kalliope's mastery journal

I am a creative thinker living in Houston. I love to sing and am always overdressed. I enjoy learning and challenging myself. I'm currently pursuing a Master's in New Media Journalism at Full Sail University.

[kalliopesmastery]

Month 4: Legal Aspects of Media

Legal Aspects of Media has been the most informative course during my mastery journey. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to practice journalist-like presentation skills in week two covering defamation. Having the skills to research and compile information is one very specific, yet limited skill. Today’s journalism lives on a multitude of platforms and it’s success starts with the journalist’s ability to simplify and share information in a relatable, interesting way. You can see this from the popularity of social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, as well as modern news outlets like TheSkimm.

For my personal journey, Defamation and Copyright were the most relevant topics from the course. Both of these acts can be seen any day on any social media platform. It was enlightening to learn the role I could play in contributing to these illegal acts, especially with the degree of ease technology has provided. Studying these topics has made me more aware of how I share content, as well as how I support others who share. I also have a better understanding of how to protect myself as both a communications professional and everyday person.

The greatest takeaways from this course are, first, the ability to protect my original works and credibility as a communications professional. Second, The emphasis on knowing my rights, both to information and in general. Beyond the actual topics covered in this course, the research methods provided me with the ability to stay up-to-date with media laws, especially in a time where technology is beginning to overwhelm some debatably outdated legal parameters.

As anticipated, I found this course to be challenging due to the intricacies and openness of interpretation of media laws. I enjoyed being able to study the landmark cases that defined most of the laws communication professionals abide by today. It was especially interesting to do my own research for modern day examples regarding the weekly topic. I might propose that this would be a great addition to the class discussions, making the application of older laws with difficult wording more relatable and create a more authentic atmosphere for discussion and debate. Overall, this course taught me important and applicable skills that will greatly impact my future as a communications professional.

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Month 3: Writing for Interactive Media

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Month 2: New Media & Communications Reflection

My original objective for this course was to familiarize myself with crafting an online presence. The course provided many helpful resources to assist in building this foundation. The two most important elements were creating a brand and a platform for this brand to live on. I used my 3 resources to set small goals everyday in order to achieve the weekly goals and eventually the ultimate goal, launching a website with content. This month, Meredith repeatedly asked the question, “Why?” When creating a brand and researching potential content It’s important to ask the following questions:

Why is my brand relevant?

Why am I writing?

Who am I writing for?

Of course I couldn’t create a successful brand with no audience, but I also can’t grow an audience without a brand. These things do not happen over night—a reoccurring theme and major a take-away from this month. I had my first encounter with web development and have since realized the importance of taking your time and googling everything. Although I don’t have a lot of content yet, it’s important to have something for my audience to look forward to. I dedicated a little bit of time to create some original photography so the site wouldn’t be too plain. I’ve also googled every html code in existence and still can’t figure out how to remove the line breaks that are “Cramping My [About Me page’s] Style” (UGK 1992). This is a work in progress and I’m celebrating the little successes, like launching a website! The first half of this was making sure my brand had a good foundation and I think I did a good job of achieving that. The second part was finding ways to grow and communicate with an audience. I’m personally not very active on social media, so I had to research my best options. I started by social stalking my peers and found my target audience was most active Instagram and Twitter. I decided growing my twitter audience would be a good place to start since it gives me the option to provide headlines, media, links, and interact in real time with an audience. It will also be a better place to share content from next month’s writing course. I can adopt Instagram into my brand as I grow my content visually throughout the courses. I’m looking forward to the next course where I will be able to focus on finding my brand’s voice and strategizing the best ways to communicate my brand’s vision to my audience.

References:

Cochie, M. (2011). Defining an Audience. New Media Communications, New Media Journalism Master of Arts. Retrieved from: https://course.fso.fullsail.edu/class_sections/36333/assignments/906562

Cochie, M. (2011). Effective About Page Techniques and Tips. New Media Communications, New Media Journalism Master of Arts. Retrieved from: https://course.fso.fullsail.edu/class_sections/36333/assignments/906564

Leibtag, A. Creating Valuable Content: A Step-By-Step Checklist. Retrieved from: https://course.fso.fullsail.edu/class_sections/36333/assignments/906561

PATEL, N. Chapter 5. The Complete Guide to Building Your Blog Audience. [infographic]. Retrieved from: https://www.quicksprout.com/the-complete-guide-to-building-your-blog-audience-chapter-5/

UGK. (1992). Cramping My Style. Too Hard to Swallow. Jive Records.

