CT101 Final Blog Post / Jour Morton

Evolution of a blog post.

I’ve noticed that the sizing of graphics, images, and media in my selected content for Assignment 1_What_Makes_Me_Happy 02/08  isn’t consistent. Unfortunately, it’s a common mistake for amateur bloggers like myself.

At this point, my assignment was only worthy of a C.

I had no idea how to add hyperlinks.

Looking back on my posts, I notice an improvement in my graphics, images, and media placement. Now I understand the importance of aligning gifs and memes and properly sizing everything up for a more seamless and enjoyable reading experience. As my work improved, I became obsessed with adding these little fluorescent blue gems called hyperlinks in Assignment_Two_GIF_Narratives 02/18.

I realized I could enhance the reader’s experience by incorporating visual media into my posts. With this in mind, I started experimenting with giphy.com, a game-changer.

Thanks to giphy.com, I could take it up a notch and edit their gif’s with their excellent built-in editing tool. I loved how I could take complete control of the gifs by applying different filters. Click here to see my strides in assignment #3- Are MEME’s ART?

I’ve learned that keeping videos under 15 seconds is crucial if you want to upload them to giphy.com.

I often use iMovie for editing videos. It’s a built-in feature on most Apple computers and offers a wide range of editing tools and features that are particularly useful for longer videos. Additionally, you can easily add sound to your videos in iMovie.

When unleashing my creative side, I love using iMovie to bring my ideas to life. For example, I recently decided to experiment with a video recording of a Bansky photo and add audio from a gallery show I attended. Thanks to the user-friendly interface of iMovie, I could seamlessly combine the two elements of audio and video to create a truly unique piece. As Professor Ryan would say, I definitely “hacked Bansky.”

At this point, I had started producing top-notch posts worthy of an A grade. However, for my fourth assignment, Passions 03/11/, I was still discovering new forms of media and figuring out how to make my post stand out even more than my previous ones.

I begin to get good at this.

As I progress through Assignment#5, Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility, and Assignment #6, Digital Art Making Immediacy 03/03, I obsess over small details. I am starting to enjoy more freedom and have more fun with my work. Now that I understand how to add images, media, URLs, and hyperlinking, I am becoming more creative and confident in exploring different styles. I even use my photos and recordings from giphy.com, Vimeo, and imgur.com.

Being influenced by Ct101 in Assignment #7 Mid-Semester Reflection Post 04/01, I began to experiment with Ai and create Ai-generated art with Dalle-e-2 and midjourney.com.

CT101 has increased my knowledge and digital skillset, and I landed a new job by learning how to utilize sites like midjourney.com and ChatGPT.

I recently started a new job at BMCC’s Career Center. Interestingly, many of the skills I developed in CT101 are transferable to my new gig as a social media influencer and have proven helpful here.

Thanks to my familiarity with wordpress.com, I was able to successfully create Instagram posts using canva.com. It was easy for me to transfer my skills of navigating the editor tool and resizing media in WordPress to canva.com and IG’s editing tools, as they share similar features.

Furthermore, I have developed a high level of proficiency in utilizing ChatGPT and BARD to operate unfamiliar multimedia software, etc… Whenever I encounter uncertainty regarding a task assigned by my boss, I put on my prompt engineer cap and add a query to these invaluable chatbots for guidance, absorbing their advice and subsequently executing the necessary steps. Consequently, this approach has significantly enhanced my efficiency and timeliness in completing my assignments while earning immense appreciation from my employers.

I’m so grateful for CT101! This course gave me the confidence to apply for a federal work-study. I wouldn’t have felt I knew enough about applying digital media to posts without learning the fundamentals in CT101. I’m amazed at how much this experience has changed my life, perception of myself, and capabilities in such a fast-paced and digital world.

Creating a PhotoGrid for  Assignment #8 Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set Up & WordPress Installation! #8 04/23 brought me back to my past experiences in MMA225. I realized it’d been three months since I last used Photoshop, so I popped it open and watched an old instructional video to refresh my skills. It felt great to revisit and apply my past knowledge to Blog #8.

