Project Statement:
My third inquiry for Process + Systems discussed my struggle with obsession and anxiety in college through the method of stop motion and the theme of repetition. I chose stop motion because it was a format I had never experimented with before. I knew I wanted this project to explore a personal and relevant topic, so when I saw "repetition" as a possible theme, I interpreted it as my anxious and repetitive thoughts. From left to right I created 5 looping GIFs called, Inner Child, Make More, You're Not Doing Enough, Tooth Decay, and STOP. My goal was to take the overwhelming emotions I experience and turn them into a series that visually describes these feelings. To accomplish this I focused on creating chaotic compositions, experimenting with moving type, distorted images, scale, and position. Each GIF varies in message and method but when displayed side by side I hoped to express a collection of my nightmares, and self-doubt. My goal for this project was to experiment with stop motion and the many effects possible with this medium.
Response to Media#3:
Media #3 was podcast episode 247 from Creative Pep Talk. "The Top Most Important Things my Creative Heroes Taught Me" discusses many issues concerning how to improve yourself and your work as a creative person. My first reaction to this podcast was, wow, I wish I heard this earlier. A lot of the points he made I've slowly come to similar conclusions, but much less eloquently. For example, the struggle that all creative people face is that if something is uncomfortable, then it must be wrong to do. But in fact, pushing through that those agonizing moments of struggle is one of the most important phases of the creative process. I've been hearing about the importance of maintaining a growth mindset since middle school but now that I'm a design student who is halfway through the program, that message is really hitting home. Process + Systems has really pushed me in terms of failure. Having a faster turnaround for projects that I come up with myself has really forced me to face my shortcomings as a designer and student. Each inquiry has presented its own challenges because each one for me has been so different. Now that I've completed three very different projects I can reassess them to see what has been working and what can I learn from the failures. Miller also discussed not only making work with intention but really examining and being able to answer why you do what you do. This episode shook me in a lot of ways and has inspired me to sit down and find my own answers for my work and who I am as a designer.