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Fleri and Decolonization

Personally, I hoped the video was a little longer. Given the fact this this company, that I looked into myself, is something that I think not a lot of people know about or have even considered. Although it doesn’t effect everyone, it effects more people than we realize. There are places and programs that are out there that want to help and yet the coverage of them and the presence of them have been understated. For that reason, I think there needs to be some kind of platform where people can find resources like this because I think it’s something that is easy to navigate and very helpful.

That being said, I think that what Fleri is doing is amazing. It’s truly a shining example of finding specific issues that face a group of people, and finding an answer by narrowing in on how they can help. Again, I wish more people knew that this company exists because I believe it could help so many people on different levels and globally, even. 

A designers platform is one of the most important ones and with great power comes great responsibility. Reading  Decolonizing Design really showed the hidden but very real responsibilities that designers have that I think either not many of them think about, or they're being paid well enough to ignore what’s truly needed. The fact that a lot of designers have been taught to ignore the history we have of western colonization is ignorant. We don’t have room for these kinds of mistakes and missteps anymore. And as designers i think it’s important to figure that out sooner rather than later.

We have a similar conversation in photography, especially when it comes to exploitation. Yeah, it might help your grade to do a project on how Covid-19 has effected the homeless, but that is only helping yourself and more often than not, the consequences aren’t thought about. You have YouTubers going out recording themselves doing these nice things for under privileged people, immigrants, victims of gentrification, etc.  and marketing it as helping someone when all they’re doing is benefitting themselves. It’s a selfish world out there and the western privilege is real and needs to be acknowledged

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Interview w MarcX and KNOW Identity Global

One of the things that stood out to me was when he started off the conversation as talking about being agents of change and our identity as one. something that I found to be a similar theme in the interviews we've watched as a class is aligning yourself with businesses that share your ethics and morals, but also finding yourself in that process. Personal journeys are just that, personal. And it feels like when you collaborate with businesses that help navigate change and something that sparks your fire, that's when you find a different part of your voice.

Another thing that I think that teachers try and teach us and it's something that he touched on was longevity in our art. He mentioned he doesnt want to make something that people see and then forget. As a photographer, I think that's something that we really focus on because each of us has a moment to show someone something and if we hit the mark, our picture has the opportunity to stay with them forever. It's about creating with a purpose, but also creating with the purpose of moving forward. Creating ideas that can form their own ideas in peoples minds that give fruition to your personal mission.

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Trent Dougherty + Ohio Environmental Council

It was really nice to see a lawyer out of the classic, “lawyer-y” setting. When people think of lawyers, typically, they think of criminal lawyers or divorce lawyers or something usually with a bad connotation. To see someone who’s using their courtroom powers for good is encouraging. 

One of the first things that jumped out at me was when he mentioned putting people over profit and I think that’s something that a lot of people forget to realize. It reminds me of when people, especially my age, who work their butts off for a company and rarely take days off, when that company doesn’t care about them, they only want someone in that shift, someone to handle the job. A company would rather make money than make sure their workers and staff are taken care of and that’s unfortunately what our society has turned into. It’s easy to understand why sticking up for the people who are unrepresented in a community is a hard job but a worthwhile job. 

A lot of what he mentioned was community based. More so because it takes a community to build a community. Which, as he mentioned, can be daunting. Large global issues cant be solved in a day and very rarely is it solved by a single person. But as soon as you bring together the people who care about that problem, you can start working with them on a smaller scale to work towards building something larger. Someone calling congress can only be amplified when you have an entire city or an entire community calling congress. 

Something that I thought about was when Lara mentioned that these days, building resumes has become more important than commitment to the work. Which i’m not arguing, but as someone who can’t find a job in this economy, it feels like there’s a more complicated answer. The way it’s laid out is you need experience to get experience. They want you out of college with 3 years of experience they wont give you without prior work. And a lot of these companies become harder to work with because they become companies that we can’t stand with. We’ve been put into a very complicated economy where we have to balance morality, with mental health, with putting a roof (that we’ll probably never own), with serving the greater good. I would love a job that provides encouraging leadership and mentorship to live and to learn, and still be able to put groceries on the table. But when you’re just a number to a company, it’s easy to lose your way. 

To comment on “sustainable directions towards design/art:” I’m going to quote from the PDF

“Design strategies that help us meet needs with fewer purchased solutions could lead to more sustainable consumption. Although this approach is not guaranteed to eliminate the development of new products and services-to do away with “stuff”- it could reduce the quantity of stuff and go some way toward changing our lifestyles, potentially by making stuff easier to share, produce locally, repair, or do yourself, which also could have social and psychological benefits.” 