Assignment 10 WordPress Customizing Series, Part 1! #10 04/30 I initially set out to create an informative site that would guide web developers in creating websites for the wellness industry, encompassing practices like yoga, massage, and skincare. However, my vision evolved into something more comprehensive. This platform educates people on how to create websites for the yoga and wellness community and those interested in building and hosting their websites. Essentially, I aim to recreate the lessons learned about hosting our website on wordpress.com, focusing on the wellness industry.

I had a blast creating the website! It brought back memories of my time using Figma and learning about adding plugins, which was extremely helpful. It took me a while to get accustomed to the WordPress editor tool, but then I realized it was similar to the other website we’ve been blogging on for the past three months. As soon as I made this connection, all the tools and options became more familiar. Fortunately, adding a URL was just like on our other website, so there wasn’t much of a learning curve. The real test was developing and sticking with a solid idea as the website underwent many changes. I can’t wait to keep working on this website this summer and maybe even add it to my portfolio!

Creating a layout with typography, font, and background color went through many colorful ranges.

First, Mandarin Orange with black text

Then lime green with black text

The header navigation menu includes the following pages:

Pages are an essential component that provides insight into the site’s purpose and improves search engine optimization. I will include a comprehensive breakdown of the site’s mission and user-friendly navigation menu instructions in the future. With this page, I hope to make it easier for visitors to find my website through a search. Check out the linked screenshots below to see how I designed the navigation menu’s Pages.

All three screenshots below are clickable. Clicking on the image redirects you to the actual webpage in WordPress. Give it a try and click the images below.

About Page

I am currently in the process of creating the About page for my website. This page is of the utmost importance as it guides and explains the website’s purpose. It also helps with search engine optimization and indexing, with Google being the primary player in this area. In the future, I plan to include a comprehensive breakdown of the site’s mission and how to navigate it. The effectiveness of the About page will ultimately determine how easily users can locate my website through a search.

Contact Me Page:

I’m currently in the process of updating this page. I plan to include links to my Instagram, Linkedin, and Behance accounts so potential clients can easily view my work and contact me. For privacy reasons, I’ll also add a contact form allowing people to leave me a message while ensuring that only vetted inquiries receive a response.

I believe that being cautious about cybersecurity and avoiding phishing and scamming attempts is crucial to protecting my website and private information from potential hackers. Therefore, safety is a top priority for me, and I take it seriously.

I am mindful of my online activity and prioritize my privacy and security. For example, I am careful about what I post on social media and only share personal information that I am comfortable with. It’s important to me to take proactive steps to protect my data from potential threats.

The contact page is also essential if the website has a problem. This is where someone will report that to the host.

Photography Page

I’m considering changing the Photography Page to a Display or Gallery Page showcasing examples of various websites I’ve created. It’s essential for anyone visiting the page to see the work I’ve produced, and it’s a great place to showcase it. I’m thinking of renaming it to reflect its purpose better or possibly even replacing it with a page featuring examples of websites I’ve created specifically for the wellness community.

The website’s purpose went through and will continue to go through a few changes. I wanted to do something that empowers people to learn about creating and teach them to host their websites.

Hosting a website on my own is fantastic and can be lucrative too. However, I firmly believe that sharing my knowledge and skills with others is equally important. By doing so, I contribute to helping create a more empowered and self-reliant society.

I also plan to enroll in a coding BootCamp to enhance my skills further. In addition, I am excited to showcase my website as part of my portfolio when I apply to NYU’s Interactive Media Arts program next spring.

I was told a stat the other day that 22% of undergrad students entering BMCC do not have computer literacy skills, and at 46, I was one of those students. I struggled to find help; if you all know anything about me, I always ask for help.

It wasn’t until I started a course with Professor Ryan that I was given actual instruction in real-time. As a visual and inquisitive learner, I learned to apply skills in industry-standard applications like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I am constantly referring to videos I made in MMA 100 and CT101.

