#discussionreflectionpost

[weaveshadows]

discussion reflection week 15

I really loved today’s discussion about the two readings because when I first read them, I didn’t really understand what the authors were trying to say. However, after today, I realized that I probably really didn’t give the articles enough of a chance to make sense to me. I tend to move on from something when I don’t understand it, which is exactly what the readings were trying to tell me not to do. I loved the points people brought up about how you have to give art a real chance, and you have to sit in the uncomfortable confusion of a piece before it starts to make sense. When specifically talking about abstract art, I really liked the points about nature also being abstract art because I have never thought about it that way. Someone gave an analogy about a pile of dirt and sticks in a gallery is, in theory, the same thing as a forest, and that connection really opened my eyes to the fact that art really is all in the eyes of the viewer. We also talked about how art helps you engage deeply in conversations and how sometimes a lack of understanding comes from a lack of effort to understand. The point stating that if you don’t spend time on something, then you’ll never learn how to appreciate it, resonated with me a lot more than I expected. In life, it is too easy to walk away from something that doesn’t make sense or is too hard to understand. However, it is extremely important to understand that you have to learn about something to be able to participate in it. I believe that if everyone took the time to learn and understand that point, then the world would be a much better place.

[becca46]

Week 9 Discussion

Unfortunately due to the fact that I was away this class for a volleyball competition I was not bale to participate in the discussion in class. How ever I really like this weeks questions. The really helped me think more critically about the art world and that there are so many more aspects to art than just the art piece isn’t. On the bus ride to my game I talked to my teammates about the questions of the week and read them my thoughts on the topic. All my teammates were so invested in the conversation and helped bring some new prospectives to the table. They all agreed with my thoughts as well but one of my teammates brought up the fact that someones religion could actually be very important to know. Her example was that if there was some sorta of art from a christian artist used for a band that is supporting something against Christian beliefs this person charter can be put into question. 

[emilyrapunzel]

Discussion Reflection- Week 7

In today’s discussion we talked a lot about being valued and finding your identity in God. Where is the balance of feeling better than others, or less than others? We also talked about whether or not we are all artists because God is a creator God so does that make us all creative? We discussed our identity in God as a task and a mission and also a stewardship. 

We are all the most beautiful and prized possession that God has. We need to remember that our value is not in what the world thinks of us but of God. It’s really easy to fall into the circle of comparison ( at least for me) but we just need a reminder everyday that we are enough and perfect the way we are because God made us that way. I do agree that we are all creative because God is a creator, but like one of my classmates pointed out, we are all given different gifts and talents and some will be weaker and some stronger, so we need to cultivate those gifts we are strong in and worship God in that way. This leads me into stewardship. I think that God has given us each an identity - in Him- that we need to discover first. The next step is learning to steward that identity by using the gifts he gave us. We discussed replacing the word task for lifestyle and I think that is a far better choice, but task works as well. Being a Christian is something we need to choose each day, and God gives us tasks to undertake, things that fit into his plan for the world. So in a way our identity is a task and a mission as well as a lifestyle and there is a level of stewardship that needs to take place. 

[gracepatane]

Week 7 - Discussion Reflection Post

Being completely honest, as we were in discussion I started to get emotional a bit because I needed to hear some of the things that were said, because it truly encouraged me. I have recently been struggling with compassion and I know that compassion truly is the thief of joy and I have been able to see that. When the discussion of God creating us all in his own unique image came up, it made me reflect on myself and be in awe of the creator. When you fully grasp the understand that God literally formed you the way he wanted you, it gives you a hope. Professor Linville said, "We are custom made." As I discussed to the class, that comment really stood out to me and gave me such a peace from within. It reminded me that even though I may desire to have something someone else has, the reality is I truly don't want those things, because God chose that person to have uniqueness and chose me to have my own uniqueness, thus I have all I need. I was reminded in the class discussion that I am special, because Christ made me and He does not make mistakes. The readings for this week all tied to the same idea of being creators. A scripture that we read was Genesis 1:27 which states, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." In my opinion the discussion was very much centered off of this scripture verse, because when you talk about the amazing creative side of human beings, you are talking about the creator. Overall, I would say this class discussion was probably one of my favorites so far this semester! I personally needed to hear what was shared, because it reminded me that God chose me and "He created my inmost being; and knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise Him because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; His works are wonderful, I know that full well. His eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in His book before one of them came to be." Psalms 139:13-14 ❤️

However, something I disagreed with was a classmate thinks not everyone is creative, however I would say otherwise and here is why; God is a creative creator and he created us, thus we are all creative beings. Of course our creative sides may not be the same, but we do indeed all have a creativeness to us and this is not limited to specific arts. We were able to respectfully discuss our different viewpoints on this to have a better understanding of our opinions, which was a great experience!

