Katie Harris
Arts Scholar
Pentathalon Semester 1
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my first semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Midsommar viewing in my home
On September 18, I watched the thriller/drama Midsommar with my brother and our friends for his birthday. It was thoroughly disturbing, but showed a very interesting depiction of cult culture. I decided to watch a movie because I've been pondering making a short film for my Capstone project, but have little to no experience with editing or cinematography. This was an indie type of movie, so all the scenes were artistically filmed, with great composition and colors. I also was interested in this particular movie because it had to do with the mental implications of cults and drugs. As a psych major, it was very cool and creepy to see how each character was affected differently by the insane events happening. #film
TED Talk: Why I Ask Strangers to Draw their Memories by Janne Willems
I watched this #presentation on Saturday, October 3, in my home. I decided to watch a TED talk because they are usually inspiring and make you think. This one was about strangers around the world drawing a beautiful moment from their past week. Every response was unique, showing that every moment, especially the small ones, is important for your happiness. This made me think about my Capstone project, which I will likely conduct surveys for. Because I want to focus on mental health, this video revealed that people are willing to be open about their experiences, and that the responder can also benefit from being questioned. I'm also currently taking a Psychology of Happiness course, and this exercise could be very insightful for the happiness reflections that we do each week. Finding beauty in every moment would seem to lead to higher life satisfaction, if only people just thought about it more.
Halloween Origami Night
I attended a Scholars event Zoom Origami instructional seminar hosted by Amy Groves on October 13, 2020. We watched Amy and Rebekah make origami bats and pumpkins. I made a bat, shown to the right, but unfortunately my pumpkin was too ugly to post. I think this was a good exercise in focus and relaxation. It takes patience and care to create an artwork from folding paper, and this made me appreciate the hard work that goes into any art form. It also got me in the spooky spirit!
Paint Night: Pointillist Painting
On November 12, my two roommates and I decided to have a paint night. I chose from a list of inspiring art ideas to do a pointillist painting. I painted my friend's foot in red. It was cool to observe something closely and illustrate it using only small dots. I also got to do art with my friends which makes it more fun. I will probably be including them in my Capstone project as well, so it is good to start working creatively with them now.
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Pomodoro Studying
On December 12, I went on a Zoom study session led by Gabi using the Pomodoro technique of taking 5 minute breaks for every 25 minutes of work. To enhance the experience, I also listened to a Pomodoro playlist of a crackling fireplace. In total, the session was a lot more productive than what I would've done on my own. Knowing that others are watching motivates me to pay attention, and the short breaks also helped me to concentrate. I enjoyed the music as well, it was calming and lightened the mood. I will have to try this again! #music
Pentathalon Semester 2
Follow along this semester as I document my arts experiences this semester.
Watching Gone Girl in my apartment with my roommates on February 3rd
#film #ArtsScholars
This movie was a whirlwind of events in which I never expected what was going to happen next. I think the main message I got was that every character is complex and has their own goals, even if they aren't understood by others. As a psychology major and taking a class on personality this semester, this made me think about how confusing people are, and that they can't always be described in a few words. As I am making a movie for my Capstone project, I've been watching lots of films, hoping for inspiration and guidance. This one definitely had aspects of both emotive cinematography and sound, and meaningful characters and plot. It illuminated the necessity of proper planning in order to create an interesting movie. The angles and lighting and different shots with music really added another layer of suspense and intrigue which made the whole experience exciting.
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Pentathlon 2-for-1: Skribblio
#artsscholars #visualart
On February 28, I attended a Zoom call with other Arts Scholars where we each went to two breakout rooms and did an activity. My first event was playing Skribblio, where one person draws something on the screen and the others guess in real time what the drawing is. It was a good practice of sketching and quick thinking, at which I was not very good. This involved some deciphering of forms, which is important in art history when determining the meaning of a piece. It also made me think of the "killing your darlings" saying because I only had a bit of time to create my sketch, so it couldn't be perfect. This is key to the creative process, when you usually can't spend all day planning each design. It was also fun to think on my feet and get competitive even though I did not win.
Pentathlon 2-for-1: Guessing Music
#artsscholars #music
My second breakout room involved an activity where we had to guess other participants' music taste. We were given a prompt (Feel good) and each contributed a favorite applicable song, then the songs were played and everyone guessed whose was whose. I think this had a little to do with my major psychology, as I had to judge my fellow Scholars' musical preferences based on past knowledge and facial expressions. It was really hard to guess because everyone has such unique and diverse traits. This was especially tough when I didn't know some of them very well and could only go on looks. It was interesting to combine personality assumptions with music, and it was really insightful because I often was surprised by the results. Basically, don't judge a book by its cover. I also got to hear some good songs, some new, which always brings people together.
Pentathlon 4: Poetry Slam
On April 6, I attended the Arts Scholars’ Poetry Slam on Zoom. We first had a Mad-libs warmup which was fun and loosened up the group. I really felt more personally connected to those who read their work, and a deeper understanding the rhythm and word choice that can make poetry so beautiful and astounding. I was inspired to write a poem right after! It made me think more about the artistry of language, which is relevant in any field or subject. I also realized how supportive and nonjudgmental everyone is, so that there is no reason to feel anxious about or avoid sharing your work. This makes me feel relieved about presenting my Capstone, as even if my audience hates it, I won’t know because they will give nice feedback anyway.
Watching Mystic Pizza
On Friday, April 23, I watched Mystic Pizza on my laptop. It has been a stressful, busy few weeks, so I wanted some down time with a happy movie. And I love Julia Roberts! The film tells the story of three sisters in their teens and twenties struggling with life and love. It was pretty relatable to me, as each girl was confused about their future. I like how it had the cheesiness of a classic 80s movies, but stood the test of time in terms of its storyline. It is always interesting to see how much movie production and acting has changed over the decades. It shows the differences between everyone's issues, but also how universal they are. It reminded me of my Capstone movie, as it involves the problems that women might face and how their friendship makes everything seem okay at the end of the day. (Photo below)
#film
