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. 

 

In my own words creativity is the mental skills of creating anything for a specify purpose with a design, color and structure.

Intuition is the skill of knowing someone’s situation based on clues given by the person, just by purely analyzing that individual looks.

Immediacy is the act of getting close to someone and getting involve with their personal life.

I think that those three words goes as follow, Creativity, Intuition, Immediacy which is the same pattern that is on the CT101.

I think the meaning of being alive is actually a lot of things and it can different from person to person, It can be from just wanting to have a family, enjoying life by itself, love and to be love, pleasure, future and sometimes it can be all of those things combined in someone’s mind, life is not about a single thing is about a lot of things that rather you look for or they come to you, I have not manage to see life from someone else interpretation since I actually never asked that question to someone else, because how complicated the topic can be.

On my two pages I will express what is life all about through images and Gifs, I will differ with the source material but I will keep the same theme which is life.

My first page about life is in this hyperlink , that was my first try on the page I will try to improve a on it.

 

My second attempt or page is in this Hyperlink as well, I tried to change the form of the page but remained with the same theme or life and what is life.

My experience with WW.mmm.page was quite good, even though I can see a lot of room for improvement to my methods of creating pages, it’s a simple page, is not that complicated as other pages, overall is really simple to use and it has a lot potential when it comes to creating a page, I created pages that tries to symbolize life in different forms and it’s meaning.

 

Digital Art Making Immediacy

Lets talk a little bit about Creativity, Immediacy and Intuition. In this post, lets learn how it can inspire your storytelling:

***For this assignment you will need to follow the video tutorial created by prof. Ryan. I will walk you through many of the steps needed to stylize your work and complete the assignment. There are several aspects to this assignment so please take notes along the way and make sure that you address all the questions being asked.

*Zoom Recording Tutorial for assignment #5 is below – Please watch this and follow along!

Zoom recording from 3/10 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/R_9LlHDblQWvgjw_ySGwEvby_IyXn4x-Jx3o0lJ6AvpgiNTCyO_AFwfxaxh49PQb.9XD4CyW6VqS0ImNJ 

Passcode: A!+=a6xq

 

Zoom recording from 3/15 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/GovrC16ey-8spJ_g0_2NhL1mJfJU7XgY4V54s_TDABttD6fCHT7MqNSFIt_Uj5Ug.tufZhW99C7awh3Ph 

Passcode: fs^qg5k4

 

**This is a long post so please spend time with it and absorb it as many times as necessary! And remember, my posts are also digital storytelling examples**

 

Creativity is…

Immediacy is…

Intuition is…

In what order do these words go?

Creativity + Intuition + Immediacy = …….. 

Let’s pause, and become aware of this very passing second. I mean REALLY AWARE, so stop, and be still, very still…

You are alive. Contemplate that. What does being alive mean to you? Have you ever defined it beyond someone else’s interpretation? If not, its time to do this, and no, it can not be done in the next 3 seconds.. I believe that a big part of this life is to create and express that unique ability we all can contribute.

It will take some reflection.. More than a single blog post, but perhaps this is a metaphor, a portal that lures you in and activates you.

You are a thinking, breathing, feeling, sensory being processing this exact passing moment. Exactly as you read this from the specific location that you are in, with the age that your body is, in the time zone of the highest level of what you understand consciousness to be. We can always expand this awareness. Its a metaphor (there is that word again), because all the while, you are simultaneously existing on a seemingly gigantic rock spinning through the “space” that the best of the best of the best world’s scientists keep discovering only keeps expanding into more….well, space. In the grand scheme of things, our gigantic rock may not be so gigantic when we think from this perspective. Its actually the size we think it is relative to our awareness of it.

How do you develop the ability to audit this awareness and ask yourself what potentials lay in this metaphor? And, how can we apply this to other things that we wish to change or create from scratch.

It will require creativity, intuition and imagination. So go ahead and ASK.

Ask yourself: “What is the creative potential of my awareness of this moment, and how may I intervene?

When we turn this directly to our weekly creativity exercise and re-propose the question: “What is the creative potential of this assignment? What is the creative potential of my web browser?”

What would you like to express about this moment and the awareness of it? How might or will you do it?

Chances are, you are holding your “device or viewing this through a computer” as you read this.

