Author: Rishan Zeru

I really admire Harshini for her confidence in her artwork. All of her pieces are fascinating, but her capstone project, in particular, was truly astounding. It was a vivid showcase of her skill. Additionally, I appreciate her unique perspective and the way she carries herself. She clearly knows what she is doing and what she needs to do. Lastly, I value her openness and the advice she shared with us. Even though I am not an art major, I found her guidance helpful.

The visit from Ming today was remarkably enlightening and unique. I used to think that art was solely about natural talent and that being an artist required inherent skills. However, Ming’s insights today expanded my understanding of art and how it integrates into daily life. I learned a great deal from Ming, beginning with his perspective on what art entails and how I should shift my own views on it. He embodies the authenticity of living a life true to one’s self. His work is not only impactful but also inspiring, even to those who might not typically be interested in art. His research ideas, particularly how he connects them with his life and engages with his audience, were especially intriguing. I learned the importance of vulnerability and letting things unfold naturally. Overall, I was captivated by his research projects and his immersive approach to his artistic life. Ming’s sincerity is evident in all he does. Lastly, his concept of embracing failures resonated with me; it’s a reminder that without failure, we can’t truly discern what is wrong and right. Overall, his work was profoundly inspiring, and I learned a great deal from him.

Reading Response 4: Lateral Thinking

I really enjoyed how things are written in the way it makes sense. We can see that lateral thinking is portrayed as a means to generate alternatives and challenge assumptions, focusing on the process rather than merely the correctness of ideas. This approach encourages forward thinking, which is about creating something new rather than merely analyzing the existing.

A major theme highlighted is the concept of suspended judgment. Unlike vertical thinking, where judgment is continuous and exclusionary, lateral thinking allows for a temporary acceptance of possibly incorrect ideas to foster creativity and lead to valid solutions. This is crucial because it allows ideas to evolve without immediate rejection, potentially leading to breakthroughs that rigid thinking might miss.

The text also criticizes the traditional educational focus on being correct at all times, suggesting that such an approach stifles creativity and innovation. It argues for the value of being effective rather than just being right, advocating for a more exploratory and less judgmental thinking process. By delaying judgment, ideas can be developed more fully, encouraging a richer array of solutions and insights.

This emphasis on the transformative power of lateral thinking and the strategic suspension of judgment provides a compelling argument for reevaluating conventional thinking paradigms, especially in educational and creative contexts. I found this text particularly interesting because it embraces the reality of incorrectness as an opportunity rather than a setback. When you’re not afraid of being incorrect, you’re more likely to bring the right elements into your process, focusing on rearranging information to create and innovate something new.

Reading Response 5: Art and Fear

The most interesting aspect of this reading was how it connected with my reflection on Ming’s visit. His discussion on research projects deepened my understanding of art and paralleled my own shifting perceptions of creativity and innovation.

The narrative challenges the notion of the “gifted” artist, advocating instead that art is a craft developed through persistence and hard work. This idea resonates strongly with Ming’s insights, which debunked the myth that art relies solely on natural talent. He emphasized that art integrates deeply into daily life and reflects the artist’s personal journey, including their vulnerabilities and failures.

Ming’s concept of embracing failures aligns with the text’s emphasis on valuing every piece of work, successful or not, as a crucial step in the artist’s growth. His approach, intertwining research with personal experiences, illustrates that art-making transcends skill; it’s about authenticity and honest self-expression.

Additionally, the text illuminates the often solitary and thankless nature of art-making, discussing the existential challenges artists face, such as confronting incomplete works and feeling unsupported by society. It stresses that art is not just about talent or divine inspiration but is a skill honed through practice. Moreover, the idea that art is made by ordinary people with flaws and sometimes strengths reaffirms the importance of perseverance and the iterative nature of creating art.

Overall, this reading and Ming’s visit provide a comprehensive view of the modern challenges of making art, advocating for a more inclusive and realistic understanding of what it means to be an artist today. This class has profoundly transformed my understanding through both theoretical insights and real-world examples and I am so thankful for that!

Step 1: Choose an Entry Point

The entry point is the everyday activity of making coffee.

Step 2: Generate Reversals

1. Reverse the temperature: Instead of making hot coffee, make an intentionally crafted cold coffee beverage.

2. Reverse the sequence: Typically, coffee is brewed first and then additives like milk or sugar are added. The Reverse of this is mixing additives first and then introducing coffee.

3. Reverse the grinding process: Normally, coffee beans are ground before brewing. A reversal would be to brew whole coffee beans directly in hot water, allowing them to steep longer to extract the flavors.

4. Reverse the consumption method: Instead of drinking coffee, it is possible to create a way to consume coffee in solid form, like coffee edibles.

5. Reverse the time of consumption: Coffee is usually consumed in the morning for energy. It is possible to design a coffee meant to be consumed at night, possibly with ingredients that promote relaxation.

Step 3: Choose a Reversal and Make Something

I chose the fourth one “Reverse the consumption method”. This idea transforms the liquid coffee into a solid, edible form that can be enjoyed as a snack or dessert.

