INSPIRATION.   COLORFUL.     PASSION.

CREATIVITY.   UNIQUE.      CRITICAL.    INDEPENDENCE.

INNER PECAE.      LONELY.          HARD WORKING.

In the video “Laws that choke creativity” the speaker argues that how people open user-generated content up for business by telling three stories. I think the third story is the most interesting one to me; because he brings up the idea that the culture we might need today is the culture that our kids are producing all the time. As he says, “Taking the songs and remixing them to make them something different.” It is not for money, but for hobbit. And he emphasizes he’s talking about people taking and recreating using other people’s content without permission. As an art student, I think copyright is very important, even though it would be better if both the law and users were not holding extreme attitude.

In “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins”, the author Beverly J. Jones examined the rapid and significant changes of computer graphics during times, especially from 1945 to the present. She also talked about the relationship between “specific image, object, event or environment to conceptual frames.” (P.21) which exist within art and technology, and she emphasized that “cultural patterns embedded in their material and symbolic form” The primary thesis of this article is even though technology development is rapid and significant, old cultural patterns do not die. As she said “They may fade or become more evident…they may be deemphasized or emphasized.” (P.21)

One of the three historical examples Jones provided as an illustration of her thesis is during the early years of computing. “…Working at Bell Labs in 1966, Knowlton and Harmon produced gray-scale images form drawings, photographs and real objects by using data from a photodensitometer. ” (P.24) Jones stated, “This instrument presents the scanned image so prevalent in contemporary work.” (P.24) This example just shown that even though technology was not that developed in the early years of computing, people today are still drawn to the artwork with the same old patterns. Just like Jones thesis “old cultural patterns do not die.”

Another example to illustrate Jones’ thesis at work in today’s culture would be the instant camera. Instant photography, “Invented at Polaroid during the 1940s. Company founder Edwin H. Land masterminded the development of a one-step dry process that produced a finished photography a minute after the picture was taken.”(Baker Library.) So before the invention of instant camera, people had to go to the dark room and make photo. However, nowadays people can just use the instant camera to take photographs everywhere and the photos would come out on the photo paper just in seconds. Compare to the old fashion and digital camera, instant camera seems to keep advantages of new technology and also continuing the fashion of old culture patterns.

“Polaroid Instant Camera.” — New Directions – Baker Library. Harvard Business School, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 21-30.

In the article Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins, author Beverly Jones briefly talks about the early history of computer graphic and more recently and contemporary computer graphics, and she also brings up some good ideas about how these changes of computer graphics influence cultures.

In my opinion, I believe these changes are dramatic and rapid, and it have great effects on human beings and our society; just like Jones states “These changes are not simply technical effects. They contribute to maintenance and change of culturally conditioned conceptual patterns in the larger cultural historical context.” (P.21) However, when considering of the relationship between art and technology, I think that technology is not always promoting art, and technology will never replace people to create art.

1. How do you define “spirituality”?

In my opinion, spirituality is something we can’t see or touch but born in person and grows along with person. Spirituality is essential and vital to all human beings, because it connects to the consciousness and it is the core that leads people to find the inner self. I think everyone has spirituality and it is different from each one, even though sometimes people didn’t realize the spirituality but it does exists in person. I believe that spirituality affects deeply on how people act and think, and the way it exists is subconscious.

2. Does spirituality differ from religion?

I think spirituality does differ from religion. First of all, I believe that the spirituality born in person, but religion doesn’t. Secondly, spirituality is something people own it in various ways, just like no two fingerprints are the same; no two spiritualties are the same. However, they are some certain types of religions that exist in the world. Finally, from my own experiences and knowledge, I think one’s spirituality is not really connects to God while religion does, even though there are several different names of God.

3. How do you define “creativity”?

I think creativity is kind of ability that everyone has it, but the different levels of development of creativity between people depends on one’s knowledge and related amount of information. In my opinion, one’s creativity can be growed and practiced, and people can use creativity to turn a more abstract concept into concrete. And creativity is always connecting to inspiration, and spirituality plays a vital role here. I think spirituality and creativity supplement each other by providing positive information.

4.What is the source of creativity?

I believe there are many sources of creativity today, and I would like to summarize them by using a more simplified way. So I think the most important source of creativity is gift or talent. I have to admit that the great artists in the long art history were very talented, even though they had work hard and were very knowledgeable. And the other source is knowledge and the ability to use knowledge. Finally, I think it is important to people to be critical.

