Sunday, June 1, 2014

Masterpiece Academy Question... Or The Final Essay


I know the assignment is a traditional MLA format but this doesn't quite fit the class and I am breaking the rules, I know.  But this is a narrative about my whole experience in this class, so this is a better way to explain it from my point of view...

I came into senior year as a nervous and anxious girl looking to just pass another class in order to check the boxes that were required to get out of this high school and onto where ever the road takes me.  I didn't quite know how this class would end up whether it would live up to its reputation or if it would be a walk in the park.  Regardless of the situation, I figured I would give it my best shot because I love learning for the sake of learning which seemed to be what I was getting myself into.
At first I didn't quite understand how I was to take charge of my own learning process.  The year kind of went like this...

"Hey, you guys can take the reins and go."
... "K.  Sure Dr. Preston."... 
*waits for instruction and assignments and second semester to really do anything*  
"Hey you guys can take the reins and go."... "Bring it on."

Never did I believe I could feel confident enough to argue my point of view but here I was on back to school night, arguing about MLK with my English teacher.  Not one of my proudest arguments but I learned to be the devil's advocate really fast in this class... Whether against my teacher or even my peers.  The art of hosting online conversations was learned on commenting on many blog posts too.

I learned a lot through literature that relates back to this world too.  I learned that you shouldn't judge people for what you hear about them because they might turn out to be someone you want to get to know.  After spending six plus hours in a car with a group of people I didn't quite talk to every day at school, I became the greatest of friends with them. (#yukoncrew).  Much like Elizabeth's experience with rumors/ common misconceptions, I realized what an awesome group of people I was with and will never forget those memories.  I mean, spending most of the drive rapping or singing disney songs really brings a group of people together.  Without Melissa's Yosemite Science Expedition, this wouldn't have ever been possible.

Going on Melissa's trip was a giant leap for me.  Never have I hiked or cared for hiking before but I pushed myself to do it and bond with my class.  It was the greatest risk I have ever taken so far.  I was contemplating backing out last minute but I realized that this was meant to be.  Everything happens for a reason.  (Everything is connected.... Connected, connected, everything is connected.  Connected, connected, to everything else...)  

Coming back from the trip I have a different mindset about life and living in general.  I have come to realize that we measure our life in moments and memories, in lives touched, and in views that take our breathes away.  In a way I learned my true passion.  I learned that I want to show people how to express themselves through the arts whether it be emerging themselves in painting, or putting themselves in a story they have read.  I want to encourage creativity and inspire people with the life I live.  

"Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find it’s something you’re tremendously passionate about."-Steve Pavlina

Now that I realize my passion, I have realized my purpose... much like the rest of the people in my class.  Rebecca's is dance.  Jason's is wrestling.  Myra's is caring for people.  Samantha's is writing.  Allyson's is science.  Rudy's is music.  Udi's is making a difference in peoples lives.

It is interesting that it took us all year to figure out our passions and purposes even though it was all trapped inside of us all along.  Pip sought to be a gentleman his whole life.  Sidhartha went through his whole life to find his passion.  I don't think we are all as enlightened as he was but we are on the right path to it.

So I guess, in a way, open source learning gave me the confidence to be who I truly am and to follow my wildest dreams and passions to wherever they take me... 

So thanks, Dr. Preston.. For the ups and downs and all the in-betweens of this class.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Last Minute Thought

Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find it’s something you’re tremendously passionate about.
Steve Pavlina

Final Project


Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The Seventh Reading

Emily Dickinson- Hope
1st reading: comparing hope to a bird.. it rests inside of you and can be found where ever you go...  never in extremity?...

extremity: the extreme or terminal point, limit, or part of something.
2.
a limb of the body.
3.
Usually, extremities. the end part of a limb, as a hand or foot:to experience cold in one's extremities.
4.
Often, extremities. a condition or circumstance ofextreme need, distress, etc.: to suffer the extremities of being poor.
5.
the utmost or any extreme degree: the extremity of joy.


2nd reading: personification- hope being a bird able to sing..  hope doesn't ask of you but is always there?

3rd reading: hope keeps us 'warm' in our own 'storms'..  we don't need words to have hope, it is more of general feeling rather than saying

4th reading:  we  always have hope no matter what circumstance

5th reading: uses a lot of 'ands'... not very rhyming but has a certain flow or meter

6th reading: connotation of crumb, smallest, insignificant... but in context, it works well with the bird metaphor

7th reading:  sweetest connotation... most needed/ good rather than taste itself...

Monday, April 28, 2014

Mini Presentation

Rebecca, Kendall, and I started with interviewing our peers to look at how we see the media and our body image rather than looking at statistics... We got real life results and opinions from our peers.  Here is a video of the compilation of our results.
This is where our project will take a different turn so stay tuned!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Lady Macbeth Appreciation Post






Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it.
--Lady Macbeth, Act I, scene v







Lady Macbeth could quite possibly be my favorite character in any of Shakespeare's plays.  

