This was an interesting exercise (especially due to the ‘no-selfies’ rule), which lead me to consider how I would actually go about expressing myself through media artifacts, and then doing so, with varying levels of success.
Firstly, the three audio recordings were the most challenging. I am not musically talented, nor will I ever be, I am uncomfortable with the sound of my own voice; so I decided to reflect myself through the thing I do know and love: ambience. Sound is important – it can make or break a mood or atmosphere – so I recorded the ambient sounds that contribute to the atmosphere in places where I am most often. This includes the laughter and music of a bar, the relaxed chatting and familiar noises of a coffee machine in a cafe, and the soft call of birds outdoors.
Photography is the medium I am most comfortable with. For this first photo, I decided my subject would be a selection of my favourite plants I keep in my room. I adore green stuff and this is a key part of who I am.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116095465@N04/24951037843/in/album-72157663238031853/
The second photo is a quiet moment I captured in a cafe. I love early mornings and the beautiful lighting and atmosphere it brings. Being a morning person makes those 8:30am lectures a lot easier on the soul.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116095465@N04/24947182674/in/album-72157663238031853/
Thirdly, this photo is a close up of the miscellaneous cuttings I keep on my study wall. I change these around often, when I need new visual inspiration, hoping it will make me more creative, so it comes to represent my interests and thoughts quite well.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116095465@N04/25210117939/in/album-72157663238031853/
This photo further draws on my love of mornings and colours and light. This is the vista that usually greets me when I wake up in the morning to go to uni, and it never stops being amazing.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116095465@N04/24950959873/in/album-72157663238031853/
Next up is a shot of the times I carry with me every day. I think that the objects a person carries on them can provide great insight into their life and the kind of person they are, so that’s why I included this photo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116095465@N04/25551497776/in/album-72157663238031853/
Finally, I took this photo because I love taking photos of interesting places and angles that people don’t usually consider unless they are looking for them.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/116095465@N04/25459048262/in/album-72157663238031853/
Next up: videos. I had some technological struggles uploading these, so despite what you may think, they were not recorded on a potato.
The first video is a very art house pseudo-artistic video of me walking, to the station, as one who lives in the outer Eastern suburbs may be very familiar with. I certainly am. As this is an activity I do frequently, and sometimes even enjoy, I thought it was fitting for this project. I can even get really deep and suggest it is a metaphor for my journey through life, but let’s not go there (yet).
Time for video two: more walking, yay! This time, it’s a pretty morning. How quaint. Let’s ignore the fact that I’m terrible at handheld and compressing videos, and think about how beautiful this scenery would have been in person. Trust me, I was there – it was gorgeous. This is the kind of time in the morning where I’m feeling the most introspective and positive.
Last but not least, a somewhat confusing video of a fern that somehow survived being looked after by my mother whilst I was overseas for 6 weeks. This fern is representative of me: it gets a bit sad sometimes, but it always pulls through, and loves having fans pointed at him for dramatic effect.
Last but not least, here are some suitably abstract and poetic words that reflect my musings:
If we are made up of many parts of a whole, then what do those parts constitute? Are you your breakfast this morning, the TV shows you watch, that moment at 7:35 am when the sun shines just right through the clouds and washes the world in a spectacular orange?