[joellehameister]

Class Discussion #1

Zoom definitely puts a damper on discussions. I wish we were able to have these discussions as free flowing conversations, but we are making the best of it. The small groups were good to start the discussions in, especially for those who don’t like voicing their opinions in front of a crowd. I personally like the small groups, not because I don’t like large groups, but because you have more of an opportunity to speak when you are with just three other people compared to 20+ other people. 

I enjoyed the discussion and hearing people’s different perspectives. Many people had different opinions than I have, but it is good to be able to discuss the differences. I thought KJ’s perspective on Christian Nationalism was very interesting. I have not heard much about this idea and the more she explained the more I wanted to know. One of her sources came from a group of pastors who live in the deep south. It is very fascinating that even though we all live in America, the different parts of America can be so separated. These pastors talked about America in terms of God’s chosen, even though there is no mention of America in the Bible. This is a wrong approach and we need to get the church back to biblical teachings. Someone then mentioned there being no accountability and I think this not only goes for churches, but our government. The founders of our country put in place checks and balances to make sure things were fair. The same thing goes for churches, they are supposed to have an elder board that can keep the pastor accountable to his congregation. 

I wish we would have had more time to discuss the books. I really liked imagine and the thoughts it provoked. If we could spread the discussion out on more topics next time, I would like to discuss more. 

[missionaryadventurer]

removing failure & achieving joy

During the class discussion today, I really got thinking about joy and success. What is real joy and how is it different than happiness? What defines my success? I believe that joy and success are really very interconnected. For example, I have several goals in my life. I want to graduate and get my teaching credential. I want to travel outside the US and serve as a teacher in the mission field. I want to get married and raise a family. However, my success isn’t solely found in these because I live for something bigger than myself. I live for Jesus and His glory. I live to honor Him and share His gospel. Because my success is founded upon Jesus, I can have joy! Joy is achieved when you find complete fulfillment and contentment. When your success is founded in God, His truth, and growing in Him, you CANNOT FAIL! Additionally, when your joy is deeply established, then you don’t have to constantly run on the treadmill of continually looking for the next thing to give you “joy” or a feeling of “success.”

When you can’t fail because God holds your joy, then you are free. You can begin embracing chance and experimenting with new ideas and materials. You can rely on God and get rid of your selfish ways. It opens the door and allows you the freedom to fully dive into creativity because the entire barrier of failure has been removed.

[jewelthomasson]

💡Discussion Response:💡

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🤔What I learned from today’s discussion?:

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In today’s discussion we started off class with breaking out into our small groups to talk about the questions of the week. The first question arose the most discussion as we talked about, “Does a work of art need to be beautiful? Why or why not?” As I shared my answer, most of the group agreed on what was said. From our conversation we found that it is also hard to answer this question because everyone can define “beauty” differently. Sometimes art needs to hold a different purpose than to be “pretty”. And that’s perfectly okay. But From our discussion I learned that there can even be beauty in the ugly. For instance, God gave us the ability to feel great emotions, some aren’t always pretty but there is still beauty in them because God created us. Tina brought up how Christian artists usually talk about beauty when regarding art. I find that interesting because I personally fall under that category of people. When I think of beauty I think of something that is atheistically pleasing or pretty. I think that way because when I create art, those are the standards I have set. I always ask myself, “Does this look good?” “Is it good enough?” “Would highlights make it look prettier?” So, that’s where my mind goes. What do you think of? Someone else brought up in class that beauty can be simply looks, intention, or meaning. Overall, it depends on the artist’s intention on if it should be beautiful to the viewer. But someone made sure to emphasize that the art does not have to be “pretty” to be beautiful. Overall, I learned that beauty has a messy history, and it is really hard to describe something that is simply relative.