Why?  She is completely badass.  Manipulative?  Yes.  Insane?  Yes.  Ruthless?  Yes.  But I can appreciate that she gets what she ultimately wants... and that she basically calls Macbeth out constantly when he starts to doubt himself.  I respect her.

My Art

I wanted to share something I am passionate about.. so here is my most recent art!






Sunday, April 13, 2014

THE CROSSROADS OF SHOULD AND MUST

Should and must..  Two completely different directions you can take in life.  You can go towards "should".  You SHOULD live averagely and live by society's standards but you MUST listen to your heart and your own morals.
I live by my passions and morals.  Like Picasso, I am an artist.  When I am in my zone, time slows and I am in my most perfect state of mind.  I want to continue my passion throughout my life so I don't have to work a single day because I love my job.

Notes on Act 4 of Macbeth

Macduff's son gets murdered... His wife seemed like she could find another husband?...
Malcolm and Macduff talk and Malcolm tests Macduff by saying he wouldn't ever be a good king because he is greedy and lustful and Macduff refuses to help him overthrow Macbeth because of it which shows that he would make a good companion in creating a good moral-ed Scotland again.
King can cure evil... Shakespeare is getting on good terms with the king, showing he has heavenly powers.
Macduff knows nothing of his son's murder and his wife..
Ross tells Macduff and Malcolm that they should fight Macbeth and they agree... He then tells Macduff about that his castle was attacked.. His wife, children, and servants were brutally murdered.. He vows to get revenge and hopes his family rests well...  But he says that if Macbeth escapes, he hopes God can pardon him

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Quote of the Day

A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.
— from Zen Shin Talks

Macbeth Reading Notes

Act 1
Prophecy of witches: Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, then King... Banquo will have his children be kings but he will not be a king........ which excites Macbeth and makes him think about killing King Duncan himself.
King gives him the title and is proud of him... announces that he will give his son the kingdom naming him Prince of Cumberland... He also says that Banquo is cool and gives him some props, says he will give him love
Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to kill the King and man up already... "Man up and kill him.  You are a coward!  Grow a pair!!!" Macbeth seems to look to his wife for advice... "But honey, I just got promoted..."
LOL- Macbeth basically told Lady Macbeth that she can only have sons because she is so manly and fearless
Act 2
Macbeth wants to get Banquo in on this but Banquo wants a clear conscious...
Lady Macbeth was willing to kill the king herself but she thought he looked like her father so she couldn't... has some type of feeling.
Chaos in the supernatural order..
Macbeth kills him and feels bad about it... Lady Macbeth tells him not to think about it...
Macduff is to wake him up and he finds him bloody
Macbeth plays it cool and kills the servants because he loved the king so much..
Malcom and Donalbain are suspicious and head off to Ireland and England... Don't want to be murdered
Ross starts to question the murder... asking who has what to gain from this murder... Kind of suspicious that Malcom would kill his father who gave him the kingdom... why would he flee?  Why did Macbeth have to kill the servants?

Lagging Behind

Hey, sorry for the lack of posts!  I was out for a few days last week working on an extensive art scholarship.  Which I worked on Wednesday-Friday... So I have some catching up to do.  Life seems to be getting busier and busier as it gets closer to graduation...

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Quote of the Day

Your body is the house you grew up in. How dare you try and burn it to the ground.
— Sierra Demulder

Interview Questions

Getting ready for your prep day tomorrow, I searched for a bunch of questions to ask people.  Here is what I came up with or found...

MacBeth Resources

For the entire play online, here.
For online play and discussions, here.
For No Fear Shakespeare, here.
For a theatre's POV on MacBeth and history, here.
For quotes from MacBeth, here.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

All Shapes and Sizes





'Wow, I don't like my height or my weight or the thickness of my body or this or that'...

Look at the variety in these people...  And realize, they are all olympic athletes... experts in their own sport... It is incredible.

Thank You Target!

Ladies and Gentlemen... I give you, Target... And the reason why this topic is oh so relevant.

PHOTOSHOPPING A THIGH GAP INTO A MODEL DOESN'T HELP YOUR SALES, NOR DOES IT HELP THE SELF ESTEEM OF MILLIONS OF GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD.

And we seem to wonder why we have a distorted view of realistic body image?





Body Image

I am not my body. I am not a blood sugar reading. I am not a weight. I am not the number of carbs/fat/calories I eat in a day.
I am my mind and soul, and there is too much possibility there to be sacrificed over anything else, whether that be diabetes, the eating disorder, depression. Anything.
I am a smile. I am the number of laughs I receive from life - the happiness I can try to bring to the lives of others.
What makes all of those things possible? Nourishment. Plain and simple - nourishment. 


