The audio clip on the microbial video game was very interesting to me as it got me thinking about the value that video games can have in aiding with education. Can video games stimulate kids enough while also having them learn and have fun? This is a hard question that has been tackled for a while but what this scientist did in incorporating live single cell organisms into a video game is a step in the right direction and could definitely get some people interested. I believe that the best way to learn is through hands on practice and through simulations and some video games we are allowed to experience something and learn from our mistakes. I feel that making video games that can help people learn valuable lessons or help educate is a great idea but do not know a good way to truly help educate kids and having the game be equally as fun. What do you think would be a good way to do this?

After reading “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” by Beverly Jones, I was left wondering the true impact that computer graphics have on people and why we are drawn to these? This article did a good job of pointing out what computer graphics are used in and how they are used, “Computer graphics in advertising and entertainment rely heavily on the appeal of technical special effects made possible by earlier scientific/technical developments” (Jones 8). This explains how technology is used to peak our interests for the use of different companies advertisements and in a way that normal pictures cannot do. For example, in some commercials the use of explosions and other elements are computer generated to stimulate people’s interest in the product and catch people’s attention. For me, I believe that computer graphics are an element that are hard to create but can ultimately pay off by introducing something that may have never be seen before and we become drawn to it. What do you think?

1. For me to define spirituality, I had to do a little investigation into how others have defined the word. After some investigation I found a humorous video that describes some stereotypes that people have given to spirituality and its relationship against religion. Here is the video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kDso5ElFRg . The video talks a lot about how spirituality is very artificial and changes people to think a certain way and act a certain way. For me, spirituality is an experience that brings forth a deeper thinking that comes from our true selves.

2. I believe that spirituality is different from religion, but that spirituality can be influenced by religion. Religion often requires using ones spirituality to comprehend a higher being or not and even though religion may require a sense of one’s spirituality, the two ideas are definitely different from each other. Religion to me is something that provides people with a greater purpose and is a full belief in something while spirituality is the discovery into those thoughts. Spirituality is a very unique experience and can definitely help in aiding religion.

3. Creativity is defined by many, including A. Grey in “The Mission of Art” as a process including “formulation, saturation, incubation, inspiration, translation, and integration” (Grey 6). This definition of creativity includes the use of one’s conscious for inspiration behind something. For me, I take this definition but would also add the fact that creativity also includes an inspiration from something inside ones self and a spark from previous beliefs. This is where I believe that spirituality and creativity are also connected.

4. I believe the source of creativity to be partially from spirituality, and partially from previous beliefs and experiences. Spirituality allows for deep and alternative thinking, which can in turn spark the creative process by allowing for new ideas. Creativity can also be sparked by previous beliefs and experiences by this influence being thought of in a different way than before, which can also lead to new ideas. Spirituality can help lead to creativity and can ultimately be beneficial in personal development and the development of new ideas.

Spears, J. (2014, October 5). How to be Ultra Spiritual (funny) – with JP Sears. Retrieved February 19, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kDso5ElFRg

I like to think of myself as a religious man, but also as a very spiritual being. Spirituality is something that is unique to all of us and is something that is not easily comprehended. Being a spiritual being involves seeing things for more than what they merely are and using your creativity to attempt to interpret what we believe the item to be. Spirituality brings meaning to so many things and can help take away our personal biases and egos to appreciate it. When artists create their art or interpret other people’s art, they see the art holistically and also are able to bring meaning to the art all at once. In “The Mission of Art” by A. Grey, it is discussed how people view art, “The artist’s three eyes of knowing are inspired by the radiant spiritual beauty of the subject, fascinated by the subject’s harmonic structure, and motivated to express the unique wholeness of the subject by drawing a bounding line around it” (Grey 5). This is very interesting to me that not only the aesthetic appeal and wholeness are seen by others, but that spiritual beauty is also seen by others which can be interpreted differently for all. As I am a confirmed and practicing Catholic, I may see something differently than a man of different religion from another part of the world may see an art piece even though we both consider the same aesthetic appeal and holistic standard of the art.