You know what device I am referring to. Perhaps it’s a laptop, desktop, iPhone, android or a tablet? It doesn’t matter and either way, it first started simply as an idea. An expression of a collective need to expand, grow, learn and express. Much like the infinite expanding space that we mentioned above your device(s) is an intermediary tool to express the potentials of creative space. Our viewing screens are rectangles… sometimes they are held and viewed vertically and sometimes they are turned horizontally, but before any content is consumed, its a rectangle in its form. That rectangle is a window, and so is a web browser window..

Your tech device(s) are remote controls for the planet..

We interacted with simple geometric shapes every single day, we take all of them for granted and rarely think of the doorways we are passing through as rectangles. Or the TV that we watch as “the rectangle.” As we walk up steps we rarely think of them as the horizontal rectangles that stack upwards or downwards.. You get the idea..

What is the creative potential of YOU and the rectangle that you are holding or looking through? (this is the part of things where you think Im a little weird, right? lol..)

SO what are you passionate about? What is that you always wanted to express and share with the world? What is it that holds you back? Is what holds you back on the other side of the window?

If you never “Start” then you will never have a result to work from. The only metric you have are the ones that you fear your expression wont compliment.

So, let’s start. Let’s express. Let’s share this into that rectangle / window that you are looking through and make it a practice.

Let’s jump into our assignment / exercise – let’s experiment and create a space on the web that is yours and personalize it. Broadcast yourself!

Taking risks that benefit your growth and personal development while impacting and including your fellow human beings has serious mental, spiritual & emotional value.

This is your story, and storytelling is the communication pilot of the Electric Landscapes that we navigate.

LETS MAKE SOME ART!

Assignment  #5 – Digital Art Making Immediacy

Assignment Description:

1. Experiment with this “Free to Use” Digital Tool: Lets create an account page using mmm.page (its Free!) – https://mmm.page

mmm.page is a web browser based digital collage / website making platform / space. It works perfectly in your web browser. It also works on mobile devices! Based on the blog post here above, what are you inspired to do? What are you inspired to make or create? Each student will produce 1-2 pages using the mmm.page platform. Each published page generates its own URL. Be sure to locate those.

2. In a new blog post, share your experiences working with mmm.page. What are you compelled to create? What did you create? Be sure to share the published link to your page(s) – its a good idea to take screenshots and hyperlink directly to the screenshots. (we already know how to do this)

(Many thanks to MBS for the mmm.page tip off!)

I personally got pretty excited about mmm.page and began working on an exhibition of digital art collage pages. Here is an example I made with mmm.page below:

https://mmm.page/ryanseslow.main

Last week we chatted in class about using image manipulating software to create graphic assets – do you recall the photpea.com tutorial? If not, you can check last weeks tutorial for that.

Photopea.com – is a free web browser based digital image making and manipulating application, we can alter and manipulate and prepare images in this space!

 

*Zoom Recording Tutorial for assignment #5 is below – Please watch this and follow along!

Zoom recording from 3/10 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/R_9LlHDblQWvgjw_ySGwEvby_IyXn4x-Jx3o0lJ6AvpgiNTCyO_AFwfxaxh49PQb.9XD4CyW6VqS0ImNJ 

Passcode: A!+=a6xq

 

Zoom recording from 3/15 is below

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/GovrC16ey-8spJ_g0_2NhL1mJfJU7XgY4V54s_TDABttD6fCHT7MqNSFIt_Uj5Ug.tufZhW99C7awh3Ph 

Passcode: fs^qg5k4

 

Places to find Images online – Creative Commons based:

Pixabay.com – great resource for images and transparent assets! (we will use this for the workshop)

Giphy.com – Well, we know Giphy by now – but animated stickers! 

National Gallery of Art  With the launch of NGA Images, the National Gallery of Art implements an open access policy for digital images of works of art that the Gallery believes to be in the public domain.

Digital Public Library of America The Digital Public Library of Americabrings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.

NYPL – The New York Public Library Digital Collections Archive

Flickr CC – Creative Commons on Flickr.

Gif Cities – Internet Archive

Lets get creating!

YAAYYY CT101 IS ABOUT TO START 

I do think that means are art, I dont think there can be just one simple defintion of what art is.To me art it is a form of expression but it could have a totally different meaning to someone else. Ive seen just the simplest memes getting so much attention and likes because they are relatedable or funny, even though it is just an image on the internet, not something you would see in art galleries.

This week’s assignment is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Checking out the repository and Daily Create was a surefire way to be overwhelmed!

