I wanted to find a way to incorporate storytelling into quilt-making. I decided that I wanted to keep it simple and include words in this process. My goal was to show people, including myself, how the process of storytelling was similar to the process of quilt making.
I hope my work incorporates the art of storytelling by exploring the story that happens when a creator is making their story. It is also incorporating storytelling because it is the result of a story.
Here We Go Again
And there we were. At it again. Laying next to each other imagining the possibilities of each other. Exploring each other. I could never explain it. As I inhaled her aroma, enticed by her beauty, her bare skin carressing against mine. “Babe”, she would say. Her lips would slowly whistle my name. Our bodies were in sync once more. My body glided like a razor to freshly shaved legs right above her. She was just a childhood friend, I would tell her this. I know her body. I always give her that fresh feeling and glow right after. I explore her.
It has been six years. Everytime I heard her breathe slowly and softly, her body at relaxation my body goes limp. I was there again, body limp, penis hard. And this is honestly just a diary of a typical guy. I can not explain how much I love sex with her and only her. I tell myself that even though she was “just a friend” she was all I want now. “Slow this time?”, I usually say to her.
We connect eyes, lock our fingers together so that slowly, but suddenly I am back to dominating her body and thoughts. I have a hold on her. I know she was not mine, but in those moment we always share something together. Some days after we would handle my “limp moments”, I keep to myself. I sit there alone in my room, skateboard, hit the vapors and just feel chill. I would catch myself attaching myself to her, addicted to her.
I would catch her slipping into her emotions, but over the months she became much more logical. It scares me. But I will never understand her, yet I never have cared to. She is she, and I am I. We will never fully understand each other’s thoughts. That is what brought her back to me each time, fight after fight. It would always be a misunderstanding.
We have been seeing each other for a while now. I loved that she comes and go. We tried a relationship before and it did not work. I hated the institutionalized ideas of a label or being called her boyfriend. Shit, I am just too young to settle down. I hate to let her down, but I can not stand committing myself. She was due to go soon anyways.
Let me introduce myself.
I am just an 18 year old guy. I do not know what love is. I do not even think I love myself. We stopped saying I love you back when we were 15. Occasionally she will tell me that she loves me. I know she does, I just feel weird about love.
She is leaving in just a month. And last time that is why she left, because I hated the fact that I knew she had to go. I always imagine us slipping us in our old ways when we are not together. I am not binded to her nor she is binded to me. That is the most beautiful part about it. I allow her to go out and explore the world, as she allows me to. I adore her and our bond. I will allow her to explore other people too, I want to taste the salt in her mouth, victory that her vocal cords have yet to scream, and the trail of the people she passes by to get to me. The treacherous moments without me and the battles that allow us by each other sides is what I yearn for. However, I do not expect them.
I know that there is a possibility she will leave and never come back. So as I lay there tonight, and our fingers intertwine, this time is no different. She whispers to me “Babel”. I grasps her sides, pull her close, and press my lips against hers. This time I allow myself to breathe, inhale her aroma, leaning her head against my chest as she plays in my hair. I say to her, “Will you come visit?”. Immediately she responds “Of course I will, I will call you every night crying telling you I miss you”. I reply, “You’re gonna leave me here all lonely and shit”.
Either way she is going to go. I have no say. I do not know whether I will explore others, or whether she will, too. Now is all that she is giving me, now I will take, now I will give. Until we both are granted to love again, even if I am stuck loving someone else.