[kalliopesmastery]

My inspiration this week is New York artist, Bradley Theodore. I love his style and interpretation of high-profile members of society.

"It’s the only time in our society that’s truly accepted for you to be a form of art. The average person on the street is trying to convey an image. That image could be an identity, he or she could be building himself as a painting: it might be the most super-glossed up glam queen, or they could be portraying this stupendous image of Madonna."

Bradley Theodore

REFERENCES

Dvalidze, I., & Frank, P. (9 October 2015). This Artist Is Bringing Impressionistic High Fashion To The Streets Of New York. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/09/bradley-theodore_n_5955118.html

Theodore, B. (2013). Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld. [painting]. Retrieved from: http://www.boweryboogie.com/2013/12/bradley-theodore-paints-karl-lagerfeld-anna-wintour-lasso-kenmare/

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Mastery Timeline Part 1

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Mastery Timeline Part 2

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In honor my Mastery journey and suicide prevention month, I was inspired by an Instagram post from one of my favorite organizations, To Write Love On Her Arms, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and assisting those who struggle with depression, self-harm, etc. The quote is from a poem written and performed by Sierra DeMulder and Tonya Ingram specifically for To Write Love On Her Arms on World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September 2015). While the original context of this quote references personal development from a health and wellness perspective, I also feel it reverberates in the realm of Mastery. It represents self-belief and determination, as well as an assertiveness in vision and goals. And much like meditation or prayer, vocalizing and visualizing success and achievement is a method many success people use on their journey to mastery.

REFERENCES:

twloha. (2015). We’ll See You Tomorrow. [video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MciYE2u4S3w

twloher. (2015). “Scream ‘I am worthy’ until the stars collapse upon your brilliance.” [online image]. Retrieved from: https://instagram.com/p/7voAo_i_km/

[kalliopesmastery]

I like the simplicity of the text and the pop of color in the flower embellishment. The choice of the flower came from my favorite quote from Week 1′s Mastery reading assignment: 

“Like a lotus flower, your skills will expand outward from a center of strength and confidence”

Robert Greene. Mastery. 2012.

[kalliopesmastery]

My Feedly http://feedly.com/i/my

[kalliopesmastery]

a space for me to organize information and inspiration for my mastery journey.

[kalliopesmastery]

My inspiration for this week is a quote that has acted as a reminder throughout my life to cognisant of the limitations and fears I can put on myself. This directly reflects the concepts from Mastery by Robert Greene, in which we are constantly reminded to retain our child-like spirit and imagination in order to gain a true sense of self purpose and ultimately your Life’s Task. I am inspired by Henry David Thoreau and his dedication to searching for the meaning of life.

artwork property of TheLoveShop

retrieved from: 

http://www.redbubble.com/people/theloveshop/works/15208854-all-good-things-are-wild-and-free?utm_campaign=activity&utm_medium=email&utm_source=RB

[kalliopesmastery]

she, kalliope

With a free spirit and hungry imagination, I embrace the world and it’s obstacles with a balance of strategy and creativity. I am currently on a mission to immerse myself in creative opportunity in hopes of achieving a stronger, more confident state of my true self. My journey with Full Sail is intended to be an outlet through which personal and professional discovery can be a priority in my life. The ultimate goal of my journey is to define specific areas of branding in order to elevate my personal brand as a lifestyle guru.

My interests range from external forms of expression, such as music and fashion, to the internal harmony of health and spiritual well-being. I believe all of these aspects contribute to overall happiness and fulfillment. I would like to use my platform to inspire others to connect to their true selves by nurturing their self confidence and actively engaging in self evolution. I enjoy learning about ways to better the self and believe in my ability to inspire others to make positive changes in the way society functions.

My current projects including personal styling in one of Houston’s most affluent areas, songwriting/ producing an EP for a girl-power pop duo, and developing my personal brand.

I have a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communication from the University of Tampa where I focused on aspects of branding. Prior to acquiring this, I had the opportunity to grow up overseas, where I was able to frequently travel abroad, experiencing some of the world’s most beautiful cities and cultures. I attribute my desire for knowledge to my travels and commonly look to the wealth of art and history in european culture for inspiration in my everyday life.

I welcome you to this chapter of expression and discovery and look forward to all there is to gain from this experience.

kalliope.