Furthermore, I found Professor Ryan to be incredibly kind and understanding. He met me where I was in my learning journey, creating a safe and encouraging environment where I could ask questions and receive the guidance I needed to understand the material. As a result, his uplifting spirit was projected onto me and helped me thrive.

I am interested in exploring the world of p5.js. , as well as gaining a better understanding of Git and GitHub. Although the prospect of learning to code is a bit intimidating for me, this course has taught me that with dedication, consistent practice, and repetition, the process will eventually become second nature, allowing me to take pleasure in creating. This course has shown me that with a little effort, acquiring new digital skills is possible at any age.

With all the improvements I have made in the detail of my blog posts, I feel I should receive an A+ in CT101. I have shown that I am willing to do the work and spend hours learning, watching, rewatching, trying new things, and doing it all over again.

The WordPress Customizing Series, Part 1! Assignment 10

Welcome to an instructional website that guides web builders who specifically want to target a wellness audience.

The purpose of the App is to target and service viewers and members that are interested in building their own followers in the yoga and wellness community.

Creating a layout with typography, font, and background color while following Tuesday’s tutorial by Professor Seslow went through many colorful ranges.

First, mandarin orange with white text.

Then lime green with black text.

I tested all these combinations and felt orange with black text strained my eyesight the least.

The youtube.com video above is a short tutorial to help organize your website and add images to your WordPress gallery.

Click the following link to view Jour’s WP website and gallery:

https://jourmorton.com/

Domain Name Registration, Hosting Set Up & WordPress Installation!

Begin by selecting the following link:  Reclaim Hosting

You will see: “Client Area Student/ Personal Plan.”

Follow the red arrows in steps 1 -8 of flow chart.

Remember to add the promotional code sent by Professor Ryan during the checkout process. The promo code gives CUNY students free access for up to a year.

Check the “Terms of Service” box and click the “Complete Order” green tab. This will finalize the order process.

You will receive an email from Reclaim Hosting to verify your account.

Do not forget to do this.

You have up to 14 days.

If you are anything like me, you have many other things dancing around in your head as we finish the semester. So do not wait. Verify right away.

Once you have verified your account, try it yourself log-on to Reclaiming Hosting.

 

 

Assignment #7 – The Mid-Semester Reflection Post

I have been actively seeking opportunities to acquire digital skills through various programs offered by CUNY. Among these programs is CUNY Career Launch, an internship program tailored for CUNY undergraduates pursuing careers in STEM, Marketing, Healthcare, Grassroots Organizing, Community and Social Services, as well as CUNY Tech Prep. However, I was disappointed when I received rejection emails from both summer programs. One rejection was due to my age, while the other was because of my limited knowledge of data structures, rendering me ineligible. These rejections triggered feelings of imposter syndrome, causing me to question my ability to thrive in college, given my age and skill set. Fortunately, my daily yoga and meditation practice helped me overcome these negative emotions and repetitive thought patterns.

Rejections won’t prevent me from pursuing relevant skills necessary to secure a job and become financially independent, which is ultimately the goal.

As a result of the rejection letters, I have continued applying for other tech training and am more determined than ever to find a program that teaches the skills I deem necessary for success.

Here is a list of some alternative programs suggested in the rejection email:

• Breakthrough Tech https://www.breakthroughtech.org/
• COOP Careers: http://coopcareers.org/
• The Knowledge House: http://www.theknowledgehouse.org/
• https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/ocip/

I hope sharing my experience in this week’s blog post is not triggering or inappropriate to anyone reading my post. The purpose of being vocal about my situation regarding this personal hurdle is to help anyone who may have faced a similar situation. I hope that by sharing my story, others will find the encouragement to continue pursuing the technical skills required to succeed in today’s competitive job market.

Whenever I encounter challenges like this, I reflect on my progress in CT101. Two months ago, I had no idea how to create a video with sound in iMovie or apply a hyperlink or URL. But this course has taught me that with practice, I can acquire these skills just as quickly as someone who has been digitally literate since kindergarten. Ultimately, it all comes down to practice, repetition, and perseverance.