I chose to create coffee-infused chocolate.

I believe that pursuing one’s passions and truly committing to them brings immense satisfaction and enrichment to life. Watching Merche perform, it’s clear she pours her heart into her work. Her deep engagement and genuine interest in her craft were evident. I especially admire her creativity with new musical instruments and her contributions to the community. Her motivation and dedication to her art are truly inspiring.

Our why questions took us to the idea of incompleteness. I was particularly interested in the concept ‘A complete idea but you remove something from it’ and I was motivated to create a visual representation of this concept. I came up with the idea of a pizza with one slice removed. 

From this image, we can see that even though the pizza is almost whole, the absence of just one piece draws the eye and changes our perception of the entire pizza. This visual can show how the lack of a single element can have a significant impact on the overall completeness and can lead the observer to ponder what was once there.

Why do people have to pray?

Prayer is a way for individuals to connect with God, similar to how we communicate with our parents. When we pray, we express our thoughts and needs, and God listens.

Why is communication with God important?

Communication with God is believed to strengthen one’s spiritual faith and provide guidance in life. It is through this connection that individuals seek comfort and clarity in their decisions and experiences.

Why do people seek to be connected with God?

Many believe that being connected with God brings happiness and peace. This connection is seen as a source of strength and comfort in navigating life’s challenges.

Why do people strive for a happy and peaceful life?

Happiness and peace are fundamental desires that contribute to mental and emotional well-being. Achieving these states can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Why is a fulfilling life significant?

A fulfilling life is often associated with personal growth, satisfaction, and the achievement of one’s goals. It impacts how individuals contribute to society and their relationships with others.

Interactive Mobile App: Prayer Challenge

I decided to create an app which is called “Prayer Challenge”. The App Concept is as follow:

Prayer Challenge is a mobile app that simulates various life scenarios where users must navigate challenges through prayer and spiritual guidance. The counterintuitive twist is that instead of simply making life easier, the app increases the complexity of challenges, demonstrating that the more one prays, the more intricate and demanding the situations become, emphasizing the continuous need for prayer and connection with God.

Objective:

The objective of “Prayer Challenge” is to reinforce the notion that constant prayer is crucial not because it simplifies life, but because it prepares and strengthens individuals to face increasingly complex life situations. By engaging with the app, users can see a direct correlation between their prayer efforts and their spiritual and personal growth.

App Features:

– Users are presented with different life scenarios ranging from personal struggles, professional challenges, to relational issues. Each scenario requires users to engage in prayer to seek solutions.

– Prayer Meter: The app includes a ‘Prayer Meter’ that tracks the user’s prayer frequency and intensity. The more the user prays, the more complex the scenarios become, suggesting that deeper spiritual challenges require more intensive prayer.

– Spiritual Guidance: After each prayer session, the app provides feedback in the form of spiritual advice or scriptural quotes to guide the user through the challenges.

– Progress Tracker: The app tracks the user’s spiritual growth and challenges complexity over time, showing how increased prayer leads to higher levels of personal and spiritual development.

I was really interested in this reading. The discussion on lateral thinking presented here offers a compelling insight into why it is essential to distinguish and develop this type of thinking alongside more traditional, vertical thinking processes. What resonates most with me is the notion that lateral thinking does not seek to undermine vertical thinking but rather to enhance its effectiveness by injecting creativity and alternative perspectives.

The text explains how lateral thinking operates as a complement rather than a contradiction to vertical thinking, emphasizing its role in problem-solving and innovation. The idea that lateral thinking is generative, continuously creating multiple pathways and alternatives, is particularly intriguing. This approach can foster a more dynamic and flexible mindset, essential in today’s rapidly changing environments where traditional solutions often fall short.

Moreover, the point about the mind’s pattern-making system and its limitations serves as a powerful reminder of why lateral thinking is necessary. It challenges us to break free from established patterns and explore new territories, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The analogy of the mind as a self-organizing system, akin to rain sculpting a landscape, beautifully illustrates how our thoughts and ideas shape and are shaped by the patterns we recognize and establish.

I think embracing lateral thinking can be a transformative tool for personal and professional growth. It encourages a more exploratory and imaginative approach to challenges, allowing for a richer array of solutions and a deeper understanding of the complexities of any given problem. It’s not just about finding different answers but about changing the very questions we ask. 

I really appreciate her creativity and her willingness to explore different avenues in life. I admire how she takes risks to create and contribute something new to the world. At the same time, I was somewhat uncomfortable with her demonstration of people singing in her mouth. This concept is unusual and not aligned with my culture and religion, so I found it less interesting. Despite this, I greatly value her courageous approach to generating ideas in her profession.

I truly admire Otis’s passion for what he does. From him, I’ve learned how crucial it is to pursue what we love, as this guides us toward our future aspirations. Although I’ve never played the saxophone myself, I can sense the deep connection Otis feels when he plays. His creativity and excellence in his craft are genuinely inspiring.