Tory's media blog thst2450 @thst2450torydrobot-blog - Tumblr Blog

NOTJUST’S INSTA

poster for NOTJUST

NOT JUST- Change the campus

Our organization: NOT JUST.

For our group’s “change the school” project we decided we wanted to address the way the school portrays mental health issues. People often display advertisements that say things like “feeling depressed? Go outside! Do ___”. They portray mental illness and depression as something so curable if the person experiencing it would stop being lazy or try harder! This way of offering a “solution” to someone else’s chemical imbalance or situational reaction is harmful to anyone who has issues because it makes them feel like they just aren’t doing enough for themselves. In most cases, these people have tried everything under the sun to stop feeling how they’re feeling. Its insulting and ignorant to put up posters that downplay the feelings of depression and anxiety. Seeing posters that say “feeling sad? Go for a walk” hurts. Because it’s not just sadness. It's so much more complicated than that. Depression follows you every day. Sure, it wavers from bad to worse but it's not just going to disappear if someone drinks herbal tea or goes to “stress-busting Zumba”.

Our organization is called Not Just. We make a point of exposing all things on campus that downplay or “solve” mental health issues. People with depression are not just sad. If you have anxiety, you’re not just nervous. No walk I’ve ever taken had cured my mental health issues and the more people offer “cures” the more ignorant they sound. We take pictures of adds that are problematic to one’s understanding of mental illness. We display these pictures in our chosen media: Posters and social media Instagram account. We have the hashtag #notjust. We want to start with the Guelph campus and see a change in our community. Ultimately, we want to expand the popularity of our organization to reach other Canadian schools. Our mission is to encourage people in other communities and schools to point out harmful portrayals of mental illness.

We want followers of Not Just to take photos of toxic posters or ads they see and put them in our custom frames. They will type the word the ad says to reduce the illness. For example: in the template given below, the phrase “not just sad”.

We want supporters of our movement to tag the photo with the hashtag #notjust.

Starting in Guelph, there are many instances when our group felt that mental illness was shown in a toxic or simplistic way. We found one poster hung up in South residence. The poster said “Feeling depressed? Have some coffee!”

Unfortunately, the poster was torn down from the wall before we could go back and photograph it (someone else saw the obvious problems with this).

For starters, the person or people who made this add suggest that depression is curable by a cup of coffee. Any person vaguely familiar with depression knows that it’s not curable by one instance of bliss. To suggest this implies that people suffering should just shut up and drink a coffee. It’s insulting to erase the severity of mental issues and reduce it to being erased by one sip of hot bean water.

In this add found on campus in the UC, the add implies that people can just stop worrying like it’s a switch they can turn off. I’m sure that people with anxiety aren’t making a conscious effort to keep worrying and this add is telling them to STOP.

This advertisement for “Stressbusters” was found on the residence life website for the University of Guelph. Our organization pays attention to the online spaces of our campus as much as we look in the physical space. This event had good intentions to help students balance their exam study schedule with fun. However, stress doesn’t stop once you pick up a hot glue gun to do a craft. This add, while well intentioned actually minimizes the effects of stress and anxiety many students face.

#THST2450

how I used VR technology to study for my Art History Midterm

I am improving my use of technology. I'm not one for video games and when my friend invited me over to her house to look at her new VR device, I was uninterested. I hated the idea of VR because I have a feeling this is where the future of technology is and I would prefer to embrace the physical world. I thought that thought video games and VR distract one from the real world and keep you from being productive. This close-mindedness changed when I found I could study for my academics using VR. My friend showed me Google Earth street view VR. I had my Art History midterm on my mind and when she asked me where in the world I wanted to go... I chose Florence, Italy. to my surprise, I zoomed into the streets of Florence and I “walked to” all of the main open-air sculpture gardens and saw the David and the clock tower in the main political square. it was amazing to see the places I had been studying in VR because it made the experience seem so real and as a result: memorable. When I took the test, I thought back to the places I had seen and moved around in and the physical locations of all the artifacts. this acted as a great memory aid to increase my understanding of art history. I got to see the beauty of Florence without traveling there. and because I had a visual experience connected to the subject matter of my studies, I did very well on questions regarding the places I went to. I think that VR could be a very positive tool in the future to educate young art historians and art historians. I wish that schools in the future will use VR to show students what they are studying. we are truly progressing out of the pictures in a textbook to a full-on experience that amplifies sensory impact and the retention of information.

