Feedback Thoughts

   I really enjoy reading these Growth Mindset related articles. I love the encouragement and inspiration they give me. This week I read Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work and Make Good Art: Neil Gaiman’s Advice on the Creative Life. 

   Self-doubt is something I have always struggled with for as long as I can remember. I hold myself to such a high standard when it comes to creative and academic work. I tend to hold the belief that I can always improve and I can always do better, which has led me to a lot of self-doubts because I never few my work as ever being good enough. After reading the Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt, I found some of the tips to be a bit obvious, but some to be helpful. Tip number three was one that stuck out to me: 
   
   "Be vulnerable to a trusted community"

   This is something I have always struggled with because I am incredibly bent on "if it isn't good enough for me then I refuse to show it to anyone else." I am not a big fan of showing the process to the finish work. It's finished or no one will see it at all. However, this mindset I have developed is being challenged greatly this semester. I am currently in a Digital Design course where the professor is very progress based. He wants to see our sketches and to help us from beginning to end. I am learning to open up a little bit and realize it is not a bad thing to get developmental feedback, but overall I have been a little more anxious with every class. 

Caption: Created on cheezburger.com
   
   The Neil Gaiman commencement address is something that I have heard before many years ago, and it actually reminds me of my favorite quotes from Ira Glass:
  
   "Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years, you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work."

   What the two have in common to me is they both encourage just making stuff. That is the only way to get better it to continue writing, painting, creating and even if it's bad it's ok because you are doing something. Essentially, you have to create mistakes and learn from them. 

Topic Brainstorm

After taking some time to brainstorm the way I was leaning with the semester project, I still found myself going toward the fantasy route, but I like the idea of placing it in more a modern time. I reviewed the list and think I have narrowed it down to four stories I like. 

1. Urban Legends-

   I love the big cities and urban landscapes. Urban legends have always fascinated me. I always found it funny how every town has their own little urban legend. My hometown had one centered around a long, hidden road that led to a bunch of abandoned warehouses, where major spooky things went down. My friends and I attempted to drive the dark, narrow road on Halloween but one of the girls in my car started crying about half-way down the road so we turned around. Maybe I'll draw inspiration from that would make for a good story.

2. The Grimm Brothers-

   I have always been fond of the Grimm Brothers' fairytales, and one of my favorite shows is Grimm. The Grimm Brothers usually take a darker twist on things and make them heavily entertaining. I think it would be fun to explore their stories to a deeper extent. 

3.  Alice in Therapy-

   I always loved the Alice in Wonderland story, but there is no way she could have re-emerged from Wonderland without people assuming she is crazier than she was before. I think maybe exploring a story where she is coping with the aftermath of Wonderland. Maybe that is what Through the Looking Glass is about, I have never read that part of the story, but maybe exploring more Alice in Wonderland and drawing inspiration from it will be a fun project.

4. Greek Constellations-

   I am obsessed with astronomy, so this topic definitely peaked my interest. I love zodiacs and looking star birth charts, cause I think there is a little truth to them. I am a sun Gemini, rising Libra, and moon Gemini. My friend and I joke that all the stars must have mustered up all their Gemini energy to create me because I am through in through Gemini with the compatible Gemini counterpart in my rising. Maybe I might center a story around the stars and how they create the human-beings, or I might explore a story using the constellations waring with each other. This is definitely a topic I am leaning towards.

Caption: The Constellations obtained from https://amazingmusthaves.com/gift-ideas-for-space-enthusiasts/

Week 2 Story: Breaking News Report

Breaking News Report: Intoxicated Man Arrested at Local Carnival  

Anchor 1: Jenna Schapiro here on Channel 6 News. We have breaking news at the local circus where a man was arrested earlier today on public intoxication and reckless endangerment charges. Over to Willie Downs with the story. 

Bystander Interview Clip (17 seconds): Yeah he just came up to me and my daughter screaming about how he was going to uncage the tiger, and the tiger was trying to trick him. He started yelling at the ground and trees. My daughter was terrified. You know I thought I was taking my kid to a family-oriented place, and now she's scared for life. 

Willie: That was Joseph Jacobs recounting the dramatic scene that unfolded today at the circus where a local youth pastor by the name of Brahman attempted to set free a stage tiger. Brahman was seen screaming at the tiger– who was being kept in a cage for the closing show– and attempting to open the cage door.  We have a clip of the moment where Brahman is seen talking to the tiger in the cage and attempting to tear open the locked cage door. 

Beginning of Clip: 0 seconds 

Willie: After struggling with the door he believes he had successfully set the tiger free and begins pleading for his life claiming the tiger had tricked him. He then runs to bystanders begging for their opinions on the situation. We then see security and the K9 unit step in to restrain him.

End of Clip: 33 seconds

Willie: What is not shown in the clip is Brahman began begging one of the dogs to hear his story. After a minute, he then begins to thank the dog for making all right in the world again. That is when police arrest the man on public intoxication and reckless endangerment charges. They later found traces of psilocybin in his system. A drug commonly found in "magic mushrooms." Back to you Jenna.

Jenna: Wow. Thank you, Willie, for that rather insane moment. The circus representatives released a statement earlier today stating they "try to make the circus fun and enjoyable for all attendees, but want to ensure safety above all else. [They] will be working to investigate this issue to ensure it does not occur again." Jenna Schapiro Channel 6 News. Thank You. 

Caption: Brahman helping tiger. Obtained from mythfolklore.blogspot.com 

Author's Note: I was inspired by the story The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal by Joseph Jacobs. I have a background in journalism, so I envisioned this story as a "how would a news reporter explain this incident. What would that sound like?"
Bibliography: The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal by Joseph Jacobs 1912.

Reading Notes B

   I enjoyed the origin story of The Man in the Moon. It was a very interesting, short read about how the grass is always greener somewhere else. The man starts as a blacksmith, then begs to be a stone. When he finds he does not like that he asks to be a stone-cutter, then the sun, finally the moon. He does not enjoy being the moon, however, "the wise man" is tired of this man changing mind, and leaves him to be the moon. 

Caption: the man in the moon from istockphoto.com
  
   I enjoyed this short story. It was easy to read and had a critical message to it. I thought it was descriptive without being too wordy, and it got to the point quickly. The overall message was, of course, to not take for granted what you have. There is the good and bad in every situation. The blacksmith had it good, but he did not enjoy the heat, so he went somewhere cool as a stone. Although it was cool where he was as a stone, he was cut by a stone-cutter, and that displeased him. He found the bad in every situation he chose to be in until he was forced to be stuck as the moon. I think that is another important message in this story. You will always be dissatisfied when you look at the glass half-empty. 

Reading Options

The Mythology and Folklore UN-textbook seems like it is filled with very interesting stories. All truly jumped out to me. However, the three that I narrowed down to were:

Alice in Wonderland: I have always loved the Disney adaptation of the Alice In Wonderland, however, I know the Disney version skews heavily from the original. I have always been curious about the original or what Disney derived it from.

Beowulf: My favorite high school required reading. I remembered being so fascinated by this story.  I, unfortunately, lost my copy, so to see this on the list made me happy. I am not sure if I will read it again, but it definitely jumped out at me.

Robin Hood: Another story adapted by Disney that I found incredibly fun, so I am intrigued by what they changed.

Overall, I am excited by the lengthy list of reading options!

Caption: Alice in Wonderland from Alice-in-wonderland.net