In my opinion, I deserve an A grade not solely based on the quality of my work but because I have completed all the assignments as requested. To me, the quality of the work is not as important as the determination and time management skills I have demonstrated in completing the tasks.

I do not feel assignments have to be perfect or of professional quality, but I firmly believe that making an effort and putting in the work should be reflected in my final grade.

I utilized text prompts to generate the image above in mid-journey in real time. Out of all the new skills I have picked up in CT101, I have gained the most proficiency in creating GIFs, memes and generating Ai enhanced art. My new experience crafting blog posts has also contributed to my overall ability in CT101.

I have noticed a steady improvement in the quality of my weekly blog posts as I continue to practice. Each week, I learn something new or meet a new expectation that helps me elevate my writing. For instance, last week, I discovered the importance of including a title in my blog post after the first image, a practice I was unaware of. This is an example of the continuous improvements that arise as I sharpen my weekly blogging skills.

I recently learned how to use figma.com. While I had been introduced to the software in another class, MMP 200, it wasn’t until I had a tutorial in CT 101 that I grasped the steps required to create a file and drag images into it to make a collage. This newfound knowledge was helpful when I had to produce a midterm project presentation for MMP 200. I found it incredibly helpful to learn this skill in CT101 and apply it in another class. Discovering new techniques in one class and utilizing it in another gives me a sense of assurance that the skills I learn are transferable and will prove helpful in the future.

Giving feedback to classmates and professor Ryan and participating in class discussions have helped me overcome the fear of sharing my opinions and providing constructive criticism. Initially, I hesitated to critique someone’s work, fearing offending them or appearing judgmental. However, as I engage in more discussions and share my thoughts, I realize providing feedback is essential to learning. Feedback helps the other person improve and enhances my ability to work in a team and communicate effectively.

I also believe constructive criticism should come from wanting to help rather than criticizing or belittling someone. Therefore, when I give feedback, I try to be respectful and offer suggestions for improving the work. As a result, I feel more confident in my ability to contribute to the class and see the value of my input in helping others and improving my skills.

In addition to responding to classmates’ work and the professor’s comments, I actively engage in our class by asking questions and participating in discussions. However, I sometimes worry about talking too much and interfering with necessary software instruction. To address this, I am consciously trying to ask questions before or after class and save my questions until the end. This will prepare me for the learning environment of a large university like NYU, where it is important not to interfere with the professor’s lecture in a large class environment.

To enhance my skills, I discovered updated courses on linkedinlearning.com. One course in particular now includes a component on Ai learning, which I believe will enable me to be more efficient in developing Ai-enhanced projects by improving my ability to use prompts and engage in “prompt engineering.” In addition, I am interested in many courses that I believe will help me improve my skills, including the following:

Illustrator 2023 Essential Training

Introduction to Conversational AI

Coding for Visual Learners: Learning JavaScript from Scratch

The Following are blog posts I completed in CT101

Digital Art Making Immediacy #6 03/03/2023

Digital Storytelling Project Flexibility *The ASSIGNMENT #5   03/ 17/2023

Passions #4  03/11/2023

Are MEME’s ART? Assignment #3 – FINAL 02/28/2023

Assignment_Two_GIF_Narratives #2  02/18/2023

Assignment1_what_makes_me_happy #1 02/08/2023

Throughout the past 7.5 weeks in CT 101, I have acquired valuable job skills currently in high demand, including utilizing WordPress and gaining foundational knowledge in HTML. Additionally, I have implemented advanced tools such as Chat GPT, DALL-E 2, and Midjourney in my blog posts, saving me time and enabling me to focus on other aspects of the course. These tools have allowed me to dedicate more attention to commenting on my classmates’ blog posts and revisiting Professor Ryan’s recorded videos, which provide detailed and crucial guidance on using various sites like Vimeo, Giphy.com, Imgur, Figma, mmmpage.com, and more. Overall, my experience in CT 101 has equipped me with valuable skills and knowledge that I can apply in my future academic and professional pursuits.

