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 …

Expanding my horizons

I love Jeddah, I sincerely do. It’s been the place where I discovered my own strength and independence, and it has become home for me. So it hurts when I admit this, but arts and culture are severely impeded here. That is not to say that there is nothing artistic or cultural happening here, there is! There are numerous art galleries, art classes, bazaars and one-off music/film/comic conventions taking place. They just aren’t advertised so as to be accessible to all, since freedom of speech and behavior is slightly restricted here, and people don’t want to get on the wrong …

Symposium 1

Objects and spaces can tell a story as well as any person can. In fact, like in Daphne Du Maurier’s “Rebecca”, interactions in the surroundings can illustrate a character more thoroughly than the presence of the character itself. Human expression is no doubt very impactful; the reason why portraits can be so mesmerizing. But I feel inspired by the challenge of capturing a tale in letters, objects, textures and colors. I want to capture that nuance of a feeling that makes us attribute a personality to an empty chair, or memories to a landscape. I want to capture that stream …

Poldark and reading lists

I know. I know. It’s just so unbelievably tempting to waste time once the kids are asleep! And come on, Poldark is simply brilliant; the way it immerses you in a completely alternate world. Come on, watching inspirational, artistic period dramas has got to count for something? XD But, I did get one concrete thing done. I’ve been scouring the internet to create my own list of books I’d like to read this first year as I develop my ideas and my art further. Here they are: Letters to Theo by Vincent Van Gogh The Principles of Art History: the …