Category: Reflective Journal

Reflectively written blogposts that allow me to ponder on my research and experiences to conceptualize ideas for future direction

Visit to Arbab Al Heraf

Every expat I have ever met in Jeddah, artist or no, has always been absolutely certain of one fact: there is no room for the expat artist to grow in Jeddah’s local art scene. Yes, you can get a teaching job, yes, you can even visit art galleries superficially, but to be part of it all? Nope. Not happening. And for the longest time I believed them. After all, it IS daunting to step out of your comfort zone, to put yourself out there without even knowing the language, and try to find a space for yourself. But after the first Skype …

Preparing for the live class on Processing!

Step 1: I downloaded “processing” onto my computer. Step 2: I am watching the beginners’ video which was included in the package Jonathan sent us, since I am entirely new the world of coding and programming! The video began with discussing the various ways in which artists have used programming to create interactive installations and programs. It then moved on to explaining that codes are essentially lines of instruction that dictate to a computer what to do. Our first ever code would be ‘to draw a rectangle’ Instruction is in the form of text, and that is what we call …

Making sense of Symposium 1

Okay, this has definitely been LONG overdue. Symposium 1 happened last week! and I only just now managed to sit down to reflect upon what occurred. But it is not as though I was idling that time away, I have been working on all the aspects I previously mentioned in my post Pause which will help me get steadily nearer to my academic and professional goals. So let’s get down to it. Reflections on Symposium 1 as per the Lawrence Wilke’s model: Remember: If I think back to what stood out for me in the second half of the symposium (which was …

Notes on USEFUL TALKS 1 — On blogs and reflective learning

Lecture by course leader Jonathan Kearney Date: October 16th 2017 Jonathan began his lecture with a quote (Race 2006) about how reflection is an integral part of the learning process. When we reflect upon our experiences and learnings we are able to adjust our existing frames of reference and internalise and personalise that learning. Essentially, reflection is not limited to WHAT you have done but WHO you were when you did it. Reflection tries to encapsulate the process of CHANGE. When did change occur, how and how fast and what was the pivotal moment that caused you to change your perceptions upon reflection? So why is reflection important? For …

Pause.

The course, and subsequently, my thoughts have suddenly picked up pace this week. Which means that there are quite a few blogposts pending. But before I jump into all the things that need to be said, done and reflected upon, I want to take this blogpost to simply pause. Yesterday we continued Symposium 1 and our course leader, Jonathan, mentioned that our classmate Steph’s categorization of her blog was worth looking over to give us a sense of organization and direction. Steph described using the Gibb’s model for her reflective journal and dividing her MA journal into clear categories. It …