End of Week 7

Look back on the last two projects and review any connections between ideas used in this project and those you have begun to develop here.

I would say that the art project has been more similar to the media project in terms of how open it has been. I found that especially compared to design I've had a lot more freedom to choose to do I want to do in this project which has allowed me to experiment more and use different techniques without having to follow a brief as much as the art project. I would say that I've been able to learn about a different creative process which is helped me to develop my own process more because I can add elements of the art project so that my processes become more experimental and less confined to a brief or a structure.

What have been the main opportunities and challenges in developing ideas and approaches this week?

There is a definite opportunity to be as open and free as I want with this project, and to not have to conform to any sort of boundary or brief, and can literally just experiment and see what I enjoy. I have found that there has been a lot of visual play, which has been fun to experiment with, and I think that it has given me the freedom to pursue any idea/material that I want in this project. This was also the biggest challenge for me personally, as usually I like working towards a brief and having more of a structure within the project, but I have been trying to go with the flow and just enjoy it.

Have you changed where you see yourself currently in terms of art/design/media? If so, why?

I would say that I still see myself as mostly working in a design based way however I do like the freedom of the art project and the media project and I would like to take some of this creativity and freedom and add it into my creative process. Overall I would say that my way of working is mostly designed based with elements of art and media alongside which is what I think costume design is, as you have to combine the creativity needed for experimenting in art and media, whilst also working towards a specific brief for the character but at the same time you create a piece of art in the form of a theatre production.

Which skills developed in previous weeks have been useful this week?

I would say that some of the things that I've taken across from the media and design projects have been the use of the blog which has come in very useful this time to keep note of my ideas which has been different to the last two projects as it is a lot more practical and there is a lot lot less planning goes into each exercise before doing it so the blog has been useful as a way to keep track of my thoughts. I will also continue to use the mind maps as a fast paced way of getting down my ideas on a page and it is also very visual which helps me to generate ideas quickly so that I can choose the best ones to take forward.

Have new artist references been useful in helping you think about new approaches to the brief?

It has been interesting to look at lots of new artists and to see their creative processes as they often are very different to the ones of design and media which has opened my eyes up to different ways of working. It has also been good to look at artists who work with the theme of chance which is what we've been given for this brief which has helped me to let go of some of the control and just to go with the flow and see what happens with the project to try and produce interesting and unique results.

How have the practical and material elements of the work gone? Have you kept notes?

I haven't kept as many notes this week because it has been very fast paced and more practical with less thinking and planning going into each activity. I am going to write each workshop up on my blog through to compensate for this. I have experimented with lots of new techniques and have tried as much as possible to be open to allowing the material work without me trying to control it, which has produced some interesting results.

What could you do better next week?

I would say that next week I am going to try and continue to use the theme of chance and not to try and take control over the project and manipulate what comes out of it to fit what I want but instead to let chance play a part in it.