My mom always told me, “more is sometimes just more.” I know many people who want to “go green” and then buy thing after thing after thing on amazon. When the part about sustainability is using what you have, as to not be wasteful, and then making way for when you are ready to purchase something new. Often times people will just buy and then toss everything else which is the opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish. There’s a lot to be said about repurposing. You don’t have to throw out your plastic Tupperware, make it a drainage spot for your plants. 

So yes, we are making amazing strides forward in sustainability. People can wash their teeth with tablets and wash their hands with disappearing paper, but at what expense is at risk when sustainability and trendy become synonymous with each other.

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Ameer Abdul (Week 7)

Something that stuck out to me is when he mentioned the disconnect between doctors and their patients. It’s not a secret that the healthcare field feels and in a lot of ways IS broken. In a way, being an activist becomes your connection  when you’re talking about a person connecting with a person about something that matters. You almost have to become everyone's personal advocate and I think that doctors are hit or miss when it comes to seeing past the charts and rounds. So it’s important in your own profession that no matter what you’re working for, that you’re passionate in what you do but also strong in your conviction for change and advocacy. I loved when he touched on period poverty and the misconception that it’s only in other countries and it just couldn't happen here. It’s amazing what people don’t understand about what happens in their own communities. Sometimes it’s chalked up to if It doesn’t effect them, then it doesn’t exist. It might be an unfair generalization but that's where a lot of societal blindness comes from. It’s about being able to have that “uncomfortable conversation” become THE conversation for change. A lot of people don’t want to talk about periods but it’s bigger than that. It’s accessibility to necessities that communities have been deprived of and people going without when they shouldn’t have to. Something that I appreciated about this interview is that he mentions that when it comes to terminology, they really focus on being inclusive. It’s a topic that’s for all. It’s not a men/women issue, it’s an everyone issue. Coming together to solve a problem is an “us” thing. By creating a space that includes everyone, creates compassion and it creates a conversation that doesn’t stop in one place. 

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Citizen Architect

 Watching Citizen Architect made me reaffirm my belief in some humans. There are people who go into a profession and believe there is something behind the actual work. There is a community behind the lines and more importantly, there is a community behind the money. In the documentary, they bring up that drawing is only half of the job of being an architect, it goes beyond the blueprints. It means nothing to your education if you aren’t learning past the 9-5 work day. They show that the real world is not actually the real world. We’re sometimes programmed to believe there is only New York and LA, that’s where the people are, that’s where the jobs are. And while that’s true in some aspect, economic congestion doesn’t mean anything if you’re blank behind the eyes going in to whatever you’re doing. There’s a place in our education where we (hopefully) learn that there is something greater than who we are, what we do, and who our clients are. One of the people interviewed (I don’t remember their name) said, “That’s the reason you go to college, is not to make more money, but to gain knowledge to make the world a better place.” and i think that's a really powerful statement to make.  

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Week 6: Ashleigh Axios

Spending years watching and absorbing government news and realizing that there is something that might be there for me was something I wasn’t expecting. When I think about jobs in my field that could overlap with government job I usually come up with “photo journalist.” An exceptional documentarian I am not. But I do have work experience with communications and social media so hearing that another part of my life can co-exist with this in particular was interesting.

I resonated with her description of finding the people that align with your work and what that means to you and how much it means to you. But also allowing growth in your circle to allow for more opportunities to create a broader community. 

It was interesting to hear her advice towards the end of the talk. She mentioned to not always look at the road you think you should be on. It felt like a “The Road Not Taken,” moment but something I felt. It feels impossible to not want to apply to all the big names and i’m sure there’s something psychological about brand familiarity and how it somehow feels more comfortable and secure. But there’s also the part where you want to apply anywhere that will take you. It rounds back to her point about living within your own truth and aligning yourself with the community and people that you resonate with and want to work with. I would love to know if there was a place where we can find the opportunities that Ashleigh talked about or is involved with. I can’t speak for all students but from personal experience, LinkedIn feels very restricted and not artist friendly. It feels more business than an interactive community. 

When talking about my wicked topic, sustainability in fashion, I really felt like when Ashleigh talked about transparency that it could apply this way too. The background of fast fashion is something that is very dangerous, especially when it comes to the factory conditions that most of the clothing is made in in other countries. People want the clothes, they don’t want to see how they’re made. I appreciate the companies that actively work to be transparent about their brand and their products and I feel like their influence about transparency should make the other brands very nervous. My hope is that there is less of a mystery about where the clothes are coming from and why we should be paying attention. A lot of people aren’t ready to have that conversation, but I think it’s something that we need to have sooner than later. 

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Week 5: Colleen Craig

Connect the issues of inaction/lack of understanding about a community (perhaps one that is not your own) to the “solution” of starting a Pie shop as catalyst for social change projects – the pie is the connector…not the end goal.

