memory. history. origins.
your creative challenge for the coming days is to make images that somehow, some way references your own personal memory; your history or origins. Your sources might be a person, a place, a thing, a situation - or any possible combination of these subjects (or anything else). This will require you to reflect on, and possibly write about, your origins. Is there a particular person, place, thing, or situation that you have access over the next week that will allow you to explore these ideas? Someone who reminds you of a grandparent, sibling, close friend? Do you look like a parent or grandparent? Is there a neighborhood in or near C-U that reminds you of your childhood? Can you possibly document activities that bring up personal memories? Does this prompt in any way relate to what you dream about? How far can you shoot this arrow?
your creative challenge for the coming days is to make images that somehow, some way references your own personal memory; your history or origins. Your sources might be a person, a place, a thing, a situation - or any possible combination of these subjects (or anything else). This will require you to reflect on, and possibly write about, your origins. Is there a particular person, place, thing, or situation that you have access over the next week that will allow you to explore these ideas? Someone who reminds you of a grandparent, sibling, close friend? Do you look like a parent or grandparent? Is there a neighborhood in or near C-U that reminds you of your childhood? Can you possibly document activities that bring up personal memories? Does this prompt in any way relate to what you dream about? How far can you shoot this arrow?
Set 1: A sassy girl in head to toe pink. I don't think I started dressing myself at this age but I was a tornado in my closet trying to find an outfit to sort of suffice the relic overall look. My ears have stayed exactly the same size.
Set 2: Probably one of my very first friends ever. I met Nicole when I was two and we became best best friends, then our parents became moms became friends through us. Nicole moved away from my neighborhood in elementary school so we stopped being able to have play dates, then I moved to Canada in high school and we never really saw each other again. Cue college - we both end up at UIUC. Our friendship hasn't sprung back to the same closeness as those preschool days but I know we have each other's backs for life.
Set 3: This little diva queen just came back from a birthday party. Curled hair, painted nails, and bedazzled face -- check. Fast forward to 2019 where my hair is as straight as Asian hair can get, my nails never painted or grown long due to musicianship callings, and my new form of face bedazzlement is mascara and lipstick.
Set 4: Every morning my mom braided my hair as I sat there enduring the minutes of pain at that moment so I could endure hours of itchiness throughout the day. Toy camera by my side foreshadowing a love in my future that wasn't even discovered until recently. Also I can't seem to make that same cute smile without seeming creepy.
I chose these images because they were within my capabilities of replicating here in the winter lands of corn city. I feel like these pictures all captured different emotions conveyed by my younger self and I have always wanted to do recreations of these photos. This prompt allowed me to embody this concept. These sets actually helped me to come to terms more with who I am. I realized I was beautiful back then and still am. I realized that I have changed, but at the same time I haven't changed at all. Manipulating my face to make the same expressions as my younger self, I can see how my features that define me now have always defined me, even as a child.
So many things have changed yet nothing has changed. I thought that as I grew up and developed a post-puberty personality that my childhood joy and innocence had been replaced by pessimism and darkness. My aesthetic now in photography is more grungy or edgy. My fashion is more black clothes or dark color palettes. My favorite poses are serious and not smiling photos. My go-to style is photographing my solo self. However, looking at myself in pink and floral clothes with a big wide smile and being with my best friend, I find an appreciation for it as well. And I don't hate it.
Set 2: Probably one of my very first friends ever. I met Nicole when I was two and we became best best friends, then our parents became moms became friends through us. Nicole moved away from my neighborhood in elementary school so we stopped being able to have play dates, then I moved to Canada in high school and we never really saw each other again. Cue college - we both end up at UIUC. Our friendship hasn't sprung back to the same closeness as those preschool days but I know we have each other's backs for life.
Set 3: This little diva queen just came back from a birthday party. Curled hair, painted nails, and bedazzled face -- check. Fast forward to 2019 where my hair is as straight as Asian hair can get, my nails never painted or grown long due to musicianship callings, and my new form of face bedazzlement is mascara and lipstick.
Set 4: Every morning my mom braided my hair as I sat there enduring the minutes of pain at that moment so I could endure hours of itchiness throughout the day. Toy camera by my side foreshadowing a love in my future that wasn't even discovered until recently. Also I can't seem to make that same cute smile without seeming creepy.
I chose these images because they were within my capabilities of replicating here in the winter lands of corn city. I feel like these pictures all captured different emotions conveyed by my younger self and I have always wanted to do recreations of these photos. This prompt allowed me to embody this concept. These sets actually helped me to come to terms more with who I am. I realized I was beautiful back then and still am. I realized that I have changed, but at the same time I haven't changed at all. Manipulating my face to make the same expressions as my younger self, I can see how my features that define me now have always defined me, even as a child.
So many things have changed yet nothing has changed. I thought that as I grew up and developed a post-puberty personality that my childhood joy and innocence had been replaced by pessimism and darkness. My aesthetic now in photography is more grungy or edgy. My fashion is more black clothes or dark color palettes. My favorite poses are serious and not smiling photos. My go-to style is photographing my solo self. However, looking at myself in pink and floral clothes with a big wide smile and being with my best friend, I find an appreciation for it as well. And I don't hate it.