December 18, 2013

My ultimate change in this world has been the spread of optimism wherever I go. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason, so there's no true reason to be upset or frustrated at what happens in life. I am definitely a "glass half full" type of person. This postcard represents that although we may feel trapped in dark, stormy seas, there will always be a beautiful sunrise upon us in the morning. You have to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. 



WILLINGLY LEAVE THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIARITY

I reduced the amount of coke I used to drink by a great amount. I was addicted and would finish a bottle in two days, sometimes even in a day! Instead, I kept bottles of water with me. As a result, I have started drinking a lot more water and have become much healthier.





Let yourself be happy

I feel that I've become more comfortable in my own skin as the semester progressed. I enjoy being more myself and being more open with other people. I even created a YouTube account to show my singing skills in order to build more confident in myself. Although I am still an introvert, I definitely am developing extroverted qualities.








I've become more independent but with independence comes loneliness.





I knew I would have to change myself when I’d start going to college. We call it the ‘Snow globe factor’ : Don’t let who you were in high school determine what you will be in college. Like shaking a snow globe, our lives are shaken with the transition of going to college, so, I want to be a part of this great movement through the practice of make-believe in the hope that I would actually change. Then comes the concept of avatar, being the introverted person I am, the concept of avatar intrigued me and I started feeling comfortable in the pretense which was legitimized as a course I was taking.



It helped me find myself in a way I never would have had the courage to. Through the peer and group projects, I found that I wasn’t alone with the vision and shared my unusual interests. My connection with my toy of a nocturnal monster gets stronger by the day, not superficially, but representationally and socially, it’s a part of me and for the first time, engaging in make believe made me comfortable in my own skin, it brought me closer to myself. The theme of avatar, the theme of form has definitely affected me by transforming my social skills.



You engage in a form or create a form, people believe in it, they see right through the make up and it encourages your acceptance of the avatar, gradually from within. Avatar is a therapeutic concept we have unconsciously relied on ever since we started to exist. It was challenging and thrilling to confront this omnipresent and yet unnoticeable concept this semester.



I have started taking initiative in many aspects of life such as enhancing my social skills. I’m getting better at being emotionally balanced and centered since the time I started going to college, living away from my close ones, where only a few accepted my reserved self and the concept of avatar was completely unknown to me.


I wanted to focus my reflection on my life while playing the sport of volleyball, and how it sucked me in. My world revolved around this sport and left me slim to no time to explore the other side of me, or other interests. As soon as I made the very hard decision of not pursuing volleyball in college, my world opened up instantly. I finally began to feel like myself (notice nothing is really defining me to the right, but I have my hair defining me to the left). The sack that I'm carrying in this image reflects the metaphor of having no regrets after my decision was made. Although there were some rough times throughout volleyball, I learned how to strengthen my mind and body and how to work well with other people. After I finished playing in my last game, I looked at life differently. I was able to see volleyball as a microcosm of life and the trials and errors as mere metaphors of what was going on in my orbit. It made me see the power of hard work, drive and determination. Most importantly though, it took me out of my shell and made me the woman I am today. Without it, I wouldn't have the confidence and will to follow my true passion, which is art and design. The left side of this image reflects how I felt for most of my time playing volleyball--I added in a painted texture into the form. The right side shows me breaking out of my shell and continuing on (illustrated with the painted texture) from my past (which are the mental skills I learned). I have printed this out on off-white card stock, softening the illustrations.