WEEK 6
.
Journal [12 feb. – 15 feb.]
.
Reflections on Week 6
This week marked the start of unit-2 and the new group seems to be well aligned. We managed to narrow down and select a ‘place of work’ and have decided to conduct our own field study at the local community centres where we live. This felt like a practical approach as each of us could in our time and proximity gather information and create a wide number of data points to compare from. There is still some work to be done in terms of group cohesion but i felt it was moving in a positive direction.
The readings for the week were short and interesting. As a group we individually had read all the material and so decided to have a general discussion on each of the titles during our reading group. This process was quite effective and we organically discussed much of the topics and examples introduced during the workshops and as such we found ourselves well prepared moving forward. My personal favourite was picking up on the short stories of Ursula Le Guin, both ‘The carrier bag theory of fiction’ and ‘Those who walk away from Omelas’ brought interesting perspectives to light. I found some of these readings to be a bit challenging for me emotionally and found myself reflecting on my outlook. I am opening up to the ideas shared and the larger reality they are trying to critique. My ideas of disparity and the workings of society have begun to shift to a more empathetic approach towards all people. Everyone wants their best and no one would willingly give up the comforts they have gathered. Changing the world, or redefining the future is not as black and white as it may initially seem.
.
Field Study
.
.
WEEK 7
.
Journal [19 feb. – 23 feb.]
.
Reflections on Week 7
The second week of this project came with highs and lows. As far as the group work is concerned, I believe we are making great headway, though I felt some discomfort coming to surface. I found myself feeling that there is a divide in the group based on the courses. It doesn’t seem to be a great chasm nor does it seem to necessarily cause any harm, but it persists irrespective, unspoken. Despite this potential shortcoming, our group has made considerable progress on the project. I was expecting a group field visit, but that idea does not seem to be coming to fruition.
This week we also attempted to divide the reading group up in the typical expected manner. I found this to not be as successful as last weeks approach to discuss topics as a group. So next week, i think we would move back to the previous model. The readings this week were once more very impactful, especially ‘the myth of meritocracy’ by Kramer Anthony Appiah. It opened my eyes to much research that has been done on the subject and I found myself agreeing with much it had to say. Meritocracy does seem like an ideal solution at first, but the complexity of human nature and society really does put the idea at a disadvantage where practical application is concerned. Some of these challenges are visible in society, but I feel very rarely do first generation creatives see it’s full impact, due to the nature of our spirit and work. My continued search for deeper understanding of the nature of work and work systems finds me drowning in what feels like an ocean of new information, perspectives and considerations. This feels challenging at best and overwhelming at worst. I am reminding myself that work must go on and while it may feel that little progress is being made day to day, in hindsight much work has been done over the course of the week.
.
.
WEEK 8
.
Journal [25 feb. – 01 mar.]
.
Reflections on Week 8
This week has been especially challenging for me. From losing my debit card to falling deep into questioning my approach to group work, it has felt intense. I am beginning to understand that certain aspects I consider as issues in the group may actually be the diversity of thought brought in by the other members. I have also been reflecting on the purpose of group work. Initially, I felt that group work entails producing a larger amount of detailed work, but now I am seeing that group work is more about producing a more effective outcome. When multiple voices converge they can create an outcome that is more effective on a larger scale. Where as, individual work may remain niche upon it’s completion despite the quantity of research and require greater iteration to reach the same point.
For this week’s reading, we were asked to bring our own text for discussion. As a group we may have shortened this process in exchange for progress on the final project outcome. In hindsight, the individual members of our group have been sharing extra readings and ideas over the course of the Unit. I personally have discussed my own affinity towards texts and notes on Solar punk, a speculative fiction and social movement. I wish we had found dedicated time to discuss it further, but I myself have not been able to give as much time due to the challenging nature of this week. We utilised this extra time to reflect on our individual field visits from the first week, drawing comparisons- similarities and differences between the different centres. We also started speculating on the future timeline that we would present.
To gauge the group’s direction at the end of the week, I expressed a desire to expand on our mode of thinking. I presented a message challenging some of the assumptions and directions our group has taken and it garnered some response but its larger impact is yet to be seen.
.
.
WEEK 9
.
Journal [04 mar. – 08 mar.]
.
Reflections on Week 9
This week has been the hardest for me. I feel a lot of the decisions were made by the CCC students because it was three voices against one and my concerns were not discussed. In the end I decided to take a back seat for the week as to not appear to be asserting dominance of any kind against the group. On the day of the incubator, we had almost nothing to present and I had to work with my MAAI classmates separately to ensure that something sizeable and cohesive was prepared. Once again, I had offered many suggestions and forwarded completed graphics to be included in the incubator, only to receive no response at all. I feel that because I had decided to engage in the same “silence” everyone else was, the other members couldn’t decide on what, when and how to present our findings.
In some sense I feel I let my group down. I had been struggling to engage everyone for some time and when I repeatedly got no response, it had clearly affected me. Following the incubator, many of these concerns had finally resonated through the group. I decided to have a heart to heart with Katie from my group and I felt we really spoke openly for the first time, sharing our concerns, vulnerabilities and the direction of the unit. The Incubator also brought with it some important feedback. Participants enjoyed the variety of classes brought forth and some gave insight on aspects we had neglected to include, primarily the safety of the people using the centre, the relationship of work with Artificial Intelligence and the role of the government. There is much for us to reflect on and a general agreement amongst us on the need for iteration of the project for our final presentation.
.
.
Week 10
.
Journal [11 mar. – 13 mar.]
.
Reflections on Week 10
This week our group met mostly online. After the disappointments of last week, everyone acknowledged that we needed to work together more effectively if we wanted to present a good project. And so, communications improved. I found different members to finally be delegating and following up on tasks. Ideas were being exchanged and discussed openly, responses and acknowledgements to text messages were clear, and on the final day members were even sitting together and helping each other out. This change in the dynamic felt like night and day. It had finally come that everyone was working together. In fact, there was even a disagreement, with a mediator and everything. This was not ugly but incredibly useful, because then I could go back and make improvements on my work based on a feedback which came from a combination of different perspectives. It makes me wonder, where had we gone wrong before? Clearly we were capable of this kind of collaboration and it would be very hard to point to one particular person or event. In hindsight, I believe that it could have been a series of individual factors combined with general complacency to politeness and silence. It does make me happy that even though the collaborative spirit may have come late, it did finally emerge.
Reflecting on my personal disagreements at the end of last week, I contemplated on the difference between belonging and fitting in. It was a moment of personal growth when for the first time I had found myself not looking forward to attending university, I realised that it was not a matter of fitting in with a group, but rather having a sense of belonging that should drive me. Such belonging must come internally within us, without being subject to outside expectations. In this light, I attended the final workshop of this unit by Mark Farid, a workshop on artistic intervention. It proved to be an insightful and candid workshop that addressed some of the limitations of art’s impact on modern society without taking away the power we have as artists to voice new and challenging ideas. It reinforced the notion that while we may feel powerless to change larger narratives and social direction, our desire to work towards expressing ourself and the intent of art is still worth pursuing. Art for art’s sake is not lost and it’s purpose is more complex than the simple intervention-result dynamics we might hope it to achieve. The workshop’s learning helped me re-evaluate my journey through this unit as being meaningful and fruitful.
.
.