What other “connectors” or “catalysts” can you think of for your wicked topics that you’re interested in “solving for”?

How does Colleen Craig talk about some of these “solutions” to educate / inform?

Something that I took from the Pie shop video was the intention and the push from its creators and the people that work there. It came from a place of wanting to make a difference but wanting to understand that difference first. Their devotion to hearing their community about problems and concerns built that network of knowledge and education. They saw that their community was lacking and they weren’t sure where the people of the community felt that lacking the most, so they did what we hoped politicians would do and that was talking to the people. Talking to the people who feel and who embody the issues that their community is facing. Only then will true understanding and change come.

One of the wicked topics that I was thinking about was fashion and the sustainability issues in the industry. I think a large part of the issue is not being able to see “where the sausage is made,” so to speak. There’s a large pushback against fast fashion, but I don’t feel like a lot of people KNOW why it’s bad and if they do, they’re not feeling motivated to change or look into how to change. It’s too easy for them to buy 10 shirts from ASOS and Shein because it’s there, it’s readily available. Instant gratification that came from social media and our phones and the internet, is conditioning us to think about getting things faster, more often, at the snap of a finger. I think using what is being used to drive it, make it work for us. Giving an avenue of ways that gives the consumer a, “Not that, this,” kind of outlook. Some kind of website or app, or campaign where people tell us WHY they are okay with fast fashion and WHAT makes them feel okay about doing it. Really putting the decision in their hands about the choices they’re actively making, and why they’re not actively thinking about those choices. 

Something I found humours about Colleens talk was when she spoke about memes. Obiovusly it’s an easy way to reach the masses but I think it’s more than that. It’s about reaching a common language with the people that you’re working for and working with. It’s easy to write a whole long NewYorker piece but not everyone is going to go out of their way to read it. Memes are fast and quick and done properly, can leave them with something to think about. The problem then becomes, how many memes are out there? How much of the audiences attention span can you keep without them scrolling down just as fast as they arrived. 

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DEI Issues: Week 4

One of the things that stuck out to me was her mission to create a dialog within the companies and groups that she works with. She mentions helping taking a person or a groups comfort zone and making into a growth zone, which I thought was such a solid way of explaining that. What resonated with me was her philosophy of before you try and figure out a solution to diversity or inclusion, you have to be actively aware of the problem.

I think it’s important to be an advocate in your role in a company, and work to keep the progression going and helping pass knowledge when you can. I think it’s important to remember to be honest with yourself, like she mentions. If working for a company that doesn't value those kind of programs doesn't sit well with you, its important to find a company that does. It’s not your job to force a company into something, but instead join a company that lets you use your voice and values to work  with them, instead of just for them. 

I think that having classes like diversity training is a start, but until there’s active roles that the company would take and steps they would take, I feel like it’s a lost cause. You can hear something and not actively work to change anything or notice that anything is wrong in the first place. I think a good idea maybe have more of a connection to the community within some companies. Working with and helping via outreach programs and volunteering I think would give the company some personal connection. Maybe having other brands working with you to create a collaboration that helps highlight, support, and work with communities that might feel otherwise voiceless. 

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2020: A Reflection

The toilet paper frenzy was something I wasn’t anticipating happening in my lifetime. Thankfully, I was in a position where I was with people who had a decent supply of food to get us through till some of the craziness slowed down. You see all these videos of people in the aisles just packed like sardines and this is when Covid-19 was already here and we were already entering or starting to enter some kind of lockdown so it really made me cringe knowing everyone is so close together. But it feels like it was part of my privilege to have that reaction? In reality, they were probably just as scared as I was scared for them and some of them were actually the people who HAD to go to the store and face it all. I think that panic and fear won with that one. Fear makes people do wild things and I think this was a prime example of that. 

I remember when everything started to be in the news, it dominated the news cycle. It was the most profound demonstration of unity in the face of these chaotic and tragic injustices. My nephew was only 4 months old at the time so we didn’t have the tv on till nighttime to catch up on the news but even if you were on your phone for a minute, there it was. It was really interesting to see how everyone was reacting to the situation and how other people were reacting to how other people were reacting  I was stuck on a military base when we were told to stay where we were after spring break so our options were limited as far as leaving the house. My brother, his wife, and I had to think of their newborn. We did what we could from where we were. We took to social media, we had late night discussions about what this means, we donated where we could, and I remember advocating for my boss to make more of an effort to make some kind of impact with her brand, some kind of statement or extra effort to help in whatever way I could. 

