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Proud of the final set

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Writing Initiative #7

What have you learned about yourself doing this self-directed assignment?

I really do enjoy self led assignments. I used to be very nervous regarding self direction outside of a personal hobby scope and instead an academic scape. The self discipline to keep up and the silent competition with myself to take advantage of the assignment at hand as it might be a while before getting control over a brief like that. I learned what themes I usually stick to and actually enjoy spending more than a month on as well. I am highly attracted to anthropological and humanistic approaches to design. I like bringing people together.

What did you find to be the most difficult aspect of your chosen assignment? Creativity? Research? Connecting design to research? Craft? Organizational skills? Time management? Something else entirely?

I found that research was difficult because it takes time to connect it back to the word given. There realistically is no information on the Radicles connection to my theme therefore the research was not inherently direct. The google searches I acquired doing this assignment probably looks strange to the blind eye. It is also difficult to do research when you know you are blatantly redirecting it to fit a theme you’ve created. Which made credibility difficult.

What did you enjoy about this opportunity?

I enjoyed the opportunity to use materials I haven’t used since high school. Sculpting, painting and more fine art related materials are something that got me into the wave of graphic design but when coming to OCAD I hadn’t had a chance or reason to use them, and I watched them slowly slip from my routine. I couldn’t find a reason to do them and was scared I was doomed for an entirely digital future at OCAD. So to use these felt very close to me and to have the material bleed into the concept of the word was a cherry on top. I also enjoyed seeing how others used their word and how they twisted and manipulated it. It made me realize how malleable language and communication can be, as well as what can come out of something so simple if you push it.

How would you rate your performance over the course of the semester?

The only place I can speak on this is about how enjoyable the assignment was the last 3 months. I find it a little rare to really take on an assignment with raw personalized intention and not just looking for a grade. I remember finishing the semester and telling myself that my grade actually doesn’t even concern me because I am proud of the final presentation. I was more focused on finding a connection between graphic design and my childhoods appreciation for art. I liked what I made and would even proudly show it. As for the actual curriculum I posted the writing initiatives late and found myself getting critique from friends more than group classes so that’s where I went wrong academically. But overall I do think my piece stood out in the room (regardless of my massive poster) due to it’s rawness and unique craft and I do think I excel in presentations and public speaking so that was an asset. I knew I was confident in the presentation because usually when presenting I shake. But for this I think I had become so accustomed to talking and explaining my piece this semester that I my body was still and words didn’t feel bottled up.

Hindsight is 20/20. What would you do differently, now that you've had this opportunity to work this way?

I wish I gave myself more time for the reflective. The intention was always a written component to tie the art together but the physical ended up being a brochure. I wish it was more entangled in the final structure of the set up to really tie to the word Radicle.

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REFLECT

A written culmination of my pieces and how they relate to Human connection to land. What was in mind in the making, and how it all ties together.

PAMPHLET FORMAT

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Final 3D

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Process

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Rachel Carson

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Collecting the icons

Chico Mendes

Chico Mendes was a Brazilian rubber tapper, union leader, and environmental activist who fought to protect the Amazon rainforest and the rights of its Indigenous and traditional communities. He believed that the well-being of people and the environment were deeply connected, advocating for sustainable practices that preserved both livelihoods and ecosystems. Using him in a video on human connection makes sense because his activism was rooted in community solidarity, collective resistance, and the idea that protecting nature is also about protecting human relationships, culture, and survival. His story highlights how environmental justice and human connection are inseparable.

Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, and food sovereignty advocate known for her work in promoting sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and farmers' rights. She has challenged industrial agriculture and corporate control over seeds, emphasizing the deep connection between people, nature, and traditional knowledge. Using her in a video on human connection is powerful because her work highlights how relationships—between farmers, communities, and the land—are essential for a just and sustainable world. She shows that food is not just a commodity but a shared cultural and ecological bond that connects us all.

Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose groundbreaking book Silent Spring exposed the dangers of pesticides and helped launch the modern environmental movement. She emphasized the delicate interconnectedness of all living things, warning that harming nature ultimately harms humanity. Using her in a video on human connection makes sense because her work demonstrates how our well-being is tied to the health of the planet. She showed that scientific knowledge, empathy for nature, and collective action can unite people in protecting the world we all share.

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Collecting media

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Transitions

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Writing Initiative #6

Which piece did you present to the class today? How does it relate to the other pieces previously presented?

My 4D piece was presented and I had some new animations added to it. It related to the other pieces due to the critique I am making on our relationship to nature. The song intro claiming the word wild applies to you and me hinting that we are all mother nature’s gift.

Describe 2–3 specific strengths your classmates found in your work and their reasons for identifying them.

They liked the stop motion for sure, my friend Isabella is a lot better with animation so she gave me some good critiques on how to better further my stop motion. The story boarding is finally coming along okay as well as the while intro bit being complete.