While religion does play a role in how people see art, spirituality is very different for everyone where religion may be the same. Spirituality allows different interpretations and different ideas to be seen while adding a whole other element to art. Different artists use their spirituality as their creativity to make their art and is why art can be so different when you look at different artists throughout the years. Through spirituality, artists are able to “see” things that they have never seen before that has been sparked by an idea and can see things on a deeper level than they ever have before because they questioned or challenged a previous thought they may have had. I am constantly asking questions to myself and trying to understand things and this causes me to get lost in my thoughts and think on a deeper level often, which is a very spiritual experience. Spirituality can capture emotions and feelings and can be triggered by a number of things. So many art forms do a great job at capturing spirituality of the individual even if it may not be seen at first and is something that brings a lot of meaning behind art.

Ringo, A. (2013, October 31). Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear? Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938/

To get a better grip on the subject and the questions that I had this week on why people enjoy fear, I did some research and found some interesting subjects. Since I do not enjoy horror or the thrill behind horror movies, it was hard for me to at first understand why people would pay to get scared, whether it was a horror film, haunted maze, or anything in between. After looking at the article “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” by Allegra Ringo, I was able to understand why I may not enjoy horror as much as others. According to an interview conducted, “There is strong evidence that this isn’t just about personal choice, but our brain chemistry…Lots of people also enjoy scary situations because it leaves them with a sense of confidence after it’s over…But again, self-scaring isn’t for everyone, and there are lots of psychological and personal reasons someone may not enjoy scary situations” (Ringo). Much of this longing to be scared is from our brain chemistry and how much some chemicals get released in someones body which makes sense to me as I don’t feel much rush in other situations either. The other point made was that some people feel a sense of accomplishment after, which is something that I never have felt after going through a scary situation. Finally, she points out that there are a lot of psychological and personal reasons that I can definitely relate to, one because I am a religious man and do not really believe in the satanic rituals that are often portrayed in horror, but also because I feel that I do not want to be associated with anything scary and that I would rather be kind and make people laugh rather than have a dark side to me, which may be why I enjoy comedy so much.

The most interesting part of horror to me, which was pointed out by this article, was how art spans across different cultures. In the interview they discuss the social constructions of fear, “When we look across time and across the world, we find that people truly can become afraid of anything” (Ringo). This brings back the personal reasons for why people can be scared and sometimes, people can even be conditioned to be scared of something. It is very interesting that one thing can be scary to one individual, but to another individual it is not even a thought as to it being scary. Clowns are one thing that a lot of people find scary, but to me clowns are nothing to be afraid of and is interesting to see the different behaviors when other people encounter clowns. This article did a good job of explaining the universality of fear and why it is thrilling to people in different situations as well as the attraction and fascination that we find in horror. This is very similar to our reading this week “Why Horror?” by Noel Carroll when she discusses “non-narrative examples of art-horror, such as those found in the fine arts and narrative horror fictions that do not deploy disclosure devices, attract their audiences insofar as the object of art-horror promote fascination at the same time they distress” (Carroll 14). When we see something that may be repulsive to us, we are interested and drawn into why it may be that way and start to question things, which is where the curiosity of horror starts to play a big role. Horror uses these psychological questions to draw people in and eventually find out why something is the way it is. Although horror may not be something that people enjoy, like myself, it is very understandable why so many people get drawn in because of how they think, or how they were raised differently.

I am definitely not one for horror movies or shows as I have always shown a strong dislike for them but all of my friends really find joy in the thrill of watching these movies. It was a different feeling for me having to watch this episode but it did definitely peak my interest at times that I didn’t fully understand why. In “Why Horror?” by Noel Carroll, she speaks of this interest, “Thus, the paradox of horror is an instance of a larger problem…that of explaining the way in which the artistic presentation of normally aversive events and objects can give rise to pleasure or can compel our interests” (Carroll 2). It is very interesting to me how something thrilling can keep us interested through many different ways. One example of this is non-diagetic sound, which was seen in the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is when people from different places are getting their voices sucked out of their mouths, and there is an odd noise that is coming from a sound effect put in which is what makes a non-diagetic sound. An example of mise-en-scene is when the scary looking men go in the dorm hall to slice a man open, two are dressed in tuxedo’s and the other two are wrapped in mummy looking dress while all their makeup is done on heavily to make them appear scary looking. The room that they enter is not lit because it is night time in the scene and the scene is shot mostly up above the man that is in his dorm room about to get sliced up but is also on the angles of the scary men’s faces. This is a mise-en-scene because it shows a lot about what the actors were doing with their clothing and makeup, shows the lighting and color, and also shows the camera angles at which it took them to film the scene and shows what is seen in the picture. Finally, an example of diagetic sound from this piece was when the wicked group is talking and praying to odd creatures because it is someone in the scene talking and visible on the screen to see.