I do think this week’s reading helped me with understanding myself as an art student better, because it answered some essential and vital questions that made me struggling for a longtime. By reading the article The Mission of Art, I learned that there are many stages in the creative process that found by scientists, and the author Grey, A in his article trying to summarize the process as “Formulation, saturation, incubation, inspiration, translation, and integration.” (P.75) I think the way he summarized is interesting and I believe the most important stage for an artist in the creative process is inspiration.

In my opinion, when talking about one’s creativity, the most important part relates to it is the inspiration. In another word, inspiration sometimes determines one’s creativity in some way. As Grey said, “Every artist has his or her own unique process of inspiration.” (P.80) I totally agree his idea because from my own experience, I can tell that the way how I get ideas or inspiration is sometimes different from my classmates. For example, when I took the ceramic class I did not like to sketch and I always had no plan for my artworks. So I just followed my heart to do it, and the ideas and inspirations just came along with the progress when I built up my artwork. However, one of my friend really enjoyed doing sketches and she always plans ahead of what she’s going to build.

So I think inspiration is such an amazing process that its influences to artists is great. As Grey mentioned in his article, “Inspiration is beyond reason. (P.82)” and also “Inspiration is the most mysterious step in the creative process. The artist is possessed by a creative force, overtaken by a vision and driven to create.” (P.81). For me the saddest part of why inspiration is so important is that I can never make inspiration, but only can grab it when it comes.

When I think about my dress code, I have to say I did dress very differently based on the certain occasions and places, and I think the way I changed my outfits is depending on the environments and fashion trends. A quote I totally agree from the reading is “Attractiveness, then, affects self-concept and social experience.” (P.2) And I also believe the self-concept and social experience affects one’s attractiveness as well.I cannot conclude my dressing style just simply by saying it’s about girly, simple, sport, or comfortable, because I like to wear different types of clothes and adornment, and I care about details and quality of my appearance.

I wear perfume everyday, and I have total four ear piercing, because I collect earrings so I do have many pairs that I can change my earrings to match my clothes and make up everyday. I wear nail polish if I have no studio work, and I always dye my hair into different browns or dark brass color along with the season changes, I like wearing rings which either has good quality or handmade by myself.

Basically I would dress myself mostly depends on what I will do in the following day. For example, if I had to work in studio for more than three hours, I would choose to wear simple shirt, cardigan, black legging with boots, bright yellow backpack and wear a little bit make up such as foundation, eyeliner, mascara and lipbalm to illuminate myself and cheer myself up. I cannot wear heavy make up since some of my works required wearing mask and goggle, and I should wear apron and gloves for most of the time. So being simple and comfortable is what I would look for in the studio for the security reason. However, even though I cannot dress up too much and I do not wear any rings or bracelets in studio, I always want my appearance to be cheerful and positive, so I would customize myself with stylish and unique designed aprons and gloves to make myself looked better.

If I had a date in the following day, I would definitely wear more make-up such as pink blush powder, eyeshadow and more colorful lip color, straighten or curl my hair, change my legging to different patterns or colors tights, skirts or layering up dress, high heel or plat shoes. I think I also dress the different way when I was in Beijing. For instance, in the past summer break in Beijing I almost dressed up everyday, because I went to some formal and social occasions, and also some parties with friends. Unlike the school life in Eugene, I feel totally ok if everyone around me was suiting up and dressing up in Beijing, so I would change my dress to adapt the environment.

In my opinion, a girl needs to be elegant from every tiny details and this is how my mother taught me. She is a kind of career woman that I only see her wearing casual clothes on weekend and vacation and I barely see her wearing pants. Different style and high quality dress is always her best friend. She did not pierce her ears and no tattoos, but she have been wearing necklace for more than thirty years. She cares about the way people look at her, but I think she cares more about how she looks at herself, because she always tells me to be positive and cheerful no matter how others look at you. So I believe that my mother has great influenced me on how I respect myself and how I customize myself by making myself differently and caring about those little details.

Also I do think my peer community influenced me as well, since I am an art student, I have to say most of my classmates are very stylish. Many of them have colored hair such as pink or purple, beautiful and exaggerated tattoos and the way they dress up is unique and different.I believe they want to express themselves by dressing whatever and they are very confident. I believe that to be different and to be themselves is the core beliefs and values.