so confused!  I also watched the news anchor video, and that one made a little more sense.  I found it interesting when she started saying that conceptual art does not have to be abstract but that it can be simple.  But I still have so many questions!  Why do they have a moment in each video where she starts singing words?  In the news anchor video, why do they have fake rain?  Is this in response to fake news?  I honestly just don’t get it.  It definitely was different, and it definitely left me with so many questions and so much confusion.  But I will say that these videos were intriguing, and I was definitely sitting on the edge of my seat with my eyes close to the screen trying to understand it.

This was taken on Easter! It’s a picture of pretty flowers and my German Shepherd (Mikey)! He is a very curious dog, and loves to protect his people!

[whywhohowwhat]

Question of the Week:

What makes art successful?

[amandabuhay]

I think that the term “success” is very subjective.  Each individual defines success differently.  My term of success can be completely different compared to your term of success.  I think that success is differently defined by each person because of their environment.  For example, my term of success is influenced by what I see in my family, in this world, on social media, and also what my values and beliefs are in Christianity.  Since many different things influence the term success, that is why I think that “art success” depends on each artist!  But in my own opinion, what I think makes art successful is if the artist enjoys creating his or her own art, and if he or she likes the art that he or she is creating.  My dad has always told me to find a job that I love.  Not what he or my mom loves, but what I love.  I have to be honest too, I think that money has a lot to do with success as well.  However, I am coming to a place where I don’t think that money is EVERYTHING.  Sure, we need money to survive, but we don’t need excess money to be happy.  Therefore, I think that money can account for the success of art, but I don’t think that it makes art completely successful.  Overall, I think that art is successful when the artist of that art defines it as successful mainly because each person’s definition of success is different.

[amandabuhay]

How Creative Project

yay playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/42Kp6PcbgupF2rudX91ByQ?si=JrH2vYkFSR-9KcvRnt5s0g

boo playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mgVSButi6tJ8doFy2R4li?si=lqLq2YBzQcyVUPwk4kq9Rg

[amandabuhay]

Class Discussion Response

I really love what one of our classmates said: “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”  This caused me to think, what am I putting my attention on?  Who or what am I paying the most attention to?  And what can I start now to simplify my life in order to pay attention to what matters most?  If I think about that small step that I can take to simplify my life and start paying attention to what matters most, I think about the things that I am consuming.  Do I really need social media?  Do I really need to watch reality TV?  Do I really need to listen to music that makes people feel not too good about themselves?  Do I really need to buy the next cute outfit I see or the newest gadget?  Do I really need things to look a “better” way?  As I type these things out, they don’t make me feel good about myself, and they definitely don’t allow me to focus my attention on what matters.  SO the step that I can take right now is to stop watching things, reading things, and listening to things that don’t make me feel good.  I want to pay more attention as to what makes me feel a certain way.  I want to simplify my life in a way that I can be okay without having social media, TV, or secular music.  I want to be more aware of my own life, and I want to have more self-control to stop using social media when I reach my 1 hour limit, or watching TV or listening to music when I start feeling negative.  Simplifying my life sounds AMAZING, but I know that I will have to be intentional, and I definitely know that I just have to start now!

[amandabuhay]

Week 12 Reading Response

As someone who is always in her head, I really appreciated the “Truth” chapter in Emerge.  I have most definitely caught myself saying, “It has to be perfect. I have to be perfect. I’m not creative. I’ll never be able to do this or that. I am not good at public speaking/presentations. I am not good at this or that. I don’t have time. I am too busy with school or work.”  These scripts really do hold me back from accomplishing not just creative goals, but other life goals too.  A week ago, we had a speaker at chapel, and she said to get rid of the “Lie of just”: “I am just this. I am just that.”  She explained that we are not just whatever we say we are.  We are who we are because God created each one of us with a purpose for this specific time.  To overcome these scripts, I really like step one.  Step one is all about being aware of what you are speaking about, over, and to yourself.  I definitely need to work on what I say about myself and my circumstances.  Being aware and recording my scripts can really show me the “truths” (that are actually lies) that I am speaking to myself; this will allow me to change those thoughts and those scripts.

