Final Project Blog

For our final project, we created a comprehensive website that serves as an all-inclusive platform for showcasing our past creative making assignments. This website acts as a digital gallery, allowing visitors to explore and appreciate our diverse range of artistic endeavors in a convenient and accessible manner. By organizing and presenting our assignments in a user-friendly layout, we aimed to provide an engaging and immersive experience for anyone who visits the site. Our website encapsulates our artistic growth and serves as a testament to our dedication and passion for the creative process.
Since we were told there might not be any reception in the presentation space, we also created a PowerPoint presentation version of our project.


Contributions:

Ahsen: Added some edits to the website and created the presentation.

Enock: Made a “trailer” for our work and added music to the presentation.

Majid: Polished the website and presentation. Also wrote the description texts on the website.

Natty: Structured the website and made a few edits to the presentation.

Website: Home | Lateralthinking (natnaelmetekie.wixsite.com)

PowerPoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EJ1a7GfrjnvXKLuL2s4RucjF4HScujcf/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113852760085078082726&rtpof=true&sd=true

Reading Response – Flow

In this reading, the author delves into the intricate realm of consciousness and the pursuit of achieving higher levels of awareness. While recognizing that ancient practices may have lost some of their effectiveness in today’s world, the author emphasizes the enduring importance of striving for freedom from social controls and innate impulses. The reading underscores the significance of this pursuit, highlighting the concept of “flow” as a key aspect. Flow refers to a state of complete engagement and immersion in a task, and the reading emphasizes the necessary conditions for its occurrence. These conditions require finding a fine balance between the task’s difficulty and one’s own skill level. By choosing tasks that are challenging but not too hard, people can enjoy the thrilling state of flow.

Furthermore, the reading emphasizes the vital role of consciousness control in the journey toward freedom of consciousness. It stresses the need to actively manage and direct one’s awareness toward desired goals and intentions. By consciously controlling their consciousness, individuals can navigate the complexities of life, transcend societal norms, and external pressures. The reading also highlights the importance of finding enjoyment and fulfillment in the tasks and activities one engages in. By cultivating intrinsic motivation and deriving pleasure from their pursuits, individuals are more likely to maintain a state of flow and unlock their full potential

I agree with the reading’s focus on finding pleasure and satisfaction in our activities. Inner motivation and true interest are important for keeping a state of flow and unleashing our potential. However, I would also say that external factors, such as social norms and pressures, can affect our ability to enjoy certain tasks. To achieve liberation from social and innate influences, we may need not only personal reflection but also systemic changes that allow people to match their activities more with their passions and values.

Final Reflection Paper

Once upon a time at NYU, I found myself enrolled in a class called “Creating” for June term. As a student, I didn’t have much information about the course, only a brief description on Albert. With little time to spare before my trip to Berlin, I finally had a chance to review the syllabus. To my surprise, there were numerous upcoming assignments awaiting me. Initially, I felt overwhelmed by these additional tasks, considering the demanding spring semester I had just gone through. However, the professor assured us that this class would be enjoyable and transformative for our creative thinking, giving me a sense of relief. Who wouldn’t want a mindset shift in just three weeks?

Each class session began with a meditation practice, which proved to be a valuable tool for reducing morning tension and finding inner balance. Through techniques like focusing on my breath and the sensations in my body, I learned to turn my attention inward and cultivate mindfulness. Breath-focused meditation helped me gain focus and mental clarity, while body scan meditation released tension and promoted overall well-being. Implementing these techniques into our class routine became a game-changer for me, allowing me to reduce tension and approach creative work with a sharp mindset.

The prompts for our “making” assignments, particularly the first one, may have seemed random, but I appreciated the breadth they provided for unleashing our creativity. When given the word “dreams,” I decided to create a dream menu for my initial assignment. Embracing the freedom of thought that Kermit the frog once mentioned proved beneficial during the creative process. Soon after, we delved into Edward Bono’s book on lateral thinking, which offered a structured approach to our various projects. Our discussions on alternative perspectives offered me a way of seeing alternative versions to further develop my ideas. In progress, I found myself challenging assumptions and venturing into new ideas, thanks to the influence of lateral thinking. The “Why?” technique, in particular, proved invaluable in shaping my third assignment. The combination of creative freedom, structured thinking, and questioning assumptions facilitated a rich and transformative experience in our “making” journey. 