Florence, Italy

Piazza della Signoria

#thst2450 #florence

DIY/REMIX

I have decided to reflect on the DIY / remix assignment. For this activity, I decided to concentrate on remixing my attitude towards a shape I made for studio art class. The project required us to make a shape cluster featuring a cone, cube, and prism. We had to first create this shape cluster on Sketchup, using accurate measurements and then scale it to real life and build it using construction cardboard. I made so many errors measuring angles and the inches of each side. I am horrible at measuring and building when it comes to geometry. The number of times I screwed up and freaked out making this project is too high to count. No project has ever made me feel so depressed and hopeless. I had several panic attacks when making this hell shape cluster. When it was finally done I felt relieved and accomplished. I debated throwing it in the garbage when I finished the project but I felt attached to all my effort. I decided I wanted to keep my shape cluster but seeing the dull color of white really brought me back to the times of building it. I decided that in order for me to keep my shape and remember this challenge in a positive light, I would paint the shapes in bright and happy colors. By covering the dull and triggering white color of the shape, I get to still keep my shape, yet also giving the shapes a new life.

#thst2450

Class activity with block balancing

My favorite activity done in class this semester has to be the block balancing challenge. I am a rather shaky person when I draw or try to hold my hand out. I didn't think I would surprise myself with how well I was able to stay centered and calm while balancing the blocks. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I knew everyone was staring at me or, or the words of encouragement from my peers cheering me on that gave me the strength to balance. As my group would slowly place blocks on my hand, I felt that they genuinely wanted me to do well. we were working as a team and I was the representative of our hard work. I think it was a combo of wanting to please my team and also wanting to please myself and test my strength. Once I concentrated and focused on a single point (which I had previously learned in meditation class and also this class), my physical shaking was suppressed by my mental concentration. This exercise taught me that physical restrictions such as a tired or moving arm can be overpowered by the strength of my own mind and the ambition I had to challenge myself. I have recently been applying this to my workout routine. instead of feeling tired and stopping I have learned to concentrate on a spot in front of me, steady my breath and focus. When doing this, I found that my stamina has increased dramatically and my strength is growing. I never thought I would learn this neat mental trick from a bunch of blocks in a first-year university class.

#thst2450

gothic-waffle

MBTI test

Jay-Z Read more at: https://www.personalityclub.com/blog/famous-intj/So,

After the first class discussion on the hope of a “personality change” and being present v.s self-aware… I decided to take one of these “personality tests”.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjfvsaWw8zYAhUC9YMKHfwfAg4QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cpp.com%2Fen-US%2FProBriggs&psig=AOvVaw3Z_J71nBuQ-sGyhtPRhyLT&ust=1515640691126756

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO07G-w8zYAhUV24MKHX50Bm8QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMyers%25E2%2580%2593Briggs_Type_Indicator&psig=AOvVaw3Z_J71nBuQ-sGyhtPRhyLT&ust=1515640691126756

I was familiar with the Myers-Brigs typology or “16 personalities” type and I got my results *drumroll please*

I’m an INTJ

So what that means: I’m an (I)ntrovert, i(N)tuituve, (T)hinking, (J)udging

I get my energy from being alone with my own thoughts. This I have realized accurately represents my energy level issues. I find need to recharge after being surrounded by lots of people and noise.

Being Intuitive means that I enjoy and prefer to take in abstract, and theoretical concepts. I tend to be drawn to concepts and ideas over facts and concrete information. I will remember the overall concept of a movie over the colors of one actor’s shirt or sensory concerns.

As an intuitive dominant, sometimes I just know things. my main cognitive function is introverted intuition, often nicknamed the “ psychic” trait. People with this as a dominant function (INFJ, INTJ) can predict events occurring before their time. We intake info into our subconscious and let it guide us. To someone without this function, it may seem quite “hippy dippy” but to me, this holistic approach is easy to understand because its theory based (which I love) ❤️ 💕 💗 💖 💘

Thinking means that I rely more on my brain over my feelings. Of course, we all have emotion and this is true whether you are a dominant thinker or feeler. But the concept of thinking v.s feeling relates to what you prioritize. I value logic over the impulse to be guided by my feelings. This trait seems fairly true for me because I am quite serious, but I am still very sensitive. I wonder if my result is even accurate because I am more sensitive than INTJs seem to be in stereotypical examples, yet I am colder than the “nurturing” INFJs …

Judging doesn’t mean that I'm judgemental of people, it simply means that I prefer to start things when I get them and organize myself sooner rather than later. perceiving which is the opposite of my function prefers to be spontaneous and laid back in approach, often leaving things to the last min and remaining calm. I AM FULL OF STRESS AND FEAR so it’s easier for me to have my shit together right off the bat then to make last minute changes. IF I HAVE TO DO THIS I CAN BUT I HATE IT OH, MY GOD. I know that you’re going to say “life cant be planned, enjoy the chaos. I do. in moderation.

