Monday, April 6, 2009
Creative track.
I have had a great time at Method creative. I have failed at many things, but at the things that really matter to me, I have succeeded. I have made a great deal of connections and plan onm being in touch with many of the people I have met. I wish I had mode time to finish some of my work at the studio. I do plan on at least continuing with building my portfolio until it is complete. Thank you all. I will miss you.
Translating
SO I show up at DISD the next afternoon to help translate for this movie with Krystal Balalaika. The administrators of the building and the video crew was very grateful for my presence and very kind.
So here is the gig.
They are shooting an educational video for Dallas public schools that is all about these awesome Russian instruments.
It was basically a q&a interview with me doing the interviewing in Russian, but not translating into English. They would do a voice over later. I asked the group member pairs a series of questions about themselves, their instruments, and just funny stories they can recall about their visit to America.
I learned a lot about the band members. For example I learned that they all have had na classical musical training beginning in 3rd grade.
I also learned about these instruments. I now know the difference between a garmon, a bayan, and an accordion. All very similar but not.
The shoot took a little over 3 hours so I missed an appointment at school, but I did feel great about myself to have met and interviewed these talented performers.
Krystal Balalayka
Last Sunday, SMU hosted the 13th annual Russian Festival. I had to work all day so I couldn't make it. The Thursday following the festival, the awesome Russian musical group Krystal Ballaika was still in town and craving some good old fassioned Russian food. So my teacher, Tatyana Zimakova decides to give it to them. She organizes a party for the band members and their entourage at her house and invites students. I was the only one from my class to show.
I got to meet and socialize with the band. The band members ranged from 24 to 40is in age and were very social. There were several students there from the lower classes for whom I served as an intermediary. I translated back and forth from Russian to English.
Before long, it was as if I had known these band members my whole life. We were telling jokes and anecdotes. DISD educational film.
I got to meet and socialize with the band. The band members ranged from 24 to 40is in age and were very social. There were several students there from the lower classes for whom I served as an intermediary. I translated back and forth from Russian to English.
Before long, it was as if I had known these band members my whole life. We were telling jokes and anecdotes. DISD educational film.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Am I a writer or am I an artist?
A good question has come up (See above).
This is kind of a dilemma for me. I love writing and I think I am genuinely good at it. Writing comes easy to me. My teacher seems to think that this is my career path. To be a copywriter.
Seems simple. So why is this a dilemma?
It's really no big deal. But you see. there are a whole lot of other thinks that I am good at. The problem is, that is not where I picture myself. I am an awesome dancer, I write music, and I can sell a ketchup flavored Popsicle to an Eskimo and then ask for them to refer their friends. There are lots of places I can see myself succeeding.
I want to be an art director. Prior to starting this program at SMU I was convinced that creativity is such a thing that no matter who you are, you can acquire it. For now, unless I was completely misguided, I think I will stick to my dreams. If it takes me longer than most, then so be it.
This is kind of a dilemma for me. I love writing and I think I am genuinely good at it. Writing comes easy to me. My teacher seems to think that this is my career path. To be a copywriter.
Seems simple. So why is this a dilemma?
It's really no big deal. But you see. there are a whole lot of other thinks that I am good at. The problem is, that is not where I picture myself. I am an awesome dancer, I write music, and I can sell a ketchup flavored Popsicle to an Eskimo and then ask for them to refer their friends. There are lots of places I can see myself succeeding.
I want to be an art director. Prior to starting this program at SMU I was convinced that creativity is such a thing that no matter who you are, you can acquire it. For now, unless I was completely misguided, I think I will stick to my dreams. If it takes me longer than most, then so be it.
St. Petersburg
Of course the coolest thing about going to Russia is getting to go to St. Pete and the Hermitage.
It surpassed my wildest dreams this structure. There was a long line outside, but a friend of mine who knows how to get them to say yes snuck us in. The place was enormous. Huge rooms full of paintings and sculptures done by huge artists. Monet, Picasso, and Rembrandt. Their collection was so big that if you spent just 10 seconds looking at every piece in the museum, it would take you 3 and a half years.
Prior to this, we had visited the Russian state museum, and the ballet.
St. Petersburg is a magical city. You could even tell that the people were different in this place. For example, in Moscow, if you happen to cross the street without looking and get hit by a car, there is a small chance of that car stopping. In St. Petersburg, the cars yield to pedestrians, even when they are not at a crosswalk.
St. Pete is a much smaller town with a lot depending on tourism. They try to make tourists welcome. Whereas, in Moscow, a city that has over 28 million people in it, human life is practically worthless.
It surpassed my wildest dreams this structure. There was a long line outside, but a friend of mine who knows how to get them to say yes snuck us in. The place was enormous. Huge rooms full of paintings and sculptures done by huge artists. Monet, Picasso, and Rembrandt. Their collection was so big that if you spent just 10 seconds looking at every piece in the museum, it would take you 3 and a half years.