The “Usefulness” chapter hit hard, and oh man, did it call me out a bit.  I don’t want to be a lukewarm Christian; I don’t want to be one foot in and one foot out.  I want to be all in, but technology, entertainment, and consumerism definitely takes a toll on my walk with God.  I was really called out for having a Pinterest account to make me look “hip or cool.”  I definitely use Pinterest as a place where I envy some of the outfits that other girls wear or the houses that other people have.  I “pin” outfits, styles, and home decor for inspiration purposes, but I also pin things to look “cool” sometimes, and it does cause me to be in the virtual world rather than the real world.  I had to delete TikTok because I was scrolling through it for three hours a day; it kept me from the real world.  I noticed that TikTok literally took away my desire to be productive.  I didn’t want to do my homework; I just wanted to lay on my bed and watch TikTok videos for hours.  I really appreciate the author of Emerge calling out the world’s agendas for consumerism.  It is so true that companies are constantly saying that if you don’t have this product, you will not be satisfied, or that this product will satisfy all your needs.  This is so wrong!  I am guilty of falling in the consumerism trap; I like to online shop and buy clothes.  Sometimes I think that wearing these clothes will make me feel better about myself, but when I buy them and wear them, I only want more clothes or different styled clothes.  I agree with the author of Emerge, that if we want to be useful, we need to be good stewards of our bodies, time, and resources.  Pinterest, TikTok, and online shopping will never draw me closer to God, they will only distract me and lead me away from Him.

I loved what was said in All That Is Made, I love the idea of creativity as being a devotional practice, and I especially love this sentence: “We declare that any activity with God is sacred, no matter how frivolous it may seem to the outside world.”  Creativity (and of course not only creativity) can be an act of reconnecting with our “first love.”  It’s honestly such a beautiful concept to think about: How amazing is it that God has given us all hobbies, talents, and gifts in order for us to use those to spend time with Him!  Also, I love what All That Is Made had to say about remembering the Holy Spirit for when you “arrive.”  I think of this for the moments in my life when I thought there was no hope, but actually God got me through those times; He brought hope and restoration.  I think of this when I will one day be sitting in the counselor’s chair talking to a client face-to-face.  I believe that everything I have gone through and will go through was and is because of God.

I though that it was fitting to share a snippet of one of my Pinterest boards called “cute stuff” where I just literally put cute photos in. 

[whywhohowwhat]

Question of the Week:

How can art be made “to the glory of God”? What does that look like? What doesn’t it look like?

[amandabuhay]

Art that is made “to the glory of God” looks like it is literally only praising God, the Creator of the universe.  The art points out who He is, what He does, and what He has done in the past.  This art should reflect Holiness, love, peace, and truth; it should reflect who Jesus Christ is.  This art should only be used for the benefit of God and God’s people; it should never lead a person astray from God.  This art does not look like it is against God or His creation.  It does not look like it is giving something or someone else the glory.  For example, the golden calf that the Isrealites created during the period of the exodus from Egypt does not look like art that gives glory to God; it gives glory to something else; to something fake and powerless.  Art made “to the glory of God” also should not be art where the artist takes all of the credit; the Christian artist should remember who gave him or her the gifts and talents to create art in the first place (God).  Ultimately, God knows the heart of the artist and the meaning behind each and every art piece.  If the art is going to glorify Him, I believe that He will let it glorify Him.  However, if it is not, I believe that He will deal with it on his own account.

[amandabuhay]

Who Creative Project: Part 2

This was a harder project for me to really think about, but when thinking about objects that I use daily, and when thinking about my identity and who I am as a creative image bearer of God, I think of my pens and journal.  Every day, I journal to God.  I throw my prayers, my struggles, my anxieties, my angers, my praises, my thoughts, and so much more into my journal.  I do it every morning (it’s a part of my daily routine, and if I don’t do it, I feel so out of whack… I constantly need Jesus!!), and it always brings me peace and comfort when I just write to God.