Nobody wants to see a real person on the cover.

Vogue UK editor admits covers with non-traditional models don’t sell as well

A Masterpiece

She sits in front 
of a distorted mirror
convinced its her body
that’s the problem.

Low self esteem is
a bent mirror
that will cloud
everything you do
with a looming
cloud of self doubt.
— 5:17 p.m. (Your mind is playing tricks on you)

Kids and Body Image

Your body image plays a role in theirs

"On a diet, you can't eat." That is what one 5- year-old girl had to say in a study on girls' ideas about dieting. This and other research has shown that daughters are more likely to have ideas about dieting when their mothers diet. Children pick up on comments about dieting concepts that may seem harmless, such as limiting high-fat foods or eating less. Yet, as girls enter their teen years, having ideas about dieting can lead to problems. Many things can spark weight concerns for girls and impact their eating habits in potentially unhealthy ways:
  • Having mothers concerned about their own weight
  • Having mothers who are overly concerned about their daughters' weight and looks
  • Natural weight gain and other body changes during puberty
  • Peer pressure to look a certain way
  • Struggles with self-esteem
  • Media images showing the ideal female body as thin
Although not as common, boys are also at risk of developing unhealthy eating habits and eating disorders. Body image becomes an important issue for teenage boys as they struggle with body changes and pay more attention to media images of the "ideal" muscular male.Many teenage girls of average weight think they are overweight and are not satisfied with their bodies. Having extreme weight concerns — and acting on those concerns — can harm girls' social, physical, and emotional growth. Actions such as skipping meals or taking diet pills can lead to poor nutrition and difficulty learning. For some, extreme efforts to lose weight can lead toeating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. For others, the pressure to be thin can actually lead to binge eating disorder: overeating that is followed by extreme guilt. What's more, girls are more likely to further risk their health by trying to lose weight in unhealthy ways, such as smoking.

Help your child have a healthy body image

Your children pay attention to what you say and do — even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes. If you are always complaining about your weight or feel pressure to change your body shape, your children may learn that these are important concerns. If you are attracted to new "miracle" diets, they may learn that restrictive dieting is better than making healthy lifestyle choices. If you tell your daughter that she would be prettier if she lost weight, she will learn that the goals of weight loss are to be attractive and accepted by others.
Parents are role models and should try to follow the healthy eating and physical activity patterns that you would like your children to follow — for your health and theirs. Extreme weight concerns and eating disorders, as well as obesity, are hard to treat. Yet, you can play an important role in preventing these problems for your children.

Follow these steps to help your child develop a positive body image and relate to food in a healthy way:

  • Make sure your child understands that weight gain is a normal part of development, especially during puberty.
  • Avoid negative statements about food, weight, and body size and shape.
  • Allow your child to make decisions about food, while making sure that plenty of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks are available.
  • Compliment your child on her or his efforts, talents, accomplishments, and personal values.
  • Restrict television viewing, and watch television with your child and discuss the media images you see.
  • Encourage your school to enact policies against size and sexual discrimination, harassment, teasing, and name-calling; support the elimination of public weigh-ins and fat measurements.
  • Keep the communication lines with your child open.


A General Run-Down

Body Image and Women's Health

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?

Is your body image positive or negative? If your answer is negative, you are not alone. Many women in the United States feel pressured to measure up to a certain social and cultural ideal of beauty, which can lead to poor body image. Women are constantly bombarded with "Barbie Doll-like" images. By presenting an ideal that is so difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. It's no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. The message we're hearing is either "all women need to lose weight" or that the natural aging process is a "disastrous" fate.

Family and friends can influence your body image with positive and negative comments.Other pressures can come from the people in our lives.
  • A doctor's health advice can be misinterpreted and affect how a woman sees herself and feels about her body.

Learning to love what you see in the mirror

Healthy eating can promote healthy skin and hair, along with strong bones.We all want to look our best, but a healthy body is not always linked to appearance. In fact, healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes! Changing your body image means changing the way you think about your body. At the same time, healthy lifestyle choices are also key to improving body image.
  • Regular exercise has been shown to boost self-esteem, self-image, and energy levels.
  • Plenty of rest is key to stress management.

A Test for My Masterpiece

Well I thought it over for quite some time and I finally came to a possible test.......

Feeling more confident about your body than when first walked into the class

Obviously, body image is a hard topic to cover and it is more personal than most subjects being covered.  Nobody wants to talk about having low self-esteem but I mean everyone has something they dislike about their body...  With the exercises we plan, we can do this.  We can make everyone see something special in themselves for at least just a moment, that will be the most rewarding.