Ray Albarouki's Capstone

Being an aspiring model, convoluted writer, food enthusiast, and a fashion aficionado, I figured I could create a blog to highlight these details of my life, and maybe inspire someone else to find outlets that suit them. I’ve always been interested in showcasing what I’m good at, and I never thought there was anything wrong with people who do as such. Even if some think it’s narcissistic, I think it’s clever to share your talents with others, and maybe create a platform for yourself. My blog, “Detailed Daze,” does not have a purchased domain name yet, so I’m using Tumblr as a base to start. After I have fiddle around with the exact style I want my blog to have, I’ll be buying a domain and making it a legit thing. I post at least 6 days a week, sharing 3 OOTDs (outfit of the day), 2 works of art or writing, whether that may be my own or someone else’s, and 1 event I attended that week or a new restaurant that I tried. I’d love for this blog to grow into something large, and reach a wide range of people. Hopefully, one day Detailed Daze will be a success and give me connections and experiences one can only dream of. I’ll be continuing to post even after the submission of this Capstone.

VISUAL REPRESENTATION

http://detaileddaze.tumblr.com/

BIBLIOGRAPHY (I have the annotated bibliography for my old Capstone idea, but I don’t have one for my new idea because I am my own source. However, I did pull ideas from these sources because my blog is about self-expression.)

"Center for Health and Healing." Center for Health and Healing. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. 

Art therapy is one of the oldest and most useful tools of healing. With a combination of a particular theoretical framework or eclectic combination of psychological theories, this form of therapy is used to bring out the creativity in a person. A goal of creatively expressing oneself is the ultimate end result that is desired. Art is one of the largest universal languages, just like music, so with the ability to have an interpretation of it, one is able to relate what they’re feeling to others. Art therapy is used clinically and in research, with a hope to advance the theory of what impact it has. 

"Encouraging Self-Expression Through Art." PBSparents. PBS, n.d. Web. 

Children don’t need all of that extra stuff, like coloring books and cutouts, to be creative, sometimes, they just need simple things like their imagination. In most cases, some of the most innovative things come out of your mind, instead of something concrete. Creativity should not have restrictions; following rules, thinking too hard, and limiting your thoughts are all wrong paths of innovation. I think that with an inclusion of free flowing days in school for kids, they would be able to hone their skills and come up with genius ideas - enough trying to build things around rules. St. Thomas, Bruce. 

"Empowering Children Throught Art and Expression." Amazon, n.d. Web. 

“Empowering Children through Art Expression” helps find the connection between youth empowerment and creativity. Focusing on things liked the forced relocation of kids and their families to a different culture or community, Bruce St. Thomas uses art therapy to bridge the gap of mental illness and connection to the world to find some sort of relation of feeling of children to other children that feel the same thing(s). I believe that if we follow the teachings of Bruce St. Thomas, we might be able to find the root of what innovativeness in children truly is, and what sort of power it has. "

Kids Feel the Power of Poetry in Performance." WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION. Edutopia, n.d. Web. 

Writing, poetry specifically, is one of the most common things people use to express themselves. Things like poetry slams can transform students from reluctant, shy, or diffident learners into passionate artists. Slamming can be taken really eagerly for some students because they feel so passionate about sharing how they feel. With an opportunity to share their writing with an audience, students are able to get applause and praise for the work they do, boosting their self-esteem and confidence. Writing is a highly effective and healthy outlet to expressing oneself, having a possible long term effect on one’s life. 

"American Art Therapy Association." American Art Therapy Association. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. 

Organizations like the American Art Therapy Association introduces people to the work of art therapists all around the world, giving you an account and experience on the significance of how a creative process can be the key and pathway to one’s emotional well-being. With a website that helps people find therapists near them, people are able to have easy access to what they need. A journal, education opportunities, and information on events can be beneficial to the opinion people have on the American Art Therapy Association. 

"Membership." Educational Leadership:Giving Students Ownership of Learning:The Power of Audience. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

Having a strong support group in life is important. Similar to that, a positive audience can make all the difference in the world when it comes to performing. If someone is at a slam competition, and they perform and the audience gives no positivity toward the poet, that can bring down the confidence of that person. Most people who recite what they write, are people who are in need of support, appreciation, and positive expression. An audience is just as much part of the performance as the actual performer. Jayson, Sharon. 

"Teens Feeling Stressed, and Many Not Managing It Well." USA Today. Gannett, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. 

A while ago, I read an article saying that teenagers have more stress in their life than adults. With school, peer pressure, expectations, and goals we have set for ourselves, trying to find the balance between all of that can be a daunting and stressful task. This article gives statistics on the amount of stress a teen has. Bad habits stem from the stress and create a path for them that is not healthy. Most teens get irritable and angry when they’re stressed out, which can cause chain reactions, which lead to other negative impacts on the teen’s life. 

Scott, M.S. "Art Therapy: Relieve Stress by Being Creative." About Health. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. 

Stress can be released through art. A lot of people paint, a lot of people write, and a lot of people sing. It acts as a form of distraction, gives a nice flow to things, and gives some self-care to people. Things like keeping dream journals and sharing your work with people who will appreciate it can give you some positive feelings about yourself and your self-expression. Make sure to do it for yourself and not follow the guidelines people tell you to follow, because art is a free moving thing. 

"The Power of Poetry | The Queen Latifah Show." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. 

Queen Latifah had three young ladies in high school come onto her talk show and speak about their slam experience and recite one of their poems together. They’re part of a program called Get Lit, where they have been able to freely express themselves. Latifah gave them an experience of a lifetime having them recite their poem. Not only was their audience a positive one, but they were also able to touch a wide range of people in the country and beyond, telling everyone that poetry has a way of expressing a part of the mind that nothing else can help express. 

"Get Lit | Words Ignite – Increasing Teen Literacy through Classic and Spoken Word Poetry."Get Lit. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. 

Get Lit is a nonprofit that helps promote literary performance, education, and teen poetry. Based in Southern California, this program helps teens branch out of their comfort zone to bring forth what they feel and talk about things like social issues, teen issues, etc. Get Lit boosts literacy, self-confidence, and create expression. It challenges youth to think through certain fundamentals like personal expression, creating an outlet that lets youth have a voice in the world that they may not necessarily always have.