Then I saw writing assignments and grabbed that lifeline. After sorting through by ratings, I found a few that look interesting. There’s one where you have to write about your character’s past. Essentially, how did they become the person they are.

This assignment would not give me much headache because I have multiple characters from stories that need a past. The other two writing projects that caught my eye are creating a superhero’s backstory and writing an alternate end to a piece of fiction. Unfortunately, these three choices will be on the backburner for now because they don’t offer any challenges.

Opening up the visual and audio categories did not help to narrow down my search. I ended up with another three projects that seemed fun. But they also require skills that I would have to learn.

But for the sake of this assignment, I will choose the one where I will create a conversation between myself and a movie character. Below is an example from TikTok. One difference is that the assignment requires my voice to be in the piece.

@withoceans

pov : what if Harry is becoming bad…? #harrypotter #fyp #grinffindor #hogwarts #danielradcliffe #voldemort

♬ Saturn – Sleeping At Last

I also want to clarify that even though I am a Harry Potter fan, I in no way support J.K. Rowling and her hateful behavior.

I chose this project to become more comfortable working with audio and video editing. These are two skills that journalists need to have honed to survive in today’s world.

I would need to practice with three or four projects of the exact nature. I would also be using Linkedin Learning. This is a collection of instructional videos covering a wide range of topics. The instructors are highly skilled in their fields. It is also free to Cuny students.

I would also be using Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition to edit the video and audio respectively.

So, I invite you to come on back by Spring Break to check out my first piece of edited video and audio content for creative purposes.

Update:

I could not finish this project but you can check out these two on my website that I’ve worked on.

 

For the 1st assignment, I chose the animated GIF assignment from the DS 106 assignment bank since I already have an idea of how to do it. GIFs are really popular and can be used for anything like answering a question, making people laugh, or bringing up a serious discussion.

The way I completed this assignment is first I was searching for what GIF I want to use for this assignment, I used the website GIPHY, I chose the Homer Simpson GIF shown below.

After I chose the GIF if I want to add text or stickers GIPHY gives me the options to do so as shown below.

For this GIF, the text I put was “When the teacher asks for the HW”; I didn’t add any stickers since I think the GIF looks great with just the text. After this, I upload the GIF and this is my finished Animated GIF

 

One assignment that I would like to learn is Mashup assignments. I’ve seen many different types of mashups showcasing character/ relationship progression.

In order for me to learn the mashup assignment, I need to know how to make smooth transitions since the purpose of it is to show the progression of a character/individual. I need to gather photos to show how the person progressed.

I think we should be doing this project once and it should be at the end of the semester we should use our first blogs and how much we’ve been able to improve our blogs over time. I think this skill is important to showcase how you’ve improved your skills over time and it’s a very creative way to show progression.

 

When I first entered CT101 my thoughts were this class was going to be very interesting as I was going to learn more about technology and how we use it in everyday communication on a more in-depth level. 

I also feel as though it will give an opportunity to venture out and learn about a topic that isn’t necessarily something that is discussed in an academic fashion for example Gifs and memes Are things that we use unconsciously threw out our days on social media but hardly ever discussed is the history behind them and what they mean in society. 

Another feeling that I had when I entered the class was that it would be very interesting and enlightening to learn new tools on the internet and how to have more of an online presence and understand and learn new concepts and have the ability to apply the information in real life as the information I learned in this class is very practical in everyday situations and can be applied in every aspect of everyday life in regards to online presence.

I’m on the fence when it comes to determining if memes should be considered art or not. It’s hard to write about something that you’re not that familiar with (obviously everybody knows what memes are but I personally never use them) and that’s where the research comes in:

The term art encompasses diverse media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and installation.            – Britannica.com

Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, intuitions, and desires, but it is even more personal than that: it’s about sharing the way we experience the world, which for many is an extension of personality.                – philosophynow.org

Based on these definitions, one would conclude that memes should be categorized as art because they are an expression of thoughts and emotions. However, I still feel as though there’s a disservice being done to those who dedicate so much time and effort into perfecting their craft, to create well thought out and intricate pieces compared to anyone who can create a meme in less than five minutes.

The main reason I’m on the opposing side of this argument is because “plugging text and an image copied from a search browser clearly requires such minimal creativity, skill, and imagination”. The reality of it is that all you need is a photo and a few words to create a meme, there’s no hard work or ‘rare talent’ that goes into making them.