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🤔Concepts that confused me:

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The concept of “beauty” confuses me. Seriously, “What is beauty?” Will I ever have a right “yes” answer? When Tina put this question on the board my mind was filled with…????(question marks). This is really hard for me to grasp because up until this class discussion, the definition of beauty was “pretty” or “atheistically pleasing.” But now there is more??! Like how can there be more?! Since we can’t have a concrete definition of beauty then is it even a thing? Are we all just making up what we think is beautiful? Is there something I’m missing? What is beauty to you? (P.S. Beauty doesn’t just mean pretty,—think harder! When you do you will be just as confused as I am)

—You’re Welcome

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🤔Connecting art with faith:

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In our discussion we didn’t touch too much on connecting art with faith. But from our discussion, we highlighted that we as Christians are called to influence the world. God has given us materials and ideas and strategies, and He wants us to use them. At the end of the day, we need to give Him credit for all the talents He has given us. One thing that I am certain about, is that God created us uniquely beautiful in our own way. And by using the tools He has given us, to play with, makes Him happy.

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📸Image above:

[clarissaholguin]

Discussion Reflection Post

I’ve really loved being in this class for the past few months because of how much I have learned so far and how it’s really been able to help me see things from a new perspective. Since I’m such an analytical thinker I’ve really enjoyed learning from this class how to think creatively. Our table group discussed the questions of the week and I really enjoyed hearing everyones perspective. I personally really struggled with the question “How is the art you make different than the art you like to look at or engage with as a viewer?” Simply because I didn’t see myself as someone who made art, so I had a difficult time trying to answer that. I explained to my group that I like any art and if it catches my eye I’ll give it attention. But really thinking about it after class I think I would say that the art I like to look at or engage with is probably more historical pieces. I love history and that’s always something I’ve been interested in so I really enjoy looking at that type of art. 

Our group also talked about the reading content for the past week and I mentioned how I really enjoyed it. This was probably my favorite week of content. Within the video and chapters we read I found a lot of applicable tools that could be very useful within my every day life. We went over the habits of an artist and why work ethic is so important. If you really want to succeed at something and thrive in what you’re doing, you need to work for it. Success isn’t just going to be handed to you. 

[mrose7890]

Discussion Response

What makes something an idol? Well, this is a question we were asking a lot this week during our discussions, could the cross we wear as necklaces be an idol? What if we have a picture depicting Christ, could that be considered an idol? These were only some of the challenging questions that we asked ourselves in class, and I would even go as far as saying that they are questions that we as Christians ask daily. One of the things that struck me the most, and I believe answered these questions pretty well was realizing that the “why” behind it means everything. This is encouraging us to think about the whys behind what we do or what we were. The why behind wearing a cross necklace could make the difference of it being an idol or not. Along with this, we discussed what you have or what you are doing, is that pointing you towards god or is that turning us away or distracting us from honoring God? And I think that both of these Ideas answer these questions we asked ourselves, fairly well. Lastly, I think it is important to realize that we will never stop being faced with these challenges or questions and we will never fully have the answer until we are standing at the feet of God. So, what I choose to do is I choose to offer all I do to god, every message, every assignment, every action. I do it for god, every why I am faced with, easy enough right? (haha) As easy as it is to say that, it will be difficult and it will be a consent struggle, but it is one that I am willing to work on.

[weaveshadows]

Week 13+14 Discussion Response

In our class discussion, we began by discussing Christians’ roles in society, and specifically in the entertainment industry. We talked about what specific types of art and examples that we probably should and shouldn’t be supporting as Christians, which I realized that I should really give more thought to. Growing up, I went to a Christian elementary school, and many of my classmates were extremely sheltered by their parents regarding the types of music, shows, and movies they were allowed to watch. So, when these kids gained more freedom in high school, most of them were the ones to go the craziest and found themselves taking part in things that they probably shouldn’t have. For me, my parents wanted to protect us from the outside world and make sure that we weren’t being exposed to anything inappropriate, however, they also didn’t want to completely shelter us so that one day we would be completely shocked when we got into the real world. I’ve had many discussions with my parents that reflected what we talked about today, that of living in the world and not of the world and how to do that. I always called my elementary school a “bubble” for Christians, where they decided what we learned and what we watched, and almost all of the parents were extremely strict with the school and what they could and couldn’t teach us about. This was a perfect example of Christians sometimes taking being “not of the world” too far, and completely separating themselves from the world. Chrtistian artists sometimes also forget how to be of the world, and many don’t understand that we have to be a part of the world in order to understand the things going on around us and to know how God wants us to shine His light in these dark times.