I understand that people are all so complex and cannot be placed into a box perfectly. This test is meant to give you an IDEA of what you can improve on and what you’re great at.

My personality type has been described as “quiet” , “task oriented” and “insightful”, “serious”, “independant”, “reserved”

Although we appear cold; we have a lot going on in our mind!

To name a few famous INTJs :

-Jay-Z

-Lewis Carroll

-C. S. Lewis

-Jane Austen

-Sylvia Plath

-Friedrich Nietzsche

-Heraclitus

-Stanley Kubrick

-James Cameron Read more at: https://www.personalityclub.com/blog/famous-intj/

from one INTJ to you

#THST2450

gothic-waffle

media class collage assignment on “Values”,

VALUES 💕

I value my pets and my family. most importantly I prioritize the relationship I have with these special people in my life. a love for animals is something very important to me and I always want to be surrounded by creatures! I would love to adopt a capybara in the future and this represents my future goal of owning a big animal sanctuary of rescues!! protecting fluffy friends and my family are the things I value most in life :)

PASSIONS👩🏼‍🎨

At my core, I am most passionate about my creation and appreciation of art. art is something that I have always done since I was born basically and it remains as a large part of my identity. art is the thing that makes life exciting for me. it’s the thing that drives me to work hard. life would be so boring without art in the grand sense. Finding beauty is something essential for human happiness. This can be an appreciation for nature and the world around you. Ideas and creative concepts take up the most space in my mind (or at least that’s how it feels). inspiration is the only way I can drive myself to do anything! its the root of all accomplishments and ambitions! This passion for art is the part of myself that I love the most! and the thing I look for in the world around me.

STRENGTHS 💪🏼

My biggest strengths lie in my individuality, determination, and work ethic. the image of the paint tubes and tea mugs all across a kitchen counter represents a time in my life when my best friend and I had a huge final art project to complete. It was fun but so time consuming and tedious. There were times when we were exhausted and sleep deprived, yet we kept painting and pushed through. We knew we had the greater final product to look forward to and it would all be worth it soon. It was. the image on the top right is the final portrait of Frida Kahlo that I finished on time. This painting was displayed in my high school hallway and the compliments I received for the detail and smooth complexion of the portrait made all my hard work worth it. this is a moment that made me feel proud and strong of my ability to work hard. the mural in the bottom right is one that I was commissioned to paint for my high school’s LGBTQIA+ 🌈 club. I worked on this mural for a year and saw it transform from a vision in my mind to a physical piece of art that everyone can see. Because I went to a Catholic school, the mural in the main foyer was hard to fight through. I faced censorship where I could not write the word “pride” because apparently, that got my shitty highschool alt right principal #SHOOK! Me and my fellow club members fought the school system for this welcome mural to be allowed in the main lobby. and because of our persistence and dedication to the task, it now rests in the school greeting every student on their way to class. I hope that this mural makes any confused or questioning students or staff feel welcomed and accepted. This achievement of mine makes me feel very strong and self-confident in my ability to advocate for a cause I care about, and my artistic ability to transform an idea into reality !!!!!

#thst2450

gothic-waffle

Group terms of service video

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-y2oezwSA17FUpJ_1X9ptENEwQFpofYN/view