Is incorporating some of my blog posts or generative art into my portfolio suitable? During the summer, I aim to evaluate all the projects I’ve completed while pursuing my Multimedia Degree at BMCC and apply them to the Interactive Media Arts application at Tisch. Therefore, I’m receptive to suggestions or recommendations for creating a digital portfolio.

click image for link to flickr.com

Intuition

Digital Art Making Immediacy

** Assignment #6 **

+ Creativity

= Immediacy

Figma.com is a UI UX cloud-based software program. Software programs like figma.com are UI/UX design tools. Figma.com has various features that make it easy to manipulate images and create collages.

To create a collage, in a figma.com layout, follow these five steps:

Step 1: Choose the images you want to include in your collage. This could be a selection of photos or graphics you want to combine into one composition.

Step 2: Decide on the layout you want to use. Many options exist, such as a grid pattern or a free-form arrangement.

Step 3: Drag images into a new figma.com page.

 

The following images are examples of gifs and photos used in creating my final collage on figma.com. Click gifs and images for web links to sources.

 

The start of my life was on the Big Island of Hawaii, where I hold a deep reverence for the island deity Pele, who continues to be vibrant and active through her ongoing eruptions.

Being alive can feel like being a unicorn, prancing gracefully through fields of imagination, or like a playful cat, dancing joyfully to the rhythm of life. It can be as satisfying as savoring a delicious ice cream cone, as invigorating as stretching through yoga asanas, or as fun as playing games with friends. Life can be a beautiful explosion of fun times, and being alive means embracing every moment with wonder and excitement.

STEP 4: Once you’re happy with your collage, save it in a suitable format, such as a JPEG or PNG file, to share it with others or print it out.

Step 5: Copy link to share the URL link as displayed in the image above.

Click here to view collage in figma.com for a visual metaphor behind what it means to be alive.

mmm.page is another website similar to figma.com. The main contrast between the two platforms is the cost, as mmm.page is free.

mmm.page encourages users to avoid paying for services unless they require domains and unlimited blocks.

Microsoft Bing Image Creator, powered by DALL-E, offers a fresh approach to producing distinctive and captivating media.

Explore alternative ways to utilize DALL-E and generate diverse art that will constantly evolve and stimulate creativity. With many queries at your disposal, the possibilities for inspiration are limitless.

Follow the five steps below to create a collage with DALL-E and Figma.

STEP ONE: add an adjective, noun, verb, style to query

STEP TWO: Generate prompt; when adding “design cartoon image Intuition Creativity Immediacy” to the query, the following images were generated

Yoga recalibrates the sensors of the mind.

The third eye creates

STEP THREE: To create transparent images, drag image into “remove background” https://www.remove.bg/

STEP FOUR: drag jpg or png into the figma.com page, move around accordingly.

STEP FIVE: add DALL-E  images to figma.com.

The photo metaphor created by DALL-E contains a potential that can be extended to any collage metaphor style produced on figma.com.

Click image below for link to collage on figma.com.

Explore alternative ways to utilize DALL-E and generate diverse art that will constantly evolve and stimulate creativity. With many queries at your disposal, the possibilities for inspiration are limitless.

Blogging has become my latest passion, and I am engrossed in it for hours without taking a break. As a result, it has become somewhat of an obsession for me.

I am passionate about yoga stretches that help alleviate my cranky tech neck. It is one of the passions I have pursued and studied. I am a certified yoga teacher with two Yoga Teacher Training Certificates, although I don’t currently teach yoga. As an enthusiastic yogi, I regularly practice yoga to maintain my physical and mental well-being. 

View post on imgur.com

click image for link to imgur.com

I believe that if he can do it, anyone else can too. Additionally, it’s amusing to note that “dog” spelled backward is “god,” although I’m not religious, I find it intriguing.

View post on imgur.com

click image for link to imgur.com

As you can see, this guy is quite advanced in his yoga practice. It’s impressive. By the way, I don’t think I mentioned earlier that I am passionate about animals.