[aubriehaleycc]

Week 15

Questions of the Week

What art is most challenging for you? Why?

What makes an artwork good or bad?

I think art that is most challenging for me is definitely art that I feel like I don’t understand or have to work hard to make meaning of. I think art is challenging for me when I don’t connect with it. If it’s too “different” or “out there” I think it's too challenging for me to really appreciate and I do not give it much attention. Abstract art is very challenging for me because I like when the meaning or intention of something is assigned to it already and there is no “work” or thinking for me to do. When I do assign the meaning I come up with, I think about how wrong or off I could be from the artist’s original meaning and intention. It just becomes more work than it's worth and no longer enjoyable. Maybe I am approaching it all wrong.

What makes artwork good is dependent upon what each person thinks is good. My idea of good and bad can be completely different from someone else's ideas especially since I am not in the artistic field and don’t know the proper techniques or certain skills. For me, one thing that I think classifies as good art is if it is a piece of work that sticks with me and I remember. I like art that I can make personal connections with or are very interesting and unique. I think if it stays with me, the artist has done an incredible job of connecting with the audience and pulling them in.

Reading Reflection

In my question of the week response, I said that abstract art was the most challenging for me so it was very interesting that the first sentence, in the essay by Joe Lloyd says, “Abstract painting along with any other type of painting, is not a visual puzzle to be solved or something that is useful because it holds a message that can be extracted from it.” I thought that was such an interesting statement because it really goes against everything that I have ever thought about abstract work. It was like the author was speaking directly to me because abstract art has always been a puzzle that I don’t want to have to solve. It was interesting to have the permission to just enjoy the art for its perceptual beauty.

The chapter, “Art as a Twenty-First Century Calling” was a little confusing for me. I liked the section of the chapter Telling Stories because I think it is so important to understand the power and creativity that entails. “The world wants stories.” To me that means that the world wants personal connection and shared experiences. They want to receive those stories in multiple forms and I liked the example that “Jesus told stories that surprised and jolted and lodged in the memory and changed perceptions.” Artwork comes in many different forms and that is why it is so perfect. I think artwork can tell stories and it has the power to create real change in our world. That is really what I took away from this reading.

Discussion Reflection

In the discussion this week, specifically our break out rooms, we discussed what challenges us in art. Not that it was very surprising but the three of us determined that we each thought abstract art was the most challenging for us. I think that was interesting because we all had the same ideas and reasonings. We resonate more with artwork that painted a clear visual and representation of something that we could notice, right away. So in connection with the question of the week, we thought the article was very eye opening and provided us with more questions than more answers.

We then discussed the second question of the week, “what makes an artwork good or bad?” We agreed that people can determine something to be good or bad based on what they believe it means to be good or bad. In the small group, I said that I think that people judge something in this way based on their upbringing, preferences, morals, values, and faith. I would not be able to determine if something is bad based on technique and skill alone. I do not have the expertise or knowledge to do that so it is hard for me to begin to judge artwork based on those factors. Together, we discussed what we think would classify as bad art and we came up with answers like; nudity, extreme profanity, and any form of work that worships the devil in any way. To me artwork that includes such things is what I consider to be bad. It was nice to engage with my group on this discussion.

[emilyrapunzel]

Week 3-Discussion Post

Our first class discussion was amazing! I loved our topics and I kept having things to say. I could have kept talking for another hour. My favorite topic was “Is America a Christian Nation, why or why not?”. It was really cool to hear the different perspectives but also kind of shocking to hear that so many of us were mostly on the same page. My question is, if so many of us are on the same page- that Christians need to be the first ones to change their behavior- why isn’t change happening? Is it because we are all so bogged down with work and school? I have to remember that even when I am out of school, my work load won’t necessarily decrease. I may have different kinds of work but I will still be busy or even more busy than I am now (which is scary to think about). The time is now, if my generation wants to see a dramatic shift in our country soon, we need to step up now. There is a song called “You and Me” and I was thinking about the words during our class discussion today. The chorus is “Cause in your heart is where it all begins. We gotta be bold. We gotta be brave. We gotta be free. We gotta get loud, making that change. You gotta believe. Let everyone see, it starts with you and me” If my generation is worried about our leaders not being held accountable, then we need to start making them accountable. We can hold them to high standards. This includes our teachers, our pastors, our political leaders, and even our president. 