I feel a lot, and I have a lot of emotions that I used to be afraid to express to God.  One day though, I just realized that I could literally share anything and everything with God.  I can share the moments when I am discouraged, scared, angry, sad, joyful, excited, irritated, annoyed, and so much more with Him because He listens, He cares, and He wants to help me in these moments.  I see these written words as my creation of entries that only God and I can see; it’s sort of like an intimate thing.  My identity is who God has made me to be, and He has created me to be in relationship with Him and to glorify Him and His Kingdom.  I also believe that my identity is to love His people; I always pray to reflect His love to all of the people that I encounter.  I always want everyone around me to experience Jesus’ love, peace, comfort, and acceptance.

I have relabled my pens.  Each one is a different color. Pink is for feeling blessed, filled, or overjoyed.  Green is for feeling annoyed, irritated, and “over it.”  Purple is for feeling worried, anxious, scared, or triggered.  Orange is for feeling angry, or (excuse my language) “pissed off.”  Finally, blue is for feeling sad, down, low-spirited, and discouraged  Everyday, I have different emotions and things that I am feeling because everyday is different.  I am going to use a colored pen each day based on what I am feeling, and I am going to give those feelings and emotions all to God.  I think it will be a really cool thing because it will remind me that I am human, I am allowed to express these feelings, I can write about these feelings to God, and I know that God will help and guide me with these emotions.  Ultimately, using these pens will guide me to express my authentic self to God even more, and the coolest thing is that I still get to start my day by writing and praying to God!  Just Him and I!

[amandabuhay]

Who Creative Project: Part 1

I am the “Thinker.”  Well, on the creative test I received “The Thinker.”  The Thinker’s strength is the ability to find and create meaning, and the Thinker’s untapped potential is the ability to apply ideas in real life.  I find this statement to be very interesting: “Ever the perpetual student, you experience the world as an endless opportunity for learning, discovery, and truth-seeking.”  The Thinker can see the big picture and a deep meaning for almost anything, and the Thinker can spend much time alone, deeply engaged in ideas within the mind.

After reading more about the other creative types, I definitely think that I resonate most with this type.  I do find myself trying to find meaning for almost everything, and I do find myself constantly seeking for truth.  What I mean by this is that I believe everything happens for a reason, and I believe that everything I do must have purpose and meaning for something much greater than myself (God).  Also, the Thinker is in his or her own thoughts a lot, and I have to say, I am in my thoughts a lot too.  With that being said, sometimes, the Thinker needs to get out of his or her own head.  I definitely resonate with that.  I need to put my thoughts to life, rather than just keep them boxed inside my head.  What keeps me from stepping out of my comfort zone or putting ideas to life is me staying in my head and overthinking everything.

What I found interesting is that the Adventurer type can provide the perfect counterbalance for the Thinker.  The Adventurer can remind the Thinker to “Embrace the joys of creation and to not be afraid to get your hands a little dirty in the process.”  If this doesn’t describe me and my best friend, I don’t know what does.  I have the tendency to constantly be in my head, but my best friend, who definitely has the infectious energy and playful spirit, is able to bring a playful and “crazy” side out of me.  I am usually a quiet person who likes to observe, think about, and judge situations, but my best friend moves me to actually experience and live in those situations.

I think this Creative Test was really cool and helpful to understand more about who I am as a creative person.  It kind of makes sense when I read about the Thinker.  I am not typically the creative type, I don’t typically do much art or artistic things, but I wonder, maybe it’s because I am in my head too much.  I think that if I just take the chance to channel my inner playful, creative, “crazy” side, the person who I usually am when I am with my best friend, I think I can create something pretty cool and pretty meaningful to me, and maybe someone else.

Side note: I notice that the art that I am making in this class has really deep meaning to who I am… Hmmm, could that be a part of my creative type?