Describe 1–2 specific ways your classmates thought you could improve this work going forward.

firstly the choppiness of the animation could be better, but other than that I need to put more to paper and get out of my notes to be sure where the direction is truly going. They could also tell I was struggling with the story of the animation and they gave me some really good ideas with the contents I had.

Consider the remaining outcome yet to be presented in a couple of weeks; why have you put it off the longest? Describe your reasons for presenting this outcome last.

the finalization of my 3D piece is definitely stressing me because it is so fragile adding to it or even commuting with it could put it in danger. I love the sculpture but it does in my opinion need some more visual concept added to it to get my points and the feeling across.

Finally, you have now had a chance to present each of your projects (2D, 3D, 4D, Reflective) in process to the class. Produce an image of each one and describe how an aspect of your word is manifested in each piece.

2D) at the word radicle gave me a much-needed excuse to use some more hand crafted methods. The painting relates to the word because the colours and forms transform an image of a man into a tree. Root forms coming from his face to show organic qualities and slightly gory themes to remind us we are much closer related to animals than a smart phone. I want it to be a signal to go out and lay in some grass. all the figures are connected by roots and drapes and all simultaneously look towards the sun, a universal source of peace.

3D) The sculpture was one of the more fun ones to do because of the hands on activity I got to put the laptop away for once and make. It reminded me of being a kid in my room just making whatever I could and completely dissociating from what’s outside. The dying flowers I had are emerging from the head of the sculpture expressing the blooming nature of human capacity. I am still on the fence with time about the roots to be coming out of the bottom

4D) The video is a work in progress still but it’s coming along pretty good. The structure of it really forming and the message is better delivered now than before. The themes of the narrative steer more towards eco-activism. Alternatives to the world we have now and showing that there are people living against capitalist society. I also wanted to use physical things to give the video a natural and familiar feel of stop motion. The intro lyrics though, do push the ideation that we are all connected, like roots, and that there is no hierarchy between the word wild and us.

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Writing Initiative 5

Which piece did you present to the class today? How does it relate to the other pieces previously presented?

I presented my 3D piece again although I also did last week. The difference this week is that I have planned and experimented with my 4D video

I have done research on how to present this topic with motion and have been culminating clips, pictures, and articles to set myself when creating

Describe 2–3 specific strengths your classmates found in your work and their reasons for identifying them.

They loved the techniques for the clay and the recycled valentines flowers (my boyfriend loved that one too) as well as the ideas I was planning with resin dipped or sprayed roots continued to the bottom of the piece

Describe 1–2 specific ways your classmates thought you could improve this work going forward.

They suggested paint as well as different methods of how it would be held up if roots dangle at the bottom

I could build a rod into the back of the sculpture and hod it on a stand or let the roots sit placed strategically on the table like limbs. These need to be considered before I even attempt it so it dried correctly

We also played around with the idea of painting it but I’d need to think a little harder on the implication of paint first

Consider the remaining outcome you still need to present in the remaining classes; why have you put this one off to the last?

I have left very specific things until the end of the sem because 1) i want to really solidify the cohesiveness of the final set up as that pertains to my word as well

The said things being left until the last is the printing process and materials for the 2D peice and the addition of real vines and roots for the 3D piece.

I am working to finish the 4d video and culminate something for the reflective peice to really assure what I do with the final touches resonates with cohesiveness in the final presentation

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Writing Initiative 4

Describe 2–3 specific strengths your classmates found in your work and their reasons for identifying them.

I showed pictures of the sculpture I created and I got a lot of good feedback of the technical skills but I definitely think I can push the sculpture further with more media

Describe 1–2 specific ways your classmates thought you might refine or improve your piece going forward.

I discussed using real roots at the base of the sculpture

I am trying to push a narrative of how the human brain is like a seed constantly growing like a tree or plant

I feel like the addition of roots would really make a deeper connection to my word

I also believe that the roots and shoulders and heart area being added would change the narrative about the brain a little more and would make a better critique on how we absorb knowledge and it blooms through our cognitive qualities

How might this feedback inform your thinking/making going forward? Describe 2–3 specific ways your classmates have informed how you might continue with one of the other assignments (3D, 4D, Reflective Piece) through Reading Week and to be presented next.

After speaking I decided to go through with the video idea especially after chatting with Eric about found media and pop culture moments in videos. I will try to really push a more story-based video to further my research on the connection of humans to nature and the disassociation we've created

I like the idea of video because it’s no longer static and a story can be further pushed

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Beginning 3D

Thinking towards the end of creating my 3D piece, I will turn this into a symbolization of human nature of taking and creating. The bottom of the head will be continued into the shoulders and chest until I can at least envision a heart, and to sculpt it around the roots of an old dying plant I have. The human embodies not only the bottom and top of a tree but the radicle process of growth from the ground up. The roots of the human body blooming through the brain.