Next, I ventured into the realm of lateral shift that occurs through the process of making. This time, I explored the concept of using futuristic augmented reality glasses for navigation, sparked by a series of “why” questions from my previous project. I experimented with different ideas during the project and focused on the ones that worked well while discarding the ones that did not. Robert Sidel’s visit to our class served as a powerful reminder of the importance of revising and editing work, prompting me to make necessary revisions even after my initial submission.

As the artists we met in class and studio demonstrated, the creative process relies heavily on experimentation. I distinctly recall feeling inspired by a designer from FIELD who shared their approach of employing lateral thinking to explore various design possibilities. They would begin by researching and experimenting with different style frames, allowing the creative journey to unfold naturally. This approach directly resonates with the lateral thinking techniques we discussed in class. Witnessing the time lapse of their design process, as they navigated through different iterations to achieve a harmonious and yet abstract composition, left a lasting impression of true inspiration. The FIELD visit was my favourite of all. 

The group work sessions proved to be transformative additions to our regular class discussions, seamlessly applying the principles of innovation and suspended judgment that we had explored through our readings on Lateral Thinking. Our specific task was to creatively design a simple apple-picking machine, and during our brainstorming session, my group mates and I generated a multitude of ideas to incorporate into our design. Following Edward Bono’s suggestion, we initially suspended judgment, allowing ideas to flow freely until we had gathered a sufficient number of possibilities to begin shaping our design. Once we had gathered enough ideas, we donned our judgment hats to filter out unrealistic concepts. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of integrating and harmonizing our ideas, working together to create a final product that encompassed the best of our collective thinking.

Engaging in collaborative work also enables us to address the fears and insecurities we have about ourselves and others. As our readings from the book “Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” suggest, one of the most significant challenges artists encounter is questioning the authenticity of their own work and constantly comparing themselves to others, leading to self-doubt. However, I firmly believe that group projects provide us with the opportunity to observe the creative expressions of each member, allowing us to learn from one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Same thing with the final project. Given that we come from diverse fields of study, there are areas in which some of us excel while others may struggle. As Harshini mentioned, seeking help from others allows us to collectively enhance our work and achieve better results.

This class has had a profound impact on both my creative practices and my perspective on artworks. Through our midterm project, I gained valuable insights into the various symbols and meanings embedded in different art pieces. It highlighted the fact that art often holds multiple interpretations for both the creators and the audience. This experience taught me to approach artworks with empathy, allowing me to discover my own personal significance within them. Overall, the class has been an incredible journey of learning and growth over the past few weeks.

Class Visit – Ming Poon

I expected to see Ming Poon’s choreography projects, but his work went beyond dance and studios.  He involved the audience in all his different types of work and depended on their participation.

I liked that he also incorporated political events in his work, such as “June 4th”

I was fascinated by his show with a colleague where they let the audience alter and interpret the scene as they wished. He seemed to be a very open-minded person who enjoyed interaction.

Reading Response – Fears about Others

This chapter explores how artists deal with the fears of being misunderstood, rejected, or ignored by their audience. The author argues that these fears can hinder the creative process and make artists dependent on external validation. He gives examples of how new and innovative art forms are often dismissed or misunderstood by the public, and how artists can cope with this challenge by balancing their experimental work with more conventional ones. He also warns against seeking approval from peers or critics, as this can compromise the integrity and authenticity of one’s work. He advises artists to focus on their own vision and communication with their work, and to trust that the audience will eventually catch up with them. I think this chapter offers valuable insights and advice for artists who struggle with self-doubt and insecurity. It encourages them to be confident and courageous in pursuing their own artistic goals, regardless of the opinions of others.

Make – Random Simulation

Words Generated: Fairy & Photograph

The first literal thing that came to my mind when I got these words was a fairy taking a photograph. But then I thought that I should think laterally, and I started asking the “Why” questions. Why does a fairy take photograph? Why does a fairy want to preserve the moment? Why are moments forgotten?….. Finally, I decided on the idea of creating a social media platform just for fairies, although imposters like Peter Pan and Captain Hook will hack into the system. I called the app Fairygram. This is a platform where fairies can take photographs, share with other fairies and preserve the moment. It is very much inspired by Instagram but it’s obviously much better. I am not a UI/UX designer so the interface does look like Instagram, but don’t be fooled it can do much more. Apart from the basic futures like liking a post or commenting on it, the app allows the user to send pixie dust to the fairies. It also has a marketplace to shop for portions and a magic ball feature to call friends. Although now that I think about it, the magic ball might be used by a wicked witch to spy on others. Hence the app requires some future work to solve these privacy and security concerns but here’s a demo of what the UI would look like…