[amandabuhay]

Class Discussion Response

Professor Linville challenged us as a class to answer this question: “What is one thing that you can do today to simplify your life, to build that village, and to create that habitat?”  To simplify my life, I am going to work on driving slower, eating slower, walking to class slower, and talking to people slower.  We live in a very fast paced world, and if I just slow down and breathe, I think that I can begin to see more of the beauty in each day.  As I said in class, I like to drive fast, and I like to beat the estimated time of my arrival (totally not good, I know!).  But what would happen if I just drive the speed limit and be okay with being behind the slow driver?  1. I am sure I would be less likely to get a speeding ticket (haha).  2. I think I would be able to enjoy the time by myself when I am driving.  3. I might see a new building that I have never seen before!  4. New and abstract thoughts might come to head because I am actually breathing and not worrying about how I am going to pass the driver in front of me.  To build that village, I am going to first of all be that village.  I have explained before that I am a very agreeable person, and that I am a people-pleaser.  But I don’t want to just be that “yeah” person because then I am not helping or being fully supportive.  I am being fake and not honest at all.  I want to work on being able to “boo” someone BUT WITH LOVE.  I know I need to hear “boos” once in a while, and to be quite honest, these are the most eye-opening experiences and advice that I receive.  Finally, I am going to create a habitat at my house.  Here at school, I have my desk, and this is typically where I get most of my work done.  But when I go home, I don’t have that type of habitat as I do at school.  I am going to be doing summer classes while I am at home, so I really need to make that habitat so that I can work on and complete my assignments.  I am thinking of probably changing up my room to where my desk is near my window (since I really like working in sunny places).  Also, I am going to keep my room and desk neat and organized because I think and work so much better in a clean environment.  One last thing, when I go home, I plan on donating a lot of the clothes I don’t wear!  I think that will simplify my life even more.

[amandabuhay]

Week 11 Reading Response

This week’s readings in Emerge, in my opinion, had to do most with what we are surrounded by.   Studies have shown that our surroundings affect the way we think and create.  These surroundings include colors, pictures, smells, music, lighting, and even comfort (like a comfortable chair or couch).  Perini calls the reader to create a space that allows him or her to be creative.  This varies for each person; there is no specific thing that a person needs in his or her surroundings that will cause creativity.  Rather, it is all based on the person’s preferences, which I find to be pretty cool that we all have our own ways in how creativity emerges among us.  For me, I prefer a much more quiet space where I can sit on something comfortable.  This can be when I am sitting on my bed in the morning time when the sun is shining in my room and my window is open.  I also find that most creative thoughts come when I am lounging around outside in the sun and there is a slight breeze (also, it has to be quiet and I have to be alone).  

Perini also reveals to the reader that having a village is essential.  I see a village as a support group, and it is so necessary to have a support group in order to fulfill dreams and passions.  These people are those who I am closest to, look up to, trust the most, and who know me best.  In my life, these people include my mom, dad, sister, sister-in-law, best friend, and roommate.  These people are who I go to for almost everything (when I need someone to cry to, when I need advice, when I need encouragement, when I just need to be heard).  What is awesome is that though I have my own village, I am also able to be a part of other villages too, like my sister’s, sister-in-law’s, best friend’s, and roommate’s.  

Perini also talks about what it looks like to have a simplified life.  I think that it is so funny that I literally watched a YouTube video about simplifying your life, and then right after I read this chapter.  We live in a VERY busy world, and we live in a world that is filled with always doing something.  Perini talks about reducing the unimportant tasks in order to pursue creative endeavors.  Unimportant and unnecessary tasks that I have in my life are watching TikTok for multiple hours in a day, binge watching reality TV shows, and scrolling through Instagram for a whole hour.  I am actually on a social media fast right now, and I will say it has been so nice because I am completing my assignments, I am living life in the present moment, and I am growing so much more in my faith.  I love the idea of minimizing my life, and I love the list that Perini gives in how to live simply.  The one that I want to work on is to eat and drive slowly, and I also want to be okay with living in silence.  This world is fast and it’s loud, and when you eliminate some of those distractions, your mind can start moving and thinking (thinking creatively!) when you are doing something slower, with more intention, and in silence.

Sharing a photo of when my friends and I went snowboarding this weekend! (it was my first time and it was SOOO much fun!)