If I am being honest, I am very relieved that this is the last assignment I am submitting for this semester. And when I say this I don’t mean specifically for this class but, the semester as a whole. However, CT101 has been the best class of spring 22’ and I am so grateful for Professor Seaslow’s teaching style.

I had no idea what the basis for this class was going to be when I first registered to take it but, it turned out to be a really great learning experience. I was able to develop new skills in design and blogging. Iw as introduced to websites such as Giphy, Pixabay, Photopea, etc.  I learned the art of gifs and how to embed memes, images, and hyperlinks into our class discussion posts. In comparison to discussion board on Blackboard, the style of this class really trumps all of Blackboard

From learning how to use all these tools and incorporate them into our posts, I was able to build my own website. While it wasn’t the most strenuous of assignments, it was challenging. However, I cannot complain because in the end, it was the most rewarding. It allows for such much creative freedom and the fact that we weren’t restricted to following an exact layout was what made it so personal, and that more fun.

The creative challenge presented from this class was the most engaged you will find me in academic work. As I am almost near graduation, I am glad I was bale to take this class and have fun. Creative expression is something that never stops, and Im grateful with the fact that I was able to utilize that through this class.

My website is a creative space and the idea behind it is something I have always been wanting to do. I hope that I will have the time to keep up with posts and content, as I have a lot of ideas I want to touch on. 

Walking through my assignments, we can see how much more my skills have advanced as we progressed through the semester. Assignment 1 and 2 were the initial, getting our feet wet. We were beginning familiarized with each other as we introduced ourselves, familiarized with gifs and embedding. 

Assignment 3 at first was intimidating but, learning to make a gif was actually really fun. It was enjoyable going through my classmates gifs as well. 

Assignment 4 was also really fun. After creating a meme, I was like I could do anything. I chose the mashup assignment because I really wanted to express the Flash and The Office idea. I had a great time creating that post. 

With assignment 5, it’s really fun how, I was able to complete the task so efficiently because I took inspiration from the song I was listening to at the moment. It just goes to show how our creative outlooks can never be limited. 

Assignment 6 was the mid-semester assessment post, and while it wasn’t meant to show anything creative, we took as a time to reflect back on how much we have come so far. At the point in the semester I was hoping for a B but I wasn’t the most confident. I was having fun and learning a lot about gifs and hyperlinks, but my activity in participation made me worry. 

Assignment 7 was getting out feet wet with developing a website. I was really stressed in general at this point of the semester so the idea of developing a website made me worried. However, we took it one step at a time (Thank God) and I think overall, everyones websites really came together in the end, including mine. 

Assignments 8, 9 , and 10 are all an extension from assignment 7 as we continue to develop ideas for our websites/posts and find new ways to navigate around word press. 

And finally, we have assignment 12, where we were able to explore our classmates websites. It was great way to adopt new ideas and also just appreciate everybody creative freedom. 

In all, other than my yoga class 3 semesters ago, CT101 was a great experience in all my years at York. If I was to grade myself, I would give myself a B or B-. As I’ve mentioned on my mid-semester reflection, I felt that I could participate more in class. But now, as we come to the end, I have decided to go back to my classmates posts and leave comments to show that I am engaged in everybody’s wok, and really do enjoy reading through them all. 

 

Final Website Tour and Description:

Fateema’s Website

My homepage is titled “TheDays I live.” I titled it this in the hopes of it explaining the flow of my website. I want my audience to take inspiration and enjoy the little things in life, as well as, find ways to make their life a little easier.

I have hyper-linked my first blog post on my homepage. I wanted to start off with talking about how I like to stay  and plan out my schedule. And from that I want to move on to my various routines and the activities I like to participate in and how I like to stay organized.

I got rid of my contact page for now and instead I have displayed photos that I find fit my aesthetic. I also included a quote that I feel best represents the way I want to express my lifestyle through this website. 

I am having a lot of fun, challenging myself with the creative side of the designing my website. I have not gone too deep into my post just yet, but it is coming. For now, I see my website as a draft, and knowing mw it will never be perfect because I will always find a new idea on design, but I think it is safe to say, it is at a great point right now. I plan to further develop this in the summer, and with new travels, I want to include writing about my future trips. 

Thank you Professor Seaslow, and thank you class <3

 

 

 

As I visited my classmates’ websites, I was able to look through different creative styles. It was nice to really see how different everyone likes to express themselves creatively, and I was able to find a lot of inspiration through their own ideas.

