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I have over 1,000 pills now!

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I added metal sheets to my studio! It really helps with organization. Especially since the magnets can’t be kept close together or else they will de-magnetize, so instead they’re sticking to the metal sheet

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Midterm Critique Report

For my midterm critique I had the privilege to speak with Caleb Larsen. Our conversation began with me discussing my IP project. He took a closer look at the pills on my wall, and he listened to my audio recording as well. We discussed the technical issues that might arise from using speakers in a loud gallery space, and he recommended a single directional speaker that would have one audio track, instead of using two speakers. I asked him how he felt after listening to my audio, and he said that he could relate to it and he felt anxious. He also mentioned how he found it interesting that I was spending time documenting the difficulty I was having focusing on studying for my exam, and how it must have been difficult to focus on the documentation itself. He said that was the first thing he noticed when listening to my audio. He then asked me questions about what materials I was using and what my process was to create the pills. He then brought up the idea that there is a potential that people will take the pills, which was something I never thought about before. We went back to discussing my audio, and Caleb suggested that I should build up and increase the speed towards the end of the piece. Afterwards, Caleb asked me how I went from painting to creating 3D pills, so I explained my process and how I got to where I am now. After I explained my process, I asked Caleb about a few of his pieces and what his inspirations were behind them.

After speaking with Caleb, I am feeling really good about my project. He brought up some great ideas and I am definitely going to consider as I make some last minute decisions. I think the idea of having the viewers take a pill is really fascinating to me, and I think that is something I would want to happen, but it’s not something I will ask of the viewers. I also was happy with Caleb’s response to my audio piece as well. I am happy that he could relate to it, and as I prepare practice examples of my audio recording before I go to the Duderstadt for the final version, I will consider changing up the speeds towards the end. I think by doing this, I might be able to evoke more anxiety and frustration among the viewers. Also, I never thought about how the physical documentation I did of the audio piece played a factor in my project as well! I found that so interesting, and I think that adds an extra element to my piece that I never thought about. It was really great to get feedback from such a successful artist and I’m glad I got the opportunity to chat with him.

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Draft #2

Arica Cykiert

Section 004

Rough Draft

Thesis Draft

When I was two-years-old my parents were worried because I barely spoke, but once I turned three I began to talk excessively. Needless to say, my parents were no longer concerned. During my toddler years, my constant chatter continued on and I became incapable of sitting sit. Once I entered kindergarten, my parents decided it would be best to get me tested. I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, better known as ADHD. I had no idea what that meant.

During the end of my elementary school years, I was having a difficult time. I was forced to try different medications. I felt like a guinea pig. Thankfully, around the beginning of my awkward middle school years, I found the medication that worked best for me. When I was in high school, I only had one responsibility in terms of my ADHD and that was to take one 70mg pill every morning. That was it.

When I started college, the experience I had with my ADHD changed. I became responsible for contacting my neurological doctor to get my scripts every month. I found myself staying up later than ever before and taking classes later in the day, which resulted in the need to take more medication in the afternoon. I found myself acting hostile towards my friends whenever my medication wore off, and I had to learn to keep my frustration to myself. The beginning of college was not a so-called “walk in the park”, but with time I began to slowly adjust. In fact, I am still learning how to deal with my ADHD when I am around others. It’s a challenge that I continue to face every day.  

As of Now, My Brain will consist of 5,475 pills which will be created using polymer clay. The pills will be attached to the wall and the floor using nails and magnets. The number of pills represent how many ADHD pills I have taken in my life so far. In addition, I have written a short narrative that represent the frustration and anxiety I often times feel when trying to concentrate. This piece will be recorded with my voice and will play on repeat in my gallery space.  

For those who don’t know,  (can I say that in my thesis?) ADHD is a chronic neurological disorder marked by persistent inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Researchers have found that individuals with ADHD have lower dopamine levels, which is a neurotransmitter that allows people to control emotional responses, and is responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward.