Wake Up, Wake Up
Waking up this morning was a struggle
And the depths of my thoughts submerged me
Consumed me
Self infliction
So my predilect for happiness kicked in
and I slowly digressed from the thoughts
where you inevitably lie
Yet again I can not help it
Lying to myself
Justifying "us"
even though I know that there is only you
and then there is me
And you continue to be on the walls of my mind
Attached
As if you were the flower to my dirt
Where you suddenly seem to have bloomed
And I suddenly seen to remember that flowers are not my thing
That I hate them and never seem to engulf myself in their beauty
And I slowly begin to have tsunami tides in my eyes
Watering my thoughts
So that they can grow, only greater than they were before
but I stop
and remind myself
that I am the dirt
Used to create such a beautiful disaster
However, I can not seem to stomp on you
Pull you out of the dirt where I know that you can grow
Because I provide you with the nutrients
As if I am your food for thought
And so instead I decide to leave you there
Plant new seeds in my dirt
Because I know that they will grow
So I will crowd my garden
Until there is no longer room left for youSeparation
We were inseparable for years on end. I knew that she was someone who I wanted in the moment. But i could not promise our future moments. I was okay with that. Wrapped up all she and I could be right now. But it was on a gloomy day where we decided we no longer wanted to be confined by the ways of each other. I could hear the subtle ways she would push me away and I would do the same to her. Her actions and her voice as it was all composed of hesitation. I had known her, I had known I. But there is nothing like losing two instead of losing one.
A Love Like This
His hand glided against my skin. I know it sounds sexual, but he knew how to please me. Satisfying it was. It was hand on mine, that got me everytime. Where our eyes met, as I indulged in his chestnut brown eyes. And see, he was not my lover, per say. Little would even imagine that from the way that it sounds, but he is my father. My father held my hand, as my small hand fit into his large palm scooped up by his fingers.
My father held my hand like no other, a bond in which could not be rectified. This was our time together, and few of it is what we had together. He would give me a father-daughter glare and that is what gave me hope. He was the man that I looked up to, confided in. He was the only man I had ever trusted. I confided in him, and I hoped that this would not hinder but help my abilities to have a strong bond with someone else in life. So as his hand softly carressed at the inside of my palm, I could not help but stay.
Effortless
Easily just getting your way with me
Because nothing stimulates me more than your mind
There is something about your creativity
a hint of spontaneity
that makes me wonders what is next
I often get lost in you
A mystery you are
And you do it without even knowing you are or even trying, for that matter
Effortless I say
because no matter how many times you say my name it sounds right
There is a deliberate flow in your words and conversations with me
Forced would be considered a clouded judgement, a fabrication
You are like the clouds to the sky, easily just moving along
but there is no effort
and so again I will call you effortless
because you are sometimes like a spring day
and drench me in your rain
and somehow I just want to run in the rain, spin, twirl, and jump in puddles.
you can even be like a winter's day
Mounding me in your snow, piled high, freezing me to death
but I find a way to just indulge in the beauty, by either playing or just staring all day
but other days I just want to stay inside
Love you from a distance
Cover myself up with layers and layers, so you can not get through to me
Because you are effortless
You do not try to love me
But I seem to be addicted to you
From your multiple layers
Surprise filling
hard exterior
I know you are not the best for me
and that is the most thrilling part
You excite me
Provide me with a rush
and I simply want you
But then again, candy, spring, and winter seem to just as much as you do for me.
Giving me a peace of mind. And these things I learn to let go, although time after time I have repeatedly welcome them again. Willingly or unwillingly, because sometimes the effortless ability to captivate me is all I can ask for.
And even through all of your effortless, I always seem to justify you, find beauty in your cracks, or even in places where I never thought to look before.
(Chapter Three, Chapter Four, and Chapter Five)
Group Members:
Lexy Babcock
Goldie Robins
Jessica Maiorano
Gabby Santaniello
What Our Group Discussed:
We discussed Chapters 3 to 5.
How We Discussed It:
We mostly stayed in chronological order and went through each of the following chapters: 3, 4, and 5. For each chapter, we tried to pull out some different ideas and examples from the book. Some individual group members picked out things that others didn't notice.
Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:
We mostly agreed. We had a few points of discussing an idea to better the understanding of another group member.
Questions answered:
*ALSO, We are going to include the articles in the next podcast with chapter 6 discussion.
1. What is negative space? Negative space in this photo is the blue paper.
2. Why use negative space? The negative space makes the photo more interesting and it gives the paper levels of creativeness.
3. How can negative space be used in photography? We can use negative space in photography to display more than one photo. We can also use it to add a better color scheme.
4. What is the best way to take advantage of negative space? The best way to take advantage of negative space is to have a hidden drawing on the blue paper that someone couldn't see unless you told them about.
