She craves the freedom and carelessness
The danger and the unknown
The vastness and loneliness; its where she her finds comfort...
Artist Statement
The image I chose is a photograph. It is of me kayaking in the ocean, but the background and colors are distorted, because the ocean makes it feel like reality is altered and it doesn’t seem like real life to me. My flash fiction piece attempts to explain the desire and the feeling of the vast ocean. How it makes people feel so small, and the world so big at the same time. The picture tries to put the flash fiction into words and the flash fiction tries to explain the picture.
Reflection
Reflection
People often think that their identity is something that they decided and created. They believe that identity is simply who we are ethnically, racially, politically, etc. However, there are many other factors to think about. We tend not think about why we identify the way we do, we just do it. I think the single greatest factor to our identity is the relationships and people we come into contact with every day. The world is ever changing, and so are we.
Psychologist Shahram Heshmat from “Psychology Today” wrote an article about what identity means, and how we form our own. He states that “few people choose their identities. Instead, they simply internalize the values of their parents or the dominant cultures.” He continued to say that “these values may not be aligned with one’s authentic self and create unfulfilling life.” He talks about how people who struggle to define and find a solid identity for themselves, are the ones who will resort to things like drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, and overall reckless behaviors. He says that “Identity is never “final” and continues to develop through the lifespan.”
I agree with the findings and opinions of the psychologist. When he stated how very few people actually choose their identity and most are influenced by those around him, it made sense to me. For example, in most cases, if you are born into a certain kind of family and culture, you are most likely going to stay there and be with those who are like you. A person born and raised in the deep south, is very unlikely to move into an urban area like New York or Los Angeles without some type of outside influence. The people around us show us how we are “supposed” to be and we form an identity based off of that. I also agreed when he said that identity is never final, we change our beliefs and ways every single day. The people that we grew up with and are around in our daily lives shape how we think, act, feel, look, and live.
i think its really cool how your picture and flash fiction tie together to show how much you enjoy the ocean and its what you love to do.
ReplyDeletei like the picture its really cool. how your paper ties in together
ReplyDeletewho is this?
its cool that you talked about your thoughts about the world without really talking about it.
ReplyDeleteIts cool that your story ties in with the picture and that you are expressing how much you like the ocean.
ReplyDeleteYour edited picture is very cool! i love the story that you put behind the picture. You went into good details about why you edited the picture the way that you did! I really enjoyed the flash fiction piece it explains how the ocean is dangerous but makes you feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how you find comfort in the "loneliness" of the ocean. Typically, loneliness is a negative thing, but you did a great job of almost redefining the word, making it give off a more positive vibe. Your reflection was really well written as well. Awesome job.
ReplyDeleteYour picture and flash fiction connect very well and I like the theme of adventure and how it makes the world seem so big. Your reflection also is interesting, with how identity is formed and how it affects different people.
ReplyDeleteI love the edited picture i think you did a wonderful job of tying your flash fiction and the reflection together, very nicely done Courtney Baker
ReplyDeleteI really like your portrait. It is cool how you distorted it and then connected that to how the ocean makes you feel like you are so small and the world so big. I like your flash fiction because it gives an adventurous tone to your portrait with how you crave freedom and adventure. I also like how in your reflection you mentioned that the world is changing and so are we because I agree with that and I think it is true that our identity is based off multiple factors including our relationships with other people. Good job on this project!
ReplyDeleteYour portrait caught my attention and I immediately wanted to read the flash fiction that went along with it. The phrase "the vastness and loneliness; its where she her finds comfort..." hit me hard. It exposes how adventurous you are and connects directly to the loneliness of the portrait. However, the colors in the portrait express the comfort and excitement behind the adventures! Although I don't believe I enjoy the outdoors as much as you, I do enjoy adventure and exploring unknown adventures. Great work on this project!
ReplyDeleteI like that your topic was about the water that's something not everybody ties in or talks about. Your flash fiction made me interested in the story and the picture you edited and used tied it all together.
ReplyDeleteI love how you see the adventure and beauty in something that some people either don't see as special or are even scared of. the way you edited the photograph makes it really interesting and unique
ReplyDeleteyour flash fiction is really good. i also like how you made the picture and your artist statement work because its really cool
ReplyDeleteI really like your flash fiction because personally I can relate to chasing adventure. Your reflection is really well put together with your own personal opinion and others to back it up.
ReplyDeleteThe photo and flash fiction go well together and give off the feeling of adventure you're going for. The piece is motivating to feel like jumping into action and adventure.
ReplyDeleteYour piece and your editing skills are really good! I like how you were able to make the water and your surroundings more mysterious and capturing with filters to match your flash fiction. I can really relate to this because I also really like traveling to new places and I can often find my happy place somewhere where I’m exploring.
ReplyDeleteYour piece was very interesting and i enjoyed reading it. I liked how you used a poem format for your flash fiction which is different from all the other ones that I have read so far. I also think you edited your photo really well and I could tell what you meant when you said you wanted to make it seem that it wasn't real life.
ReplyDeleteCourtney:
ReplyDeleteYour flash fiction was almost like a poem. My favorite line was, "The vastness and loneliness; its where she her finds comfort." Some people find that safety, security, and routine give them comfort (I seem to recall Chase being this way). But other people can actually find that suffocating and instead draw their energy from danger and the unknown (you seem to be this way). It kind of connects in a way to your they say because it poses an important question: how did you both turn out so different? Hm.
"The people around us show us how we are 'supposed' to be and we form an identity based off of that." I thought this was a really interesting argument because it takes into consideration how much of who we are is shaped by our environment and that includes people. Basic psychology suggests that our behaviors are shaped by certain rewards and punishments in social interactions. If that is the case, then we should really be thinking about this as we consider what shapes personality. Even Freud clarified that the "ego" as what we project to others.
Lots to think about in here and I loved your sense of voice. It’s honesty and it sounds like you. Thanks for your work.
Ms.B