Reflection: For our group terms of service video assignment, we wanted to demonstrate the dangers of neglecting to read the terms and conditions. Many of us blindly click through a company’s policies without a close look. This can become quite dangerous when the policies could be anything at all. Our group brainstormed a way to creatively demonstrate these dangers. We wanted to amplify the importance of the issue by conveying it in a dystopian futuristic world of corrupt technology. I took inspiration from Apple computers and the constant upgrading of phones. There are so many new phones coming out with updates that people hate. The lack of privacy in relation to snap chat or the tracking of our phones is outlined in both company’s terms of service, yet we still don’t read. Thankfully, there have been minimal truly malicious companies wanting to harm consumers. But what if this wasn’t the case? In our video, the company Apple (which is shown by using real apples as props) purposely rots old fruit so consumers need to buy the new and fancy Golden Apples. These new fruits seem to be the new obsession amongst everyone. The mass majority of society becomes hypnotized into joining the apple cult. By not reviewing the terms of service for the product they will soon buy, they fail to protect themselves against the mind control of the Apple company. They scan the terms of service blankly and sign their mind away essentially. Our story follows Trent’s character as his old phone breaks and his friends try to convert him to the golden apple cult. He goes in and makes and appointment to see the new phone and makes the same mistake everyone else makes! He never reads the terms and services. He signs on the dotted line and slowly, we see the cult begin to follow him and concert him. As he leaves the Apple Store, he senses that people are following him. He tries to run but the apple cult surrounds him and converts him. He did consent to this after all…

I really enjoyed working on this project with my group. We all had different ideas about how this could turn out and we found a way to effectively combine our ideas into one plot. The group work was a good way to work on communication skills and explain your ideas confidently to peers.

I learned about editing movies on iMovie, which I had never done before. I found it interesting to combine my background in photography and painting with directing some of the shots in the movie. I worked as a cinematographer. I instructed the camera angles, picked out the editing to be fine to the visuals ect… this experience allowed me to explore another form of media creation with confidence. We found a musical score for our story by looking at music in the public domain and researched how Creative Commons licences work. We also ran into several problems, such as finding filming locations on campus with decent lighting that suit our story. Getting extras to participate was also a challenge as some of our friends were camera shy, however we found what we needed.

When we presented our video, there was some mild confusion over the storyline. I believe this happened because of our elaborate idea and the difficulty to translate the full extent of our plot to the screen. This was a wake up call to all our wild imaginations saying that sometimes we have to reign it in. We can have all these complicated ideas, but they need to be understandable to someone who isn’t in our group brainstorming with us. As an artist, this is an ongoing challenge I am presented with. Making your thoughts and ideas tangible and easily recognized is the biggest challenge of the creative process in media.

thst2450torydrobot-blog

gothic-waffle

Transmedia story i made on my own

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DycR11KBgBE

For this video, I really took interest in the forms of non-violent protest that we discussed in class. I am fascinated with the powers of art to enable social change.

in my residence, there have been times when my friends and I stay up late in the lounge and want to push couches together and have a sleepover. Because we all have doubles in Artz Haüs, we have no space to have our friends over. Instead, we make use of the lounge. We thought this should be allowed because the lounge is usually empty. Also, there are 40 people in my rez and we are all friends and we would notify the group chat that the lounge is being used. People do this for their 6-hour D&D sessions, so why would the same amount of time use become a problem just because we are relaxing and may fall asleep at late hours in the night. By restricting such a basic human function such as sleep, Artz Haüs is erasing our freedom to exist comfortably in our backspace. My residence prides itself on being a home for all people who live there, so why yell at people for behaving respectfully and treating Arts Haüs like a home? (especially if the lounge is empty and we notify the chat). People also fall asleep in the study lounge sometimes and then get yelled at by RAs. What happens if you get sexiled from your room and have to sleep elsewhere??? the lounge is your only option.

ANYWAYS, to protest this rule and the ways the RAs enforce it, I have decided to film my friend Emma falling “asleep” in obscure places in the house.

They told us that aside from our rooms, we cant sleep anywhere… so I decided to film someone sleeping EVERYWHERE!!

The process of making this video was actually easy for me because I have used iMovie twice before. I also explored getting music from the public domain and uploading the video to youtube. I attained a creative commons license and now I’m able to copy a youtube link and share it with whoever I want. I have never uploaded anything to youtube and it was amazing to see something go from my computer to the internet. Overall, I am proud of my filming and editing skills and the way I overlayed the music with the visuals. I have gained so much confidence in film as a platform for creative expression. I look forward to growing in myself as a content creator. I think I may start to make youtube videos in the future about various things and as a way to express myself. This project challenged me creatively however, I found it incredibly rewarding. I have gained pride in my ability to make videos. I used to be intimidated by moving images and this has gone away.