1. What is negative space? Negative space in this drawing is everything but the stool.
2. Why use negative space? I used negative space so my stool could stand out more.
3. How can negative space be used in photography? Negative space could be used in photography to portray different illusions.
4. What is the best way to take advantage of negative space? Best way to take advantage of negative space is to use it as something that is unique. Like make a picture three d with negative space.
2.One should use negative space so it can enhance It cab affect the overall "composition" of your art work. It can also greatly improve your ability to create more successful pieces of artwork.
3. Negative space can be used in photography because it is a concept that's been used in art, design, architecture, and sculpture for hundreds of years. It's equally useful in photography, and can be used to turn an average photo into an outstanding one.One can use it to see shapes and sizes more effectively, and produce better images and pictures.
4. The best way to take advantage of negative space is by when we have to design something that’s difficult or something that’s not very familiar to us. Pretend that you have the lovely task of drawing your grandmother’s beautiful, wrinkly feet. Rather than focusing on the details, such as the wrinkles, toes, and nails, start looking at the unfamiliar negative spaces, such as the spaces between her toes, the distance from the ground of each toe. This will make the most regular things seem more unique and better.
5. We can see the chair on page 34, even though it is actually not drawn because the frame outside of it is what they have drawn not the object itself but the things around. Creating the same image but in a different and more special way; that you technically don't even make!
Name: Taylor Ximines
Mentor Name: Ms. Martin
My capstone is about making my community aware about what Breast Cancer is, and I made a team for the 2014 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure that was on Mother's Day.
For my Capstone I wanted to do something that would actually be special to me. I did not want to do a project that wouldn't be meaningful to me. So I started to think about issues that affect me gender, culture, race, and age wise. And something that seemed to be a common factor among those were breast cancer. For me personally my family has been affected by the disease, and I know for millions of other people it has to. I wanted to make a difference in anyway that I could. So my initial plan was to recruit students to join the team that I would make to participate in the race that took place on Mother's Day. The process for this Capstone was one that was long and hard at times. Things did not always turn out like I wanted them to. It took a lot of patience on my end to carry through with what I wanted my project to be. In the end I did make a team for SLA for the Race for the Cure and did the walk/run. I learned along the way that things to do not always happen like I want them to. That no matter what we always have to remember what the end goal for everything is. I hope that by me starting this somebody in the years to come can do the Race for the Cure under the SLA team; as well as help to take steps toward finding the cure for breast cancer.
Bibliography
"WebMD Breast Cancer Center: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Genes, Staging, Tests, and Treatments." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. -
This source basically explains what breast cancer is. It tells about the disease and what it does. I used this source to explain to people exactly what breast cancer is. Some people may be unsure about what it is. So I used this resource because WebMD is one of the most credible online medical journals. So I can be almost one hundred percent sure that the information on here is non bias and correct.
2. "What Is Breast Cancer?" Www.nationalbreastcancer.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
This is the website for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. I used this website as a source for breast examinations. One of the main ways to see if you have breast cancer is to have an examination done. It could be done at home or at a doctors office. This website explains each step and what to do when it comes to checking to see if you have breast cancer.
3. "50 Fundraising Ideas." 50 Fundraising Ideas. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
This website gives 50 ways on how to fundraise. For my project I will need to raise money in order to make my team for the walk. Having money is something I will need in order to make my team. But since I am not rich I must receive donations and get money my own way while trying to put my team together. So this website has given me some new ideas on how to raise that money.
4. "The Big Pink Footprint:." Susan G Komen Philadelphia. 27 Jan. 2014
<http://komenphiladelphia.org/>-
This is the website for the Susan G Komen Philadelphia Chapter. This is probably my most important source. It tells me what to do when it comes to making my own team. As well as giving me resources to people that will help me. When I do the walk I will need to be registered with them and they will tell me exactly what to do. So this is my most important website for doing my whole project.
5. "What are the key statistics about breast cancer?" What are the key statistics about breast cancer? 26 Jan. 2014 <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-key-statistics>.