While I may disagree that memes are art, I do believe they are an amazing form of media and communication. It’s interesting how all you have to do is send a meme and the recipient can deduce how you feel about a subject. I think the relatability and simplicity of memes is what makes them so popular, of course for some memes you’d need to recognize the cultural references to understand but for most you can look at them and immediately be able to tell what they represent.

The article Are Memes The Pop Culture Art of Our Era? mentions that,“memes can blur the line between content and art, but certain pieces that begin as art can also take on the qualities of a meme.” I definitely think there is some overlap which causes there to be conflict when deciding what is art and what is not. Below is a compilation of many great art pieces that have been incorporated into memes:

It’d be crazy for me to say that memes can’t be used for storytelling after I literally just used memes throughout to explain this post. However, in my opinion, memes are just a method of self-expression and I think this solely because I can’t come up with a reason or justification for them being anything more (feel free to give me a reason).

The potential of Memes and GIFs storytelling in real life.

My experience on the first day of the CT101:

When I enrolled in this course, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this course. I saw some good reviews about  Professor Ryan, so I thought it wouldn’t be a bad experience. But after meeting our professor and learning about the course format, I was so happy. I think it’s one of my best decisions that I took this course where I can improve myself not only academically, but also by expressing my thought through blogs to others.

My thoughts on the course and its creative content:

Yes, I was really happy to hear about the course and its creative content. The course materials are pretty straight forward and I know what contents we are going to learn throughout the semester. I felt very glad to know that through this course I will get a chance to study something that I am really interested in.

CT101 compare to some of my other classes:

To be honest, this course is very unique compared to the other classes that I have taken so far. There is no pressure of deadlines, the professor is so friendly and kind. Most of the time students cheat instead of learning study materials because of the due dates. Also, here, we can genuinely express our feelings through the blog posts as well as get to know what other students are thinking.

The potentials of this class:

The potentials of this class are to gain knowledge on creating blog posts where we share our thoughts with others in a very interesting way through photos, videos, Memes and GIFs using digital tools. If we don’t use these digital tools in our posts, then it will be boring, and people can’t connect to us.

Learning new skills that use Internet tools:

I feel great about learning new skills that use Internet tools because this is the present and the future of our generation. This is also a form of entertainment nowadays. In social media, we can very easily feel connected to something when it is in a form of memes or GIFs even sometimes it just made our day.

 

Are memes art? 

First, what is art? Art is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” That is the official definition, but to me art can be anything you have created with your imagination and skills, based on your feelings, ideas, and can influence others. Memes are art, they are made through your imagination and can express your emotions. Memes have emotional power, they can make people laugh, reminisce, sad, and send messages.

 

The beauty behind memes is that anyone can make them. But just because anyone can make them does not take away from it being art. People have so much creative freedom when it comes to memes and those memes influence and get reactions from people all over the internet. Memes are a good thing for art, they show progression and memes do not harm anyone, they make us show all kinds of emotions through images. Memes are how many people communicate on the internet these days. All it takes is someone doing something funny, an old or new video clip from a media source, or anything in general can be turned into a meme.

Michael Jordan becoming a meme on multiple occasions each being used to express something different.

I use memes a lot to express myself and many of us do the same whenever we find top tier quality memes, we share it with each other whether it is in person, to one another through text or social media. Memes bring us together to share laughs, joys, sadness, anger, and all these different emotions while connecting with one another. Memes are forms of self-expression, communication, and entertainment.  

Memes for sure can be used for storytelling, visual images have been used alongside storytelling for a long time. I see no difference in using memes to tell a story. You just must create or find the right memes that can express your story how you want it to be. Most memes are meant to be funny, but they can be used to grab the attention of people as well. It is a great form of visual storytelling; one meme can tell a whole story. 

Two memes I made for CT101

 

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

I think the first day of CT 101 was fascinating and thought-provoking for what the course will assign and be prepared.

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

Yes, I did like hearing about the course and its creative content. It made me feel enlightened.

How does CT101 compare to some of your other classes? 

CT 101 compared to some of my other classes is less stressful and not too demanding.

What are the potentials of this class? 

The potential of this class is to learn how to manage and create digital tools that vary from memes and GIFs.

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

I feel about learning new skills in using internet tools that are amazing and illuminating.