#thst2450

gothic-waffle

GHCA (Guelph Homeless Care Association) -Change the city proposal THST2450

· For my group’s hypothetical Change the city proposal, we decided we wanted to concentrate on Improving the Guelph homeless shelters. Specifically, the conditions of these shelters. With the dropping temperatures in the winter, it is important that people have a safe and comfortable place to stay. The existing shelters are often overbooked and do not allow comfortable conditions for larger numbers of people to stay in. Due to the lack of space, people in need are often turned away. As a community, it is irresponsible to neglect people in need due to a lack of space.

· To find a way to solve this issue, our group decided we could buy small houses around Guelph and convert them into homeless shelters that maximize bed space for people to stay, provide food and basic hygiene loot bags, as well as giving these people access to medical attention (have nurses at each station). We would take on volunteers from the University of Guelph to help assist our social services workers and nurses. This would be a great way for students to gain volunteer experience in Guelph to put on their resumes, as well as allowing our organization to get the amount of people we need to run our organization. We would accept any food, clothing and bedding donations from the community of Guelph and partner with local thrift and second hand stores to get the supplies we need.

· This picture is an example of our facilities.

· In the winter the homeless face many issues with maintaining hygiene due to the snow and slush. Lots of individuals get trench foot. To solve this, we will be giving every visitor of our houses a clean pair of socks and shoes. This will be included in the bags we give everyone. Females also have the extra burden of dealing with periods and homelessness. Basic feminine hygiene products need to be distributed at our houses.

· To specifically concentrate on helping many women with periods, our organization will partner with the Guelph Walmart. We will build a deal where if you buy specifically marked pads, tampons, diva cups ect… then one of the items will also go to the homeless shelter to give to a female in need. Also, after you go grocery shopping, there will be a machine developed (similar to the self checkout) where you scan your receipt. The machine detects any hygiene products (toothpaste, face wash, makeup, etc.) and calculates the total value of 5% of what you spent on these items. The entire Walmart company will donate the 5% to go to one of our Guelph homeless shelters. This monetary amount will go towards maintaining the houses and costs associated with maintaining and growing our property.

#thst2450

gothic-waffle

Speaking Subjectively: Formal vs Informal uses of language.

Exercise (2) Speaking Subjectivity: Class & Comparative Youth Culture

How do you speak? You speech patterns reveal a great deal about your subjectivity within the context of your class. Are you working class or upper-middle class? According to Gee, it depends on your ‘language habits.’ Find Gee’s article in ProQuest.

Write about your speech and language habits by referring to specific examples (e.g., “Can I axe you a question…”).

Reflect on a moment when you were particularly self-conscious about your language.

The goals in this challenge include the following:

i. prove that you can use library resources and find an article;

ii. cite the article properly according to MLA;

iii. reflect on your uses of language;

iv. self-exploration.

Works Cited

Gee, James Paul. “Teenagers In New Times: A New Literacy Studies Perspective.” Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 43.5 (2000): 412. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Jan. 2012.

All human beings use different types of language and grammar depending on the social class of a situation. As made clear in Gee’s Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, we alter how we speak around different groups of people. Either to suit a formal setting or a casual interaction. Gee gives the example of a girl explaining a situation to her parents rather formally, versus her casually explaining the same situation to her boyfriend where she swears. I definitely alter the ways I speak and tell stories depending on who my audience is. Oddly enough I don’t do this around my mother because we have a very close bond and I tell her everything in the way I talk to my friends. I do however, do this when I have a question for a professor or teaching assistant. If I bring up my question to my friends I may say “what the hell do they mean in number thirteen? Why is this question written so damn confusingly”? but if I want to talk to the professor or TA about my question I may phrase my approach like this: “Hello, I have a question regarding the meaning of question thirteen of chapter two”… and then proceed to give specific examples of my confusion. I find that my online persona on my blog and Instagram is much more bold with my use of slang and profanity. I assume that everyone who follows my activity on social media is a teenager like myself who is also equally raunchy. However, lots of people on the internet are older and come from a different time as myself. Their language and understanding of humour is different than mine. Ultimately, I feel like as long as my social media accounts are not easily discoverable to my relatives then I have no problem expressing myself online. I am not participating in any hate crimes or sexism, racism or homophobia so I am not ashamed of what I say or re-blog online. My digital space is my own and although people can trace the activity back to me, I think there is nothing wrong with swearing. Digital media posts on Tumblr and Instagram are not formal, and because of this, I can play around with my informal use of language for comedic purposes.

#thst2450

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Tory's media blog thst2450