Have you ever heard the saying Ohana means family?

My native hometown is Hilo, Hawaii, but I have lived in New York City since 1995.

View post on imgur.com

click image for link to imgur.com

One of my favorite things to do is skate; something New Yorkers and locals from Hawaii have in common is that we are very active. In my experience, there’s no better place to skate than in Hawaii or New York.

Click play button on video below.

Click play button on video above to see a video about my passion.

As you can see in my reel, my nieces and fiance, Greg, love to skate too.

I created a reel of my family skating in various locations, indoors and outdoors, in Pennsylvania and New York. The process was relatively easy, and I created three versions from various digital formats.

This iMovie was created using multiple recordings taken from my iPhone and clips texted to me by my younger sister.

I dragged and dropped all the videos onto my desktop. From there, I dragged the .MOV file into iMovie editing software which is pre-installed on every Mac computer (not sure about iPads).

Once the clips were lined up 1 through 5, I dragged and dropped an MP3 of Tina Turner’s “Rolling on the River” below the 5 video clips.

To export from iMovie, I selected >file>share>file

Following these steps, I now have a video with music to accompany my movie.

I thought it would be interesting to show the same .MOV in three styles and two different formats to inspire our class to try various methods of gifs and movies when blogging.

*Tip

During the export process from iMovie, select “quality medium” and “resolution 720 p” in your options panel, or your file won’t fit in WordPress or the giphy.com editor tool, and you can’t play with the editor tool to shorten the length of the gif in giphy.

The gif above was created using a .MOV, a recording from an iPhone.

*Tips:

1. Best practice when recording a video is to hold your phone horizontally. If you record holding a phone vertically, you will get an effect like the one seen above. The entire screen isn’t utilized, and there is negative black space, wasting what could have been a great scene on both sides of your recording. It’s an eyesore.
2. When creating a gif in Giphy, convert your movie to a lower “resolution” and choose medium or low “quality” when exporting. If not, giphy will not accept your MP4 in the built-in editor tool, and you won’t be able to use all the cool editing features that giphy offers.
3. Using giphy is as easy as drag and drop once you have selected lower resolution and medium quality, you are free to create your gif using various font types and colorful text.
4. Regarding both Giphy Upload and Giphy Create: After export, select “quality medium” and “resolution 720 p” in your options panel, or it won’t fit in the giphy.com editor tool, and you can’t play with the editor tool to shorten the length of the gif in giphy.

Although Giphy Upload is an excellent tool for creating memes with your message, I will describe below why Giphy Create may be a better choice.

Welcome to “bad TV.”

Uploading your MP4, JPG, PNG, MOV, or WebM in Giphy Create is a different experience than just using the “upload” button in Giphy. In Giphy Create, numerous options are available, including filters, which provide a wide range of choices. For example, the MP4 above was produced utilizing a “bad TV” filter in Giphy. This filter was particularly appealing since it gave my gif a unique nostalgic appearance.

This could be due to my fondness for nostalgic visuals. I have memories of watching bad TV in the 80s, and it was not necessarily a marker of one’s socioeconomic status. Poor graphics were present across all socioeconomic groups since the technology we are lucky enough to possess today had not yet been developed. But In the ’80s, everyone had a bad TV.

Today, we have numerous reasons for the exceptional graphics seen in technology and on the Internet.

Watch the YouTube video below for some historical content on the evolution of the Internet.

For more information on the Internet and how it came to be, click the YouTube video above.

Back to More Passions,

View post on imgur.com

We all have different backgrounds, but we all possess the potential to create new neural pathways and learn anything we are passionate about. It just takes practice.

I am incredibly passionate about learning new tools and tricks with AI. In a recent MMP 200 course at BMCC, my professor taught us a new command to use with ChatGPT. He suggested we preface our commands with a specific tone or profession to generate results tailored to a more professional voice. The outcome was truly remarkable. I highly recommend giving it a try. For instance, you could type in the query, “In the manner of a medical professional, what is the best way to describe (insert ailment here).”