Prior to this, we had visited the Russian state museum, and the ballet.
St. Petersburg is a magical city. You could even tell that the people were different in this place. For example, in Moscow, if you happen to cross the street without looking and get hit by a car, there is a small chance of that car stopping. In St. Petersburg, the cars yield to pedestrians, even when they are not at a crosswalk.
St. Pete is a much smaller town with a lot depending on tourism. They try to make tourists welcome. Whereas, in Moscow, a city that has over 28 million people in it, human life is practically worthless.
Moscow
The semester in Moscow was an awesome experience. We got to do practically everything there is to do there. We arrived in Demadedova airport during a cloudy day. On that tay we did practically nothing. Just getting settled in. The next day the fun began. We got to go to hotel Kosmos to see a show that depicted the history of Russia through dance.. And we were off and running. Aside from class we took regular trips to museums, ballets, and theaters. We visited famous writers' homes and, I particularly, spent a lot of time on the red square.
One of my classes was scheduled everyday and ran from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. All we did in this class was read. The professor would hand us an article or a completion assignment and we would have to solve it orally, on the fly. This helped develop my Russian conversation skills beyond my wildest dreams.
And now. The part you'd all been waiting for. The people..
Russian culture is dramatically different than that of our own. The first impression is dreadful. But as I learned very quickly, first impressions of Russians are not very reliable. They are a tricky people. They say, "yes" when they mean, "maybe", and they say, "no", when they mean, "yes". They are kind of stand offish at first but warm up quicker than anyone in the US.
In the month that I spent there I acquired more friends than you can shake a stick at. (As if there were a perfect number of friends that it is OK to shake a stick at and I'd gone over that limit.)
I made friends in the classrooms, in the subways, in the streets, in the grocery store, and every other place I went. These people are so open to Americans. I actualy could say that I now have several friends in Russia that are truer than many of my friends in America. They spent a lot of time with me and would protect me at the drop of a hat.
One of my classes was scheduled everyday and ran from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. All we did in this class was read. The professor would hand us an article or a completion assignment and we would have to solve it orally, on the fly. This helped develop my Russian conversation skills beyond my wildest dreams.
And now. The part you'd all been waiting for. The people..
Russian culture is dramatically different than that of our own. The first impression is dreadful. But as I learned very quickly, first impressions of Russians are not very reliable. They are a tricky people. They say, "yes" when they mean, "maybe", and they say, "no", when they mean, "yes". They are kind of stand offish at first but warm up quicker than anyone in the US.
In the month that I spent there I acquired more friends than you can shake a stick at. (As if there were a perfect number of friends that it is OK to shake a stick at and I'd gone over that limit.)
I made friends in the classrooms, in the subways, in the streets, in the grocery store, and every other place I went. These people are so open to Americans. I actualy could say that I now have several friends in Russia that are truer than many of my friends in America. They spent a lot of time with me and would protect me at the drop of a hat.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Wrap up
So what did I learn from all this?
Is creativity this mysterious beast that dwells within me, or do I have the ability to tame it?
Can creativity be taught? Can it be learned?
Do I know now?
I've learned and grown so much this semester. I was lucky to have teachers with a passion for teaching. I would like to send my gratitude to Brian Fennig, my wellness teacher, because he prepared for his classes meticulously and it showed. Glen Griffin, for somehow balancing fun with rules in such a way as to allow us to work and play at the same time.
I've learned that creativity dwells inside all of us. It can be nurtured or stifled. It can be allowed to flourish, and it can be crushed completely.
Creativity is a productive force. You can't sit on your couch and be creative. You have to get up and make the creative thing happen. So don't be lazy. Get up and paint a picture instead of watching that tube. Write a song, a poem, a book.
You may be the most creative person ever born, but you'll never find out until you get up, grab that brush, dip it in paint, and smear it on some canvas.
Thank you all for a great semester.
Is creativity this mysterious beast that dwells within me, or do I have the ability to tame it?
Can creativity be taught? Can it be learned?
Do I know now?
I've learned and grown so much this semester. I was lucky to have teachers with a passion for teaching. I would like to send my gratitude to Brian Fennig, my wellness teacher, because he prepared for his classes meticulously and it showed. Glen Griffin, for somehow balancing fun with rules in such a way as to allow us to work and play at the same time.
I've learned that creativity dwells inside all of us. It can be nurtured or stifled. It can be allowed to flourish, and it can be crushed completely.
Creativity is a productive force. You can't sit on your couch and be creative. You have to get up and make the creative thing happen. So don't be lazy. Get up and paint a picture instead of watching that tube. Write a song, a poem, a book.
You may be the most creative person ever born, but you'll never find out until you get up, grab that brush, dip it in paint, and smear it on some canvas.
Thank you all for a great semester.
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