I looked at Paola’s website as well as, Fatema’s website

I really love the minimal, clean, and pink aesthetic Paola has going on for her website. From read her introduction and her first blog post, it is clear that she wants to keep her content very clear and concise. Her “Book of Thoughts” post really inspired me. I definitely found I can take some of her ideas and incorporate them into my own website. She mentions writing about the current shows she’s watching or podcasts she’s listening to at the moment. II find that my website follows the same theme as hers , and these ideas would be good addition to add onto mine.

Fatema’s website was really cool, and very different that Paolas or mine. It just goes to show how creative my classmates are with and how they want express their chosen idea. Fatema’s website is like going through a travel brochure almost, and it really makes you feel you’re out in nature. I like her concept of  traveling and it inspired to include writing about my won travels in my future blogs posts.

In all, I feel that the class is having a lot fun with their websites. From day one we all knew this would be a fun and expressive class. It is nice having this outlet, especially through stressful final exams.

 

As I continue to work on my website, I have made a lot of progress, and changed somethings that I was unable to figure out when I first started.

If you look at the left side of the picture, I have finally figured how to get rid of the red block that I had mentioned on last weeks post.

I kept using the customize button and ignored the edit button up until now. And let me tell, it has solved so many issues for me.

I added a quote that from the movie “Sabrina” that really resonates with me. I felt this quote was good way to express my website.

I also hyperlinked my first blog post. Please check it out on my website : 333-Days.com <3

<3<3<3<3<3

I dont know why WordPress is set up this way. But when I click my post it takes me to this edit screen:

I do not how to find the text view from this set up. 🙁

Getting started on customizing my blog, I was reminded of my tumblr days, so naturally, I took to that as my inspiration of how I wanted to edit my blog page.  

I began by adding a logo and immediately changing the colors. I was not going for that red and white color scheme. I chose this picture as my logo because I wanted my blog to not only be personal but allow my viewers to feel a part of it. Going back to Tumblr, it was a blog post curated through photos and gifs. I followed those who curated photos under themes to my liking. I want my blog post now to do the same.

I went for a dark background to make the vibe more sultry and private. I contrasted with neutral colors for the rest of my blog page and also used this photo as my background. Although we were advised to use a solid color preferably, I felt that this photo was neutral in color and the textures were subtle. When I placed it as a background and saw how it looked scrolling through my blog I was very pleased. It is light and not distracting, I find it really asethetically pleasing. I guess a tip would be to play around with images and find something that is easy on the eye.
I also went ahead and added some photos off my Tumblr that followed the same theme I wanted for my blog page. If you look through the gallery under the contacts the photos are tropical, sandy, beach, and overall nature vibes. I want my page to be relaxing, and look at life through sunset colored lens.  I am not sure if the gallery will stay here however, I am considering a Gallery section to the menu bar so the photos can be more organized and easy to find for my viewers enjoyment.

I you scroll down on the main page you will find that I replaced the red blocks with images I found matched with the different posts I will eventually upload. I divided them into four sections: work and days, the life I deserve, feeding the soul, and familia.

However, I have been having a hard time trying to get rid of this red block. I really don’t like it but I can’t seem to find anything that allows me to either replace or delete it so, I have just navigated around it for now.

My next steps are to add into my blogs through pictures and detailed descriptions of my four sections and create a gallery section.

 

 

My overall experience with registering domain was smooth as I had the Professor’s video tutorial by my side for every step.

I wanted the domain name 333.com however it was taken. I had then come up with the idea to combine two of my domain name off my list and came up with 333-days.com. It’s kind of funny that this was similar to the Professors domain name however, rest assured, I came up with that after the fact 🙂 .

After I my domain name was approved and I verified my email, my next step was to install WordPress.

After getting a first look at my newly created website I am excited to start designing it as my own.

When coming up with potential domain name ideas I considered aesthetics. I wanted something personal but, at the same time, I wanted it to be intriguing to my desired audience. 

• • • • • PresidentRoutine.com

        • CareEscape.com

        • FateemaA.com

        • 333.com

For my website, I want my audience to experience a day in the life with me. I enjoy watching mini day in the life vlogs on Tik Tok, I guess you can say it is a guilty pleasure. I have yet to create one of my own, but  I love the idea of taking the time to do so. If you ever watch videos like these you see how aesthically pleasing they can be and it also motivates you to be productive. I think as I am in my early 20’s, I am transitioning from young-adult to I am about to be 22 and I have my sh*t together young-adult. From 18-20 I was still beginning to learn the hardships of being fully independent however,  now I am solid with my current employment, on track with my finances, with my fitness, seld-care, and my social-life. Watching day in the life videos of others who appear to be “put together” inspires me and motivates me to stay on track, so I would hope my website can  help others who desire a more organized and productive lifestyle achieve this goal. 

