First Big Leap into the Unknown

Stepping into a world of written media is not new to me. I’ve dedicated a large part of my life being buried under heaps of words, idioms, metaphors, sentences and the like. It’s the reason why I chose to to pursue a degree in writing, in addition to a visual arts one. I try and see artistic value in many aspects of life as I can, so my journey as an artist is to find my place in the very thin line between art and writing and find my sense of belonging there.

It is a journey of unfamiliarity, pioneering into something outside my comfort zone to find meaning-making and taking away a new sense of self. I say all this because this is how I feel about this class, if the first session is anything to go by. It is structured like a normal course, reminding me of certain elements from the classes I took last year. Where it differs is how much agency we as students have in this, where the course will be shaped and molded by our contributions and ideas, and it can go in any direction it well pleases. I’ve had my fair share of relying on independency to navigate through something, but this class asks of us to do this with a group of varying minds to make sense of this new place of ours.

This pandemic is yet another unknown we have been trekking through. A year has almost passed and we are still uncertain as to where we are and what lies ahead. I feel this class came at a perfect moment as we can work together to craft new perspectives and come out as new people.

I couldn’t have asked a better community of scholars to take this journey with, as well as embracing the newest members of our writing family as one of our own. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting very interesting people and I know for certain that this course will provide more material that challenges and shapes my opinions.

This class relies heavily on collaboration and engagement, I see that as a main central aspect of what is to come.

This is why I wanted to share my art print above, Connections. I created this piece to make sense of the isolation and uncertainty within myself. Each tower represents an individual mind standing firm in a sea of dark uncertainty. Two colors illustrate the many facets we carry as people. But towers stand firmer when connected with another, so bridges must be formed to another to help another stand tall. We might never know everything that life throws at us, but it’s best to reach out and connect with others so that we might navigate uncertainty together. I felt it was appropriate sharing this image of mine as my first post and my response of this class.