I think a huge contributor to the movement and social change was social media. Information could be between one person and the world in seconds. Nothing was unseen anymore, it was there in your face. Death and injustice right there with nowhere to hide, nothing to cover up. I think that’s where a lot of the power comes from. There was a lot of rallying, and not just the protests and demonstrations in every city. It was all of us rallying behind BIPOC small and local businesses, help amplify their voices and use our privilege, whoever we are to help push everything. I’m half Hispanic and half white, but I have white skin. So as a white presenting female, I think I gave whatever I could to the cause. My social platform wasn’t big but I did what I could, when I could. It was a responsibility I felt I had to use my place of privilege to help. I think it was really helpful being able to see who our representatives were and being able to track who’s doing what. It was really powerful to be able to call congress people and email and flood the offices and having that information readily available was beneficial. 

I remember when everyone did that black square on Instagram and it was an entire day of, “Putting a black square is so performative for people to feel like they’re doing something,” and “Don’t #blacklivesmatter it” (because the entire hashtag that was filled with help and resources was just flooded with these black squares and it was doing the opposite of helping) I think that it was things like that and people having brand awareness and where they’re buying things and who they’re buying them from. But also they saw the people who only spoke when it was a trend. Social justice isn’t a trend and inequality isn’t a buzz word. It’s years and years and years of history and blood sweat and tears for multiple generations. It was definitely eye opening and something that I continue to work with and support where I can and educate when I can, from only the viewpoint that I can provide from my place, I don’t want to speak out of turn for an experience I didn’t experience myself. 

 It all really showed who everyone was and what this generation is capable of.

Overall, it was the craziest year of my life and living through the historic moments is something i’ll never forget. 

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Reflecting on the beginning of Think Wrong, the video/article about Wicked Problems, and the clip from FRINGE22. Then, reflect on your own discipline/major -- how have you struggled or dealt with noble ideas conflicting with reality/requirements? How do you think we tackle these issues without getting overwhelmed?

Looking, reading, and watching the material, it puts an emphasis on “meaning.” In their own way, they all created a space for independent thought but also creating the narrative for a call to action. Think Wrong showed us, from the beginning, where and why we think the way that we do. It doesn’t shame us for thinking, but rather it shows us how and why our brains are conditioned for patterns and familiarity. This sets the stage for Wicked Problems. Wicked Problems are the bedrock of innovation. There are larger problems at hand, like education or healthcare, that aren’t going to get better immediately, but they’re also not going to get the help they require if we continue to go with what we were conditioned to do. 

As a photography major, I’ve experienced both sides of the argument of reality vs. requirement. I’ve heard from numerous classmates about how they don’t want to think deeper about what they’re creating or why they’re creating it, like our teachers are imparting on us. They just want to create, whatever comes to mind. On the opposite side of that coin, our teachers want us to keep making constantly, while also providing deeper thinking. 

Now, i’ve been on both sides. It’s very easy to create whatever and have no reason why a glass of orange juice is next to a hammer, and be able to say that you created something so now you’re done. However, I’ve also realized that we’re students. We’re being provided an education and that means being thoroughly educated as best they can in four years. Sometimes requirements are tedious and we’re not quite sure why they want us to try and attempt to capture existentialism when all we want to do is pad a portfolio, get that A, and make whatever work we want. I’ve learned that teachers don’t actually want us to do these prompts for busy work or to be frustrating. Because of how fast someone can take a picture nowadays, contributing to the masses without any actual thought process is a little pointless. That’s what I feel they’re trying to teach us. Showing us that an assignment can be done and completed but they WANT us to find the different ways to complete it, like only we know how. With our own voices, our own skillset, and with our own idea of what that idea means to us. Sometimes the teacher doesn’t understand what you’re trying to convey or it’s just right outside the criteria, but it’s projects like that where you can either take the loss in stride and know that it means something, and it will probably mean something to someone else. Or you get out of the assignment knowing it didn’t mean anything to you and now you move on. Putting yourself back in a continuous cycle of not knowing where you are in the world. 

You’re not always going to be able to make that masterpiece or get the teacher to understand the meaning behind your pictures, but you also don’t have to create your own box that you’re keeping yourself in. 

The place to start, without getting overwhelmed, is empty thinking. When you read the assignment and think about what you might want to do, write it down. Anything and everything you think of that relates to that project. Then you breathe and think a little more and get a little less. Now, you have an entire list of things you probably should stay away from. These are (most likely) some of the ideas that everyone already had when they read it too. Now, that’s not to say you should disregard this list entirely. That list is a place where you can START your ideas, not end them. Branching off your initial reactions, giving the requirements a twice over, and creating as many lists as it takes for you to reach somewhere. Maybe you find a new word that helps your research or an artist that you never would have found otherwise. 

It takes an extra few steps, but creating that space for yourself to reflect is where you’re going to see the most growth.