            

Some of my favorite websites/apps are Tik Tok and Youtbe. I like that Tik Tok on Tik Tok we can watch short and quick entertaining videos. The app grew quickly and  now the content can reach anyone’s likings.  I also like Youtube as I am subscribed to people who create aesthetic content. I personally like videos where people are not talking a lot, more of them putting together clips that we can peacefully watch. 

I worry however, how difficult this process might be. It is say to sit and watch videos or go on a website but truthfully, I am intimated creating one myself. I am also very specific the way I like things but at the same time ver indecisive, so I hope I am able to to meet my expectations as well as please my desired audience.

 

 

How am I doing in CT101?

If would rate how I’m doing in CT101 in grade level I would give myself at B. I  understand the assignments and am completing them however, I would say I could be more engaged in the my peers blog posts. I initially had a hard time navigating through the blog post but I got the hang of it. But once I finish my work, I fail to find time to go back throughout the week to see everyone else’s work.

 

How many points have I earned so far and what grade do I believe I am maintaining? 

I am having a hard time understanding the point system so I am not too sure however, I hope I am within the 80 average so that would mean 20 points.

 

 

 

What have I learned and retained the most?

I have learned a lot about creating gifs and the class has opened me to express my digital creativity in ways I have not done before. The hyperlink specifically is a really nifty skill that I appreciate learning. I def

What new skills have I developed , cultivated and displayed regularly in my weekly posts?

Gifs with hyperlinks are skills I have developed, cultivated, and displayed regularly throughout my weekly posts.

How do I assess my performance through self-reflection in this class?

I would say I am a very creative person however I have not been able to express it as I would like. This class has opened that opportunity for me, and self-reflecting on my performance so far, I would say that my work Is very individualist and personal to me, and I would say that is something my classmates could agree with.

 

What do I know now that I did not know before taking this class?

I was open to a lot more outlets to generate and create gifs and express my ideas creatively.

Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? If so, please explain –  or am I stuck in a loop where my posts seem to look the same most of the time, how will I change that?

Some blog posts did feel receptive with each other as they followed the same format however, with assignment 4 and assignment 5 helped to expand my work creatively.

Are there any assignments that you are missing? If so, list them. Are you commenting regularly on your classmates posts? Are you responding back to comments given to you by the professor & your classmates? Are you participating during the class time? If not, explain why. This is the time to be accountable. How will you make needed improvements?

I am missing assignment 7 and I could be doing a lot better about commenting on my classmates posts. I do reply as follow-up after I have posted mine for that specific assignment. I am not participating during class, I find it better for me personally to watch how the professor explains how to complete the next assignment. I would improve on this by being more engaged with my class work.

What are you inspired to do? 

I am inspired to succeed in whatever I choose to do after college. I am not completely sure what I want to do, but I want to establish myself and become more financially independent. I work a lot and I push myself a lot to stay on track butI know that if I stay disciplined I will be secure. 

What are you inspired to make or create?

I am inspired to build my own house. One of my long-term goals is to invest in multiple homes as soon as I can so they can be a form of income for myself as I grow older. I have a really creative imagination and when it comes to decorating, I’ll always have a plan or idea of what I want and how I want it. 

What are you compelled to create? 

While working with mmm.page I was listening to this song and it inspired me to design my page around the lyrics, “External validation is not a prerequisite for self appreciation.” It is something that always resonated with me ever since I first listened to this song, and I even have it tattooed on me. I wanted to spread this message to anyone that might need it. 

What did you create? 

I created a page that was minimal with the intention of the viewer to focus on the main point. Social media, magazines, music, etc., continue to fill our eyes with misconceptions on how we think and feel. We become judgmental not only of ourselves but of others but, I wanted to create a page that reminds us to love our skin for what it is, not for what we think will please the eyes of someone else.