I disagreed with one thing we talked about. Someone mentioned that they don’t think faith and religion should be incorporated in every area of our life. I disagree. As Christians, if we want to be transformed and make a difference in our world, we need to let God into every part of our lives, not just some parts. Romans 12: 2 commands “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”. If we want our minds, hearts, and soul to be transformed, we need to surrender our entire life to Jesus. We need to give him access to everything. Overall, I had a really good time, and I am looking forward to more discussions in the future. 

[gracepatane]

Week 15 - Discussion Post

In our last discussion which is so bittersweet the conversation about abstract art came up as a topic. Abstract art to me is something that is very unique however I feel that it is a very challenging piece of artwork to create, because you want that artwork to be appealing to the guy, but at the same time abstract art does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures. One of the conclusions that was discussed is that abstract art is challenging because it is hard to understand the meaning behind it. Also discussed in class that abstract art is supposed to not be easily understood, and actually is meant to not be understood but rather to be understood by the artist themselves. In my discussion group, we discussed the essay that was written by Joe Lloyd and how he was telling us to look at this type of art. We seemed to agree that the article did not align with what we though abstract artwork was. We see in the essay that Lloyd agues that this type of art is not a puzzle, thus it needs to be looked at the same as any other pieces of artwork. Overall, the discussion went really well and brought up a lot of conversation. We were trying to set aside our personal opinions and open our minds and perspectives in order to see if we could agree to somewhat agree with Lloyd. Both the class discussion and group discussions were great with lots of opinions on this topic!

[edelin-reyes]

The first discussion in this class and I was amazed by the similarities between all of us in how we perceive certain topics, but at the same time the drastic differences in how we grasp them and how these can be conversation starters to end up talking about completely different topics. I wanted to be a sponge to absorb as much information as possible while this discussion took place.

One of the topics that I was able to agree immediately with, was the idea of how as a society we tend to see political and church leaders as a live definition of what perfection is. It is incredible the reaction of society when one of these leaders messes up, and the impact that these ideas can have on future generations, but aren’t they humans just as we are? When it comes to the church, the definition that we are adapting is one full of lies. If one is christian then one must always be okay financially, emotionally, mentally, Christians are to be examples to others in the secular world. 

There is so much responsibility put on our shoulders, because this is not what Christianity is all about, but for society ideals this is what we are making it to be. The idea of responsibility ties back to the question of the week and a point that someone brought up during our discussion was that an artist might have more outlets to share the gospel though, and as artists we have the opportunity to to make what we believe show up in our art and let that make a difference. 

Personally, I believe that it is important to understand that it is okay to not be okay and that we are vulnerable enough to ask for help when we need it. Being christian does not mean that we have it all together, it does not have to. I have flaws, just as everybody else does, it is necessary to understand that and be willing to help others instead of pretending to be perfect and without needs, because that is for sure no way of sharing the gospel. The gospel is truth and if we are living a fake life we do not give the testimony we ought to share.

[becca46]

Week 7 Discussion

I was not in class due to the fact that I was competing in a volleyball match. I liked this weeks questions because it really made me think about the fact that we are all artist and how amazing our God is that he made us all be able to express ourselves in our own way. 

[missionaryadventurer]

All tangled up and supported

In today’s discussion I thought it was interesting how so many aspects of life were intertwined and woven together throughout the conversation’s topic. Concepts such as time management, decluttering, procrastination, creativity, processes, and simplicity all seemed to sprout up during the conversation. As I listened to the multiple voices in the room, I thought to myself, “How interesting the way God designed our relationships, art, mistakes, victories, hobbies, religion, and work to all mix and mesh into a beautiful, and sometimes messy, melting pot called life.” And you know what? I think God created it that way on purpose. 

And not only that, but God knew this life would be kind of messy and difficult, so I think He decided to put within us the innate need and desire for a village. We need people. We can’t do this alone. We need both beneficial criticism and constructive praise. We need minds to bounce ideas off of, cheerleaders who offer support, and friends to laugh with. 

So I guess the main take away today was appreciate the fun, tangely, mess of life and surround yourself with a supportive village of friends.