The reason that I chose these examples was because all of these contributed to the aesthetic of horror for me because they all made me question what was going on but also peak my interest as to what was going on and why they were doing it. I believe that good horror is supposed to keep you on the edge of your seat and question what is happening next because it is unexpected, which is why this art form is unique from any others that we have studied so far. The different types of sound from the background music and sounds to the direct dialogue between characters in the scene really build the context and keep you interested into what will happen next. The mise-en-scene also contributes by analyzing all that is happening at a certain time and questioning why things happen at a certain time. Overall, even though I may not enjoy scary movies or shows, there is something that peaks my interest into the unknown and keeps me guessing as to what will happen next. This uncertainty is something that we as humans crave to find out and I now see how horror can bring much pleasure to people.

Reflecting on my dress and customization, I feel that I have evolved my fashion throughout the years. Just last year I felt comfortable going to class in athletic shorts and a sweatshirt and not fixing up my hair at all, but this year I have felt the need to look good for myself and that it is a lot of fun to customize and mix my dress and hair. I like to be current with my fashion and wear things from flannels to nice shirts everyday using different colors. One thing that I have always customized with and been expressive with have been my shoes. Ever since middle school I have worn that I see as unique and different because that’s how I express myself and feel that my shoes sometimes show my values and emotions. I value being a unique individual and believe that it is important to be yourself and express who you are. With my clothing, I believe that I express it is important to do what you enjoy and that I value making yourself feel good with how you look. One thing that has specifically changed for me over the years has been my hair. I haven’t grown my hair out long until recently and have found joy in styling and making it look different with headbands or hats to accessorize and express myself because I think it looks good. What I did not realize until recently was what my hair shows about myself, in C.R. Sanders book “Customizing the Body” he shows what hair has been known to express, “For both males and females hair style consistently has been a semi-permanent way to demonstrate opinion of and connection to current popular taste, established authority, and mainstream values” (Sanders 5). I guess that what I have come to realize is that my hair has given me some authority as I have been told that it makes me look older, and that I like to demonstrate my liking to the current popular taste that so many celebrity males have gone to long hair now as well. The reason why I choose the clothes that I do is because I do not want to be looked down upon because of my appearance and I now realize that I want people to have a good impression of me and see what I value based on my appearance and customization.

Some of the core beliefs from my family include being loving and open to others, working hard, and expressing our true selves no matter how different we may be. Loving and open to others is a value that resonates strongly with me as it is something that I value immensely and carry with me in my everyday life. One way that I express this value is often dressing invitingly like using soft colors and not using piercings or tattoos that may scare people away from your initial impressions. One way that I express my hard working belief in my outfits is when I dress professional to show that I am driven and focused. Finally, I really enjoy expressing myself through my dress and feel that this is very important and can often be seen as an art form. Doing something that you enjoy and can be seen as beautiful by a number of different people is something that should be encouraged and is something that can be a learning experience.

My peer community or friends has a separate core belief and value system that includes having fun, building relationships, and being unique. While being unique was a similar value that I shared with my family, my friends are very unique in how they dress but more specifically in body adornment with tattoos, different hats, watches, and even unique ways of hair styling. The value of having fun is often expressed in my peer community by wearing comical shirts and other clothes that most college kids wear when going out because it is fashionable. Also, we express our belief in building relationships by often dressing similar, on purpose or on accident, and also documenting our appearances with each other. Fashion in college is very unique because of how universal it is but also by how expressive many people can be with how they accessorize. I believe that being able to express oneself with clothing or body adornment is a very unique art form and is very expressive of how people feel and value. From head to toe, people can be seen differently by one subtle difference and the interpretations are vast on the different ways people express themselves.

The first person that I saw was a female who was wearing a heavy rain jacket with bright yoga pants and running shoes. She had brown hair with blonde highlights and had her hair in a pony tail in a hairband. The way that she was dressed made me feel like she was going to work out and that I believe she valued her personal health and fitness. I also felt that she liked to be fashionable with her bright colors and dyed hair. The assumptions that I made based on her dress was that she was a white, college aged female who was very healthy and the look on her face made her appear to me as if she was emotionally worried about something or about working out. These assumptions I made may say similar things about me because I dress in a similar way when I go to work out at the gym and feel that I am constantly worried and thinking about things when I am walking by myself to get somewhere, I value thinking deeply and this reflects in my facial expressions when I am walking around.