(Need a transition here)

While researching, I came across a book called The ADHD Advantage by Dale Archer. Dale Archer is a psychiatrist, and through research and personal experience he strives to alter the negative connotation society has attached to ADHD. In regards to my personal life, once I was old enough to understand what having ADHD meant, I thought I was going to live in a world where I had more disadvantages than advantages. However, after starting this book, I happily can say that I am wrong. This book has allowed me to change my own perspective on my ADHD, and just because my brain is different than others does not mean I have to think negatively about it. When thinking about my project, this book lead to towards the idea of potentially expressing to my viewers that ADHD can be tough, but also wonderful too.

In addition to finding The ADHD Advantage, I researched information as well.  I learned that it was not until 1980 when ADHD was finally recognized as a neurological disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by APA (American Psychological Association). I also learned that roughly 11% of children ranging from ages four to seventeen are diagnosed with ADHD, which is about 6.5 million children. I was shocked to learn how many kids and teenagers are diagnosed with ADHD. Lastly, I read that it is recommended for children under the age of six who have ADHD to seek behavior therapy first before being treated with medications. When thinking about my project, I began to question why my parents never tried therapy with me. If therapy would have helped me, would I have needed to start taking medicine? Would I still be taking it today? These were the questions I continued to ponder while I explored different ways to express my ideas in my project.

- Add more examples to contextual discussion?

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Methodology Outline:

i. Inspired me to reach out to others who have ADHD because I will learn more about my brain and others brains as well

i. I found this response to be extremely inspiring in regarding to time and how people with ADHD can have a lot going on inside their brains. This interview also allowed me to relate to others who have ADHD.  

2. Well-known artists

i. Thinking of Morandi, I began to paint my own surroundings every day on a 6 inch by 6 inch canvas, talk about how I was documenting time and moments in my life every day. (Taking a pill every morning)

i. Tuymans introduced me to the idea of evoking a feeling or emotion through minimalistic colors and strokes, talk about how he also documents moments of the past in his works

3. Other artists

i. Introduced me to the idea of having work that is time based and temporary, a brief moment and then it is gone until the next time “something” happens.

i. Got me thinking about the fragility of time, another example of a way to represent time passing.

i. Thinking about my work as a mass, potentially representing all the pills I have taken in my life in one section much like how he put a bunch of prisoner uniforms together in one area. Evokes the feeling of an overwhelming amount of prisoners/could help evoke the feeling of a mass amount of pills in the context of my project.

Creative Work Outline

- Describe the significance of the 5,000 pills?

- Mass amount represents how many I’ve taken in my lifetime

- Attach photographs of the wall

- Pills start organized but eventually are disorganized

- The writing piece shared through speakers is authentic, actually happened

- ???

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This week I made my first batch of 100 pills! 

I am able to make 42 pills in 1 hour, and it takes about 2 hours to fire 100 pills.

I made a goal for myself to try to get all of my pills fired before spring break, that way all I have to do is glue the magnets in the pills and spray paint them when I get back! 

I have really enjoyed the process of making the pills so far. I find it relaxing and therapeutic in a way. 

I’m sure I won’t be saying that for long though! 

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After critique I realized that I can arrange my pills in any composition I want on the wall. I tried exploring what it would look like to have an outline or a silhouette of my body on the wall, but I felt like that was cliche and expected. It basically said “my body is made of pills.” So then I started to explore an arrangement for how I could make the pills appear as if they are “falling” off the wall. I think that creating an organic arrangement might be the best approach for what I am looking for.

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Exploring different ways to organize the pills on the wall

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I spent this week really exploring different ways I could color my pills. 

I started with making a mold of the entire pill and using white clay. I then decided to color the pill with acrylic paint and a brush, but that took way too long. 

Then I went to Michael's and picked up colored polymer clay, and I was able to create two halves of the pill and I glued them together. They dried matte, so I bought a gloss to put on top which worked well. 

However, I realized that spray painting the pills might be the best method. By doing this, I will be able to create more pills than I intended on making.

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Spent the weekend making many molds and played around with Polymer clay 

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