I am passionate about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, commonly known as RBG. RBG exemplified the core values of feminism. Her steadfast commitment to gender equality was unwavering, even in the face of significant adversity. Despite standing at a mere 5′ tall, RBG refused to let anyone silence her and fought tirelessly, leaving an indelible mark on history.

Click here for a recent article describing the legacy of RBG in the New York Times.

Memes provide an engaging way to narrate a story, albeit not in the conventional way. They allow for a distinctive and meme-ish way of storytelling.

According to, The Harvard Crimson, “a meme is an idea, behavior, or style that becomes a fad and spreads by means of imitation.”

For instance, Kermit’s meme has been widely employed to narrate tales. Memes have emerged as a more engaging mode of storytelling because, in today’s fast-paced world, few people have the time to read traditional books and news.

Although memes may receive lower ratings from critics than traditional art forms, it shares many similarities. One of these similarities is their ability to tell stories, which I will elaborate on.

Art Zealous offers an insightful perspective on memes as a form of art and draws a parallel to “Andy Warhol’s work, which often involved appropriating images from pop culture, not unlike the way memes are created today. Pop artists blurred boundaries in an attempt to elevate “low” culture to “high” art.”Similarly, memes take everyday images and concepts and turn them into a form of art that is accessible and relatable to a wide audience.

By utilizing meme art, I narrate my tale about the origins and objectives of storytelling with memes. Websites such as makeameme.org and creativecommons.org are sites that offer open-source access to everyone. These sites allow anyone to copy and download free images and modify them for educational purposes without the risk of legal action, such as being sued. However, you may be asked to take down your meme by the original artist/photographer/creative or the company that owns the image.

*Tip: To create a free meme – Select an image from creativecommons.org, copy it, upload to makeameme.org, add text.

According to Digital Trends, Are memes the pop culture art of our era? “good is an entirely subjective and often fraught concept in the arts. There may be critics who deride the choice of subject matter” Ultimately, beauty is a matter of personal perception, as the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Just ask Judge Judy

My definition of art is anything that stimulates the mind to think, wonder, recreate, and repurpose, regardless of the medium it was made with.

When discussing Memes: Is it Art, The Courier, a British online newsletter, says, “it is interpersonal and subject to change depending on what community you ask.” It can also depend on the generation asked.

Memes were, in fact, created prior to the recent generation. How To Geek What is a Meme (and How Did They Originate?) states, “Memes have been around since long before the internet existed. In fact, they have been around since before Dawkins coined the term, showing up as early as 79 AD in a Pompeii ruin and as late as the 1970s in graffiti.”

Banksy, the Bristol-born street artist, creates compelling narratives and messages through his art. In the recording below, he confronts capitalist greed. This is just one of the many themes he explores in his shows.

Click on the recording above to hear a narration about Banksy’s “Festival” artwork.

The above video is a photo taken by J. Morton @ the 2023 Bansky exhibit in Tribeca, NY. The image was converted into a jpeg, added to iMovie, and paired with an original audio recording of the narration used in the exhibit.

Bansky’s politically, and socially conscious art prompts viewers to contemplate the world and institutions we exist in, not just the artwork itself. I’ve recently become a fan of Banksy’s work because it challenges and stimulates discussions about the nature of art. As a result, he is widely recognized as one of the most insightful artists of our time.

I was fortunate enough to visit his exhibition, where I had the chance to witness this collection firsthand. If you’re interested in seeing the show, click here to purchase tickets, and you will experience this thought-provoking art for yourself.

I manipulated two images below of Bansky’s original artwork and converted those images into gifs through giphy.com. I also added captions to express my excitement about the new skills I am learning in CT101.

I customized Bansky’s pieces into something entirely different than his intention for the art, using it for my own purposes to add to this blog. I believe that the purpose of all art should be to share.

Sharing your memes can help you gain a “following” on social media.  Memes have become a prevalent aspect of online culture, particularly on platforms like Reddit, which can serve as a community hub for meme-sharing in storytelling and satire.