The second person I saw was a man in a grey sweatshirt, jeans, and an Oregon stocking cap and was wearing a black backpack. One belief I feel he expresses with his backpack was that he believed in a good education. One value I believe he expressed with his stocking cap was that he values his comfort and wanted to stay warm. Overall, I assumed, based on his attire, that he was a college aged white male that was from Oregon. This says about my values that I assume that most people that look and dress like the people I know from a place are immediately believed by me to be from that place. This is an unfair assumption and shows how I do not look deeply into a person until I get to know them better but also that I like to associate people with familiar faces because it makes me more comfortable.

The third person I saw appeared to me to be an older gentleman with glasses and a polo and jeans. His hair looked a little sporadic to me as well as his facial hair and it appeared that he had a concerned look on his face while looking at his computer. I believe that he expressed a knowledgeable value as he was looking onto his computer screen intently and it appears to me that he cares about school more than appearance because his hair was messy and had longer facial hair. Based on his appearance, I would say that he is a mid to late twenties white male who appears to be emotionally stable but very stressed. This says a lot about my values as I often find myself being stressed often but value my time to myself and believe that it is important to take time off and enjoy things. I also believe it is important to take care of yourself and look nice at times.

Deresiewicz, W. (2012, 27 October) A Matter of Taste? [The New York Times On-Line] Retrieved January 31 2015 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/opinion/sunday/how-food-replaced-art-as-high-culture.html

The article “A Matter of Taste?” by William Deresiewicz spoke a lot about how food has in ways replaced art recently and the value we put on food today. William spoke about how food is regarded how art is regarded and that now we put more value on food than we do art pieces. In the article, he mentions aestheticism of food and how so many people share a similar passion for food today. Ultimately, Williams believes that we are heading down the wrong path in valuing food over art and feel that food should not be regarded in the manner it is today.

This article was very interesting to me and had a lot of links to the things that we learned this week. The article spoke about aesthetics of food and how it has appealed the minds of the 21st century and that food has become almost a religion to some today. We spoke of aestheticism in our reading “Food as Art” by Elizabeth Telfer and in our videos also drew a line where aestheticism of food separates whether food should be considered art or not. In the videos, they spoke of how slow food should not be considered art because it is not unique or made in an artistic way. The article by William Deresiewicz also spoke about how food should not be considered art because even though it incorporates our senses, it is not something that is symbolic or that will express emotion. I do not agree with these as I feel that there can be something symbolic about food and that food can definitely bring up emotions in someone because senses are heightened. I thought this article was very interesting in pointing out how food is being regarded in today’s culture, which is something that I agree with. Food has become a very broad subject and has allowed for a lot of different inputs from people who feel that food has become a lifestyle and the experience behind making and creating food is exactly like art. I believe that this is because food is an art form and that we should be treating it that way to allow artistic freedom and to bring along new ideas to art.

The article I chose also spoke about how food specifically cannot introduce new ideas and provoke any thought for people. Elizabeth Telfer would refute this point in her article when she said, “Many meals are intended by their cooks to be considered largely in this way – to be savoured, appraised, thought about, discussed – and many eaters consider them this way” (Telfer 7). Many foods are meant to bring up discussion and when a group of people go out to a restaurant, the experience brings up a lot of conversation to be considered by everyone and in which case could bring up new ideas that were sparked by food. Food can bring people together and provoke deep thinking by a lot of people, much like the first thanksgiving brought the pilgrims and Native Americans together. In many ways, food is not seen as art because people see the food itself as something that we must do everyday and focus on the item of food as whether it is art. For me, art is a process and an experience, not just an individual item, and the craft behind making and eating food can really bring up a lot of different senses and emotions. If I go out to eat at a restaurant with my friends, I look forward to not only the food that I get to experience but the company and ideas discussed with my friends and that is something that I can relate as art.

One thing that left me thinking after reading my article was when he spoke about food taking the meaning that art once did in a lot of places.  I believe that this is because food and art should coexist together to help bring new ideas and food is an art because it is “replacing” the things that art once used to represent. Art traditionally challenges thoughts, creative, and represented a wide range of standards. Today, art does this by using different dishes and different palettes to be criticized by others for its representation and also to bring people together to discuss real issues and challenge thoughts. Food is art because it not only encompasses all the ideas art is meant to represent, but also brings an experience that many other art forms do not normally bring with them.