| Class | Topic | Assignments | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – May 22 | – Intro to Class – On being an artist – Mindfulness intro | Due May 23– Collaboratively MAKE something (anything) in your group by combining the ideas that were drawn on each person’s sheet during the 30 circles exercise in class. You can use any medium. Document what you made. Blog post required Research artist visit tomorrow, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | Due May 23– The Creative Act of Listening to a Frog; Kermit the Frog, TEDx Jackson (2015) Response Required |
| 2 – May 23 | – Mindfulness practice – Discuss Making in the context of the Kermit TED talk – Working with alternatives – Artist Visit Otis Sandsjö (1:30pm) | Due May 24– Working individually now (not in your group from yesterday), generate 5 alternative meanings for your topic or thing your group made. Then choose one of those 5 alternatives and generate 5 possible things you could make. Finally, choose one of the 5 options you came up with and make it (again individually, this is a solo assignment). Document what you made. List the 5 alternative meanings and 5 possible things you can make in your blog post. Blog post required Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the artist visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Doesn’t have to be complete sentences even. Blog post required Research artist visit for next class, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | Due May 24– Lateral Thinking; Bono, Edward de (1970): Introduction (pp 9-14) Response Required |
| 3 – May 24 | – Mindfulness practice – Discuss readings – Share Making projects – Class Visit Mariana Carvalho 2pm | Due May 27– No making assignment. Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the artist visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required | Due May 27- Lateral Thinking; Bono, Edward de (1970): How the Mind Works (pp 25-38) Response Required |
| 4 – May 27 | – Mindfulness practice – Challenging Assumptions, asking “Why?” – Media 101 (video editing Da Vinci Resolve, audio editing Audacity, editing images, design basics, putting things online) | Due May 28– Ask “why” on any topic of your choosing, (record the questions and answers); make something based on the result that is counterintuitive from the starting point of the topic. Document what you made. Blog post required Research artist visit for next class, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | None |
| 5 – May 28 | – Differences between vertical and lateral thinking – Design exercises – Artist Visit Merche Blasco (2pm) | Due May 29– Design Exercise cont.: Come to some conclusion as a group with the Why process, settling on something that sounds interesting to all of you. Then think about as many different creative versions as you can for possibilities as to what to make, i.e, collage, sculpture, sound collage, performance, etc. Each person should then make their own version individually, and finally, put all the versions together into one thing (don’t plan what that thing is before hand). Document what you made. Blog post required Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the artist visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required Research artist visit for next class, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | None |
| 6 – May 29 | – Reversal method – Analogies – Artist Visit Ming Poon (2PM) | Due May 30– Either 1) Use reversal method: choose an entry point then generate at least 5 reversals. Choose one of the reversals that resonates and make something. Document what you made as well as the list of reversals. 2) Choose some topic and generalize it as an analogy and break it into abstract processes/functions/relationships. Develop the analogy on paper (thought exercise) and forget the original topic. After some time, apply the analogy back to the original topic and see what changes, make something based on that. Document what you made as well as the analogy thought exercise. Blog post required Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the artist visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required Research artist visit tomorrow, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | Due May 30- Lateral Thinking; Bono, Edward de (1970): Innovation and Suspended judgement (pp 105-111) Response Required Art & Fear; Bayles, David & Orland, Ted (1993): The Nature of the Problem (pp 1-7) Chapter 1 Response Required |
| 7 – May 30 | Artist Visit Harshini J. Karunaratne (2pm) | Due May 31– MIDTERM PAPER Find some creative work that moves you. Articulate in as many ways as you can why it moves you. How do you feel (be specific)? Identify clear as well as hazy ways it moves you AND reasons you think cause this. Be prepared to share your chosen art piece with class tomorrow. Also write a 500 word essay about the piece and your reflections. Blog post required Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the studio visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required | None |
| 8 –May 31 | – Share the researched artists STUDIO VISIT https://field.io/ (11am) Google Map Location Detour Map:  | Due June 3- Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the studio visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required | Due June 3– Art & Fear; Bayles, David & Orland, Ted (1993): Fears About Yourself (pp 23-36) Chapter 3 Response Required |
| 9 – June 3 | – Random Stimulation | Due June 4- Use this random word generator to generate two words. Put those two words together and see where that combination leads. Make something from this random stimulation exercise. Document what you made. Blog post required Research artist visit for tomorrow, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | Due June 4- Art & Fear; Bayles, David & Orland, Ted (1993): Fears About Others (pp 37-47) Chapter 4 Response Required |
| 10 – June 4 | – Class Visit Robert Seidel (2pm) – Dealing with cliche units – Abstracting functions | Due June 5th -Make the thing you came up with in the in class exercise Document what you made. Blog post required Due June 5– Start your final paper. This should be a 500-750 word essay reflecting on all the various aspects of this course: the visits and reflections, the mental/emotional aspects, the contemplative practices, the readings, and the daily practice of “making”. It should show what you’ve learned and synthesized, and how you have grown (or not). Complete a rough draft or at least an outline before tomorrow. (no post needed) Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the class visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required Research artist visit tomorrow, come up with at least two questions (no post needed) | Extra Credit, Due June 5: Flow; Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990): – Paths of Liberation (pp 20-22) – The Conditions of Flow (pp 71-77) Response Required for extra credit |
| 11 – June 5 | – Flow States – Formal Brainstorming Session – Concepts (labels) / divisions / polarization STUDIO VISIT Marco Borotti (11am) | Due June 6– Finish your paper Blog post required Start your final “presentation/exhibition”. Come up with an innovative way to synthesize and share cross sections of your experiences and work during the entire j-term in a creative and novel way (last making project!). It’s fairly open what form this takes (but it shouldn’t be just a slide deck/presentation). It should weave together the narrative of your experiences during the course with the things you have been making. Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the class visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required | None |
| 12 – June 6 | – Myth patterns – Individual Meetings STUDIO VISIT Flora Fauna (11:00am) Google Map Location | Due June 7– Finish your exhibition/synthesis; Blog post required Jot down some quick notes about your thoughts from the class visit today. Could just be words, impressions, etc. Blog post required | None |
| 13 – June 7 | Final show/presentations | We’re done! | Done! |
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