Repurposing has been a common practice throughout history, and some may argue that art is meant to be repurposed to inspire or provoke thought.

The question of whether memes qualify as art opens up a broader discussion about our definition of art rather than limiting the conversation to the digital medium used. It recognizes that memes can be a mode of creative expression and prompts us to consider how they can be situated within the wider landscape of artistic expression.

The Verge The story of the internet, as told by Know Your Meme “argues that meme culture isn’t malevolent so much as it is amoral; it’s a mirror held up to the culture of the internet, which “increasingly does not care about the truth, and cares only about the narrative, the myth.” Similarly, creative works such as novels, poems, and screenplays are adapted, reimagined, transformed, and adjusted to provide diverse sources of inspiration and entertainment. I’m certain that there was discussion at some point in the past regarding whether the medium utilized in photography and film should also be classified as art.

My first encounter with memes was during the era of the “Planking” trend. While browsing the website ThrillList.com. I was reminded of 2010, my Planking days. According to knowyourmeme.com, “Planking is a photo fad which involves lying face down with arms to the sides in unusual public spaces, photographing the scene, and sharing the image online.”

Although I was heavily involved in the Planking movement and planked in various locations, including stairs, streets, and fire escapes, I regret to inform you that I will not be sharing any of my Planking images. However, you might be able to find one floating around the depths of cyberspace, though.

 

(Click video above for a tutorial on the creative process through GIPHY

WARNING: Using the built-in editor tool for GIPHY may be frustrating.

Don’t be alarmed.

(click image above for link to GIPHY)

Private videos can be any video set to private on YouTube.

There are copywriting blockers installed. You may be prevented from editing “private videos.”

Suggestion: You can edit a video found on YouTube simply by copy-pasting and editing using the “clip” option built into YouTube. You will find “clip” under your YouTube video of choice, select scissors icon adjacent to “clip” tool. Use this to edit your videos within the YouTube platform. Then paste URL into the Commons blog. I tend to use the “add media” option and add the URL right there. There are many ways to do this on our blog post, but I have found using “Add Media” followed by “Insert from URL” to be the most intuitive. (click on GIF above for link to GIPHY)

It feels like wandering into a new creative world of endless possibilities.

This computer brings 90’s nostalgic vibes to me.

(click the above video for a demonstration of learning the basics of uploading on Vimeo)

Unfortunately, this video wasn’t editable through GIPHY gifmaker because it is private. Not a big deal as it is a short video.

(Click above image for link to GIPHY)

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

Nobody says it better than Biden.

It’s about time, FINALLY!!!

(click image above for gif link on GIPHY)

I created this gif using footage from the annual NYC Dance Parade

Select play above to witness a little variety while I experimented with gif making

Just a tiny personal plug, since 2017, I have worked for Dance Parade New York, a non-profit. I spend my days and nights organizing with different dance groups like the ones in my gif. Together each year, along with 10,000 performers, we create New York City’s largest dance event.

Chat GPT has given people a tool that helps them in their creative process. Work and school are some areas I am incorporating Chat GPT into my life.
One area I find helpful has been when applying for grants that support me financially through college. Grant writing is precise, and it can be challenging to get noticed if someone is not a writer with a specialized focus.

Ai tools often help me brainstorm, although I do not take examples created by Ai and use them verbatim as if they are my own. However, what is helpful is the different avenues of thought that Chat will make. For example, a complex question from a grant can be generated with just a few keywords, and you can generate it up to six times without being too repetitive. Therefore you can select different parts and add them together with your own thoughts, and voilà you created a new paragraph or essay in a fraction of the time.

I often ask Chat for a “list,” which will generate a bulleted list of ideas. If I feel the paragraphs I created need refinement, I will also use my Grammarly app and add any new ideas to Chat.

What is unique about Chat is that paragraphs and essays evolve with new vocabulary and searches. So the more you play with it, the more your original idea grows. Similar to when developing a section or article on your own. Only you will save yourself a ton of time and mental energy.

I created this blog post without the blog assistance of ChatGPT. But I did use Grammarly.