This websites gives the most recent statistics when it comes to breast cancer. I used this because I will need to tell people just how serious of a problem this disease is. That somebody they know has breast cancer or will develop it statistically speaking. So doing this walk.run is something that is needed to help support research for this disease.
6. Schawbel, Dan. "5 Ways to Network in the Real World." 5 Ways to Network in the Real World. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/5-ways-to-network-in-real-world>.
This source gives various ways to network. It includes whether it be on social media, or by people that I know. It gives key details and tips on how to make my circle bigger. Networking is something that I will need to do for this Capstone. The more participants I get, the more sponsors, and the more money that can be raised for my Capstone.
7. Kelly. "Welcome." Inspirational Breast Cancer Survivor Stories | Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MSABC_FY13_StoriesOfHope>.
This is a story about a woman named Kelly. She talked about how breast cancer ran in her family and that she always did early screening and got regular mammograms. But that she still unexpectedly developed an aggressive breast cancer. But through different foundations and walks that the money raised helped her get the treatments to get rid of it. This can be used to show why my Capstone is important. That most families will be affected by this cancer and it is important to keep making teams who do walks and races to raise money to help people.
8. "Financial Information." Susan G. Komen®. 25 Jan. 2014
<http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/FinancialInformation.html>.
This source is very important for this project. A big part of my Capstone is the fundraising. That in order to make my team and do the walk/run on Mother's Day we have to raise the money. But I do not want to raise the money and then not see where the money is going. Or have other people committed to my team and not know exactly where their finances are going. So this source shows the Susan G Komen's finances for all of the past years. And it also explains how the finances are distributed back to breast cancer research and treatment.
9. "Corporate Partners and Sponsors." Susan G. Komen®. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://ww5.komen.org/allCorporatePartners.aspx>.
This is a source that tells just how big the Susan G Komen foundation is. There are a lot of breast cancer foundations. I wanted to make sure that for my Capstone I picked one that was renowned and very well known. So this is just a list of so many other famous companies that sponsor the Komen Foundation and are their partners. This just reassures my team and I that we are actually working with the biggest breast cancer foundation, and it will do the maximum amount of help.
10. "Careers / Internships / Volunteering." Susan G. Komen®. 27 Jan. 2014
<http://ww5.komen.org/GetInvolved/Careers.html>.
This is a source telling how else to get involved. I do not want my Capstone to be the only time that people are involved with this important topic. During and after my Capstone I still want people to care about Breast Cancer Awareness; including myself. So if people want to find out how they can still volunteer this is the source for it. Or even if somebody wants to continue this same Capstone idea by having a team for next year's walk then this is the source for them.
A. What is negative space (explain this concept to a fourth grader that has never heard of it)
Negative space is the background of an object in a picture.
B. Explain how you found negative space in 1. your cut out?, 2. in your stool drawing?
I found negative space in my cut because I had two different colors and the purple was the space in the background. In the stool drawing the white space surrounding the table,stool and plant.
C. Why does it help an artist to see in negative space?
If you can get rid of the object in the picture or look around the object you can find the negative space.
D. How is negative space useful in creating art?
It helps to see where your drawing will go or the right size for the object.
Group members present during the discussion?
Robert Jenkins, Martez Cards, Niyala Brownlee, and Markitra Kesse
What your club discussed?
Introduction and Chapter one
How you discussed it?
Our discussion was about biases in statistics and if its possible to have a statistic without a hidden agenda.
Any points of conflict/disagreement in discussion?
We disagreed on what was a bias study and how are the displayed.
A. Negative space is the empty space around the subject of a drawing or photo. The negative space is just as important as the subject because the negative space can make the subject stand out more.
B. I found the negative space in the cutout with the base paper after I cut out the traced template that was in another color. I found the negative space in the still-life when I was drawing only the outside lines of the objects and shading in the empty spaces.
C. I helps an artist see in negative space because the negative space defines the subject of the drawing or photo. Without paying attention to negative space, the subject could just blend into the background.
D. Negative space is helpful in creating art because the negative space like explained in the previous question, makes the subject stand out and the negative space can make the drawing more interesting.
