I guess that my sense of mission and purpose with regard to this masters program in media arts and sciences is multi-tiered and born out of my own experiences growing up. I learned far too late in life, that I am a visual learner. I didn’t like reading and writing. I remember through high school and college that in order to understand chemistry or science problems, I would draw pictures in my head. So, I wish to use the information and skills I acquire in this program to translate many of the hard textual concepts and formulas into visual cues for all those who may be like me. Thereby allowing those who assimilate information in visual ways to perhaps participate at levels from which they would otherwise be held back or fail due to teaching methods, not their intelligence. Those who leave their mark on this world are not those who can read piles of textbooks and regurgitate all their information. But rather those who can think outside the box – make pictures in their minds – think on other planes - tell the story in different ways. Visual learners simply look at things differently.
Another conviction I have about this mission, is to participate in new media in ways that enhance real, living, interpersonal relationships as opposed to promoting interaction through a world of avatars. I’ve watched far too many families sit within fifteen feet of each other at airports, beaches, family parties, etc. with minimal conversation and interaction with each other just because they each have their own world to be in – an electronic distraction. It’s not that I’m opposed to things like iPODS, video games, etc. it s just that it appears that they have become a replacement or easy replacement for real relationship. Because of this, my mission must follow a path that doesn’t replace HHI (Human-Human Interaction) but rather enhances it.
Finally, I think part of my mission and perhaps the reason I’m completely changing career directions at the age of…over 40, is that I must find some level of creative and artistic satisfaction with the majority of my waking hours. I almost feel as though this is more important than all the others. I wasn’t drawn to this program out of a sense of conviction to teach the world through pictures as much as I wanted to learn new skills which allowed me to create and express myself and eat. Once I had taken a few classes and started reading about learning disabilities and visual learning did a purpose start coming into focus. But the first desire remained; create something from within that had purpose and meaning.
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Scott
ReplyDeleteIn your posting I hear two voices: One directed outward to the world, another spoken inward. The first strikes a subtle note of anger: anger that there were years frustrated by an inability to recognize your innate skills as a visual learner; anger that people are wasting time immersed and distracted in electronic realities instead of the reality standing next to them (the reality they are already immersed in, but one without a guaranteed happy ending, or even lots of cool special effects).
The other voice is boundlessly hopeful: The hope of a new self being born as you enter a new age of your life. This is the more important voice, and a search for meaning that is increasingly meaningful for an entire generation of people who are living longer engaged lives than previous generations. Perhaps for the first time in history we have millions of people (approx. 70 million Baby Boomers) who have reasonably fulfilled a set of career goals but now find they have the energy and maybe a couple decades to fulfill another set. What to do? How to do it? Should that new set have a new center of gravity or philosophy?
Steve
Scott
ReplyDeleteI am finding this problem myself. It seems that most people are all caught up in their own little worlds that no one seems to stop and say hi anymore. However it depends on who you talk to because as I mention in one of my blogs I often see 2 generations. One in which is use to human interaction and the other in which is in tune with the computer. I find if you try to be friendly and say hi people will often look at you funny. I am finding as a society that most of us are tuned into the computer and that is how we find friends in most cases. Especially with the invention of social networks on-line. At times I feel very isolated. I find myself these days, because of the bad economy, at church, at school, at work, and at home. I can't afford to go out because of what is happening now with the credit card situation. I might every now and then get out and do erins, but that is besides the point. I often find myself looking for long lasting friendships. You know people I can mingle with or talk about things. In my findings everything just seems temporary and nothing seems permanent. You have to go with the flow so to speak. These are my observations and thoughts.
Thanks, Rick
Scott, I agree with you about how society is creating a generation that won't be able to speak to one another with out having digital interface. This is not saying that some of these indivduals won't become geniuses but what good is being a genius when you can't speak to your neighbor, a class, or a peer at work?
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