One assignment that I was confident in my skills was the mashup assignment. The mashup assignments are creative and fun because it essentially is the same concept of a meme. What I mean by that is you kind of have to decipher the visuals in order to understand the meaning behind it. A meme and a mashup assignment both represent a particular theme/phenemon however, it is humorously done. A mashup assignment in itself is taking two images and incoprotaing one into the other in order to combine two different elements to represt a single element.

In my own mashup above, I combined two great shows, The Flash and The Office. I followed the “Superhuman In Everyday Life mashup assignment. In my design, I am Flash speeding into a work meeting depicting my life of always waking up late for my own office job. The power of speed would really be a blessing in my life.

One assignment that I do not know how to do yet is the 3D printing assignment. The concept of 3D printing is amazing as it adds to how technologically advanced we have come in society. 3D printing can significantly reduce the time spent on creative projects. The mediums for 3D printing extends to manufacture parts, home decor, and even medicine as they can print configurable prosthetics. I remember in highschool one of my teachers had a 3D printer in the classroom as a part of his robotics after-school class. It was really fascinating to see it actually work and produce a phone case in the end. We have come a long way from 3D glasses!

I need a better understanding of computer and software design in order to grasp the 3D assignment. The 3D assignment is personally interesting to me because of the dyeing aspect, so I would like to better understand how to construct whatever object I desire to be efficiently printed. This also includes the type of materials and measurements I would need to ensure the best results.

I think taking a look at all the assignments would be a helpful way to better learn and build both emergent storytelling skills. By doing so, you extend your knowledge to different elements and variety of tools to include in storytelling. As a professional you want to be able to extend your horizon to multiple tools, it helps maintain creative ingenuity. 

 

ARE MEMES ART?

A meme is intended to describe an artistic impression on something, commonly it would be pop culture. Taking this into consideration, I would argue memes as a form of art, anything artistically expressed is considered a form of art. Memes parallel Andy Warhol art which appropriated images from pop culture. 

MEMES ARE HERE TO STAY… BUT IS THIS GOOD OR BAD FOR ART?IS THIS GOOD OR BAD FOR COMMUNICATION?

Memes are great for communication as it is a different, unique, and more modern art form. Older generations might place less value in it, but we have to go with the times, and that means, we use memes. Memes express a shared experience/ reference that travel throughout social media.

ARE MEMES SIMPLY JUST FORMS OF SELF-EXPRESSION?OR ARE THEY MORE? WELL, WHY OR WHY NOT?

Memes go beyond just a form of self-expression. Yes, I would consider it a medium for self expression however, we can look at memes as a prism of communication for understanding pop culture

CAN MEMES BE USED FOR STORYTELLING?

Yes, traditionally storytelling requires us to use our imagination to visualize a scene. Memes aid in visual storytelling as they images, and graphics to have the reader engage and think about the general idea based on a small medium. A meme is essentially a graphic worth a thousand words. 

 

 

 

 

What did you think on the first day of the CT101?

I did not fully understand the overall idea of the course however, I  was pleasantly surprised with how much of a creative outlet this class will open for us. It is exciting and definitely refreshing having an expressive and open class in comparison to our statistical psychology🤮 lectures and what not.

Did you like hearing about the course and its creative content? How did it make you feel?

I was honestly so relieved after hearing and understanding how refreshing this class would be. I have not been able to express myself creatively in a long time, and I only just began to use different outlets such as doing my makeup and learning different techniques. However, it is nice being able to be more expressive  and opeen in class. It honestly keeps me more engaged and definitely more interested.

How does CT101 compare to some of your other classes?

I am currently finishing up all the credits I need in order to fulfill my major in Psychology. And as a result I am taking classes that include research psychology, STATISTICAL psychology, and many, many, many, more.  But after our first session, you would not believe how relieved I was to be taking this course over FA 🤮for a liberal arts credit. I am not trying to throw any shade, but over the last couple years in college, this is honestly the first class I feel will really allow me to express my creative side in my work. It is a lot more fun and engaging that way. Being so far into my major, being able to take class with this type of content is a good break.

What are the potentials of this class?

This class will definitely open up more creative outlets for me. I have been focused on work as I started a new full-time job that definitely takes up a lot of my schedule. And as a result I feel that I dont have time to do anything fun, just school and work. But taking a creative, more fun course like this is a good breaking ground between a 40 hour work week and many long lectures and heavy textbooks.

How do you feel about learning new skills that use Internet tools?

I am very open and curious to develop my internet skills and use of internet tools. I’ll  be honest, I am not the best at it, but I hope this class will be able to help me strengthen this skill.