“Is that 50 Cent?” I asked my brother during the halftime show. “I didn’t know he was gonna perform”. “I don’t think anyone knew.” He replied “It wasn’t announced”. Still filled with excitement that 50 Cent was performing, the fact that he was upside down completely flew over my head for the first few seconds of his performance. One would usually wonder how is he even upside down right now or why is he upside down but not me. The first thought that came to mind was I am most definitely going to see memes about this tonight. Not even the next day. That’s how fast memes are made. Within a couple of hours of something happening. Memes play such a big role in internet culture I find it crazy but in a good way. I mean how could they not be produced within a few hours? They’re so simple to make and upload to the internet and given the number of people on social media, how could it not go viral? But just because they can be made with ease does not make them any less of an art form which is a topic many people have different opinions on. Some believe memes are art where others do not but I’m not too concerned about the naysayers because to me, memes are art- and good for the art world.

 

 

Communication. Some are good at it, others are bad, and there’s always in-between. Whether they’re feelings of joy, anger, worry, sadness, or jealousy there’s a meme for them all. I personally believe that memes are great for communication because you can basically sum up your day in a meme and the best part is, if you’re feeling sad, the meme will sympathize with you yet also make you laugh. I think that memes are crucial for communication whether we are using them first hand or just referencing them. They’re great conversation starters, a way to explain things, and to simply make one’s day better to know other people can relate. Not everything has to be so serious all of the time and memes are living proof of that such as those funny thanksgiving claps back ones. Sure, they’re not as deep as a painting or sculpture would be and have color schemes, or symbolism but they are a form of self-expression which is art because not only are you expressing yourself, but you are evoking emotion out of others as well. Not every meme or picture that is posted has the intention of going viral but they do which can change one’s life whether human or animal and are used as inspiration for other artists. I feel as if this is the side to memes that are more than just self-expression because those who go viral from memes can use their fifteen minutes of fame to build something for themself whether it be a platform or sponsorship

Just like every other form of art, memes are consistently evolving. Each one has their time to shine but will never stay around for long which there is nothing wrong with. Despite their convenience, I don’t think memes can be used for storytelling because there are many ways to interpret a meme when trying to only tell one thing. I feel as if memes are too broad of an element to tell stories with. I think you guys will catch my drift more if you watch this cool video I found!

      

 

Memes are definitely an expression of art. Memes help with getting your thoughts and emotions across in a visual way when you can’t see the person or people who you are talking to. Memes can be used for all types of different emotions. You can express your happy, excited, sad, angry, mellow, and uptight emotions. It doesn’t matter because more than likely there is a meme to satisfy what it is you’re talking about or what you’re trying to say.

Memes are definitely a way of self expression. They have a way of bringing people together and making them connect. Memes have probably been around for so many years but nowadays it’s been taking over social media and mostly all you see is memes online. I guess it’s a good thing though because it brings different types of people together.

 

Memes can help put you in a good mood if you’re not having the best day or feeling very well. They have definitely helped to put me in a better mood, I love them. I use them often in group chats with my friends and cousins and I feel like it actually makes the conversation more interesting. It makes everyone laugh and feel good especially if it relates to the subject that we are talking about. 

CT 101
Assignment 2

#1.) What did you think on the first day of the CT101?

I think that the first day of CT101 went well. It was a great experience learning in the class room in person. Being there with everyone reminded me of why I enjoy in person classes.

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

I enjoyed hearing about the course and its creative content. It made me feel more informed about what the course is about and what it is I am going to learn during the semester. It made me feel good to know that during this semester I would have the chance to study something that I would be interested in.

#3.) How does CT101 compare to some of your other classes?

Well most of my other classes require a lot of writing and research which I believe this class would also. I think that this class also requires a lot of patience. Although there will be times you get frustrated with your work, you’ve got to have patience.

 

 

 

 

 

#4.) What are the potentials of this class?

The potentials of this class are to grow intellectually on this subject. I would like to learn about gifs and animations and hopefully I get really good at it one day so that I can actually help others.

#5.) How do you feel about learning new skills that use Internet tools?

I feel great about learning new skills that use internet tools. I am a person that just naturally enjoys learning and I pick up on things fast so I don’t mind this at all.

The part of the internet that makes me happy is the creation of stickers and memes. An addition is Entertainment Tonight (ET) and Instagram where there’s news, celebrities, celeb news, and ​celebrity gossip that are engaging for me to read and laugh along. 

 

As a little girl, I will beg my parents to buy me books of stickers and posters where sometimes they will and I will use all of them to create designs.