ARTIST'S STATEMENT

BIG PICTURE:

My capstone will be a collection of prose pieces, ranging from short stories to poetry, that explore the emotions that come with experiencing and exploring a new place. Given the current circumstances, I can’t visit “new” places, so to speak, but the places I’ve become familiar with over the years, i.e. my house, have suddenly taken on a new meaning, so I get the opportunity to re-experience them. My pieces will explore that dynamic —how my old views and emotions towards certain spaces have shifted, or haven’t, in light of the pandemic. My big picture really boils down to this central question: what's new? I've experienced these spaces before; this is not a blank canvas. The question proposes that something has changed, but it allows me the flexibility to offer different answers with each work of prose.

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AUDIENCE & IMPACT:

What is new, for you? What, who, has taken on a different meaning in light of all that's going on? My audience is to those thinking about these changes, processing them, and looking for something to relate to. This is a tumultuous time, and while we're working to combat this virus and "flatten the curve," it doesn't mean we can (or should) contain/combat our emotions about the changes implemented in our lives; they've likely shifted the way we view different places, people, and things.

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SIGNIFICANCE + DISTINCTION:

My research explored this idea of change and looking at things in a new light—what causes us to change, how do we deal with abrupt change, etc. The significance and distinction of the inspiration of these pieces, Covid-19, is hard to argue. But what about the important of researching why we change? Does it really matter? It does. Because it begs the question: how can we learn to cope with the emotions we might have towards change if we can't understand how/why we feel this way in the first place? Read more about my findings here

APPROACH:

Given that I was writing about spaces that I see everyday, it wasn't too difficult to "visit" them to gain some inspiration. When writing these pieces, I tried to physically be in those rooms/places as to best immerse myself in the writing process. On the research end of things, I consulted a multitude of sources on and around this subject, primarily from online (the details of which are more thoroughly explored in the "significance & distinction" section above). The core idea of my project centers around how to/what changes our mind, and so, by extension, what changed mine?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

There's been a lot of hiccups, to say the least, as I've gone through the process of composing this final capstone for Arts Scholars. My sincere gratitude goes to Harold, Heather, and all of the Arts TAs that have helped to guide me, inspire me, and, most importantly, tell me everything's going to be okay. I have to extend additional thanks and gratitude towards Heather though—as my advisor for this semester, you've given me invaluable advice, guidance, and recommendations through out this whole process. I would not have a completed capstone today if it wasn't for you; thank you. I'd also like to thank the arts scholars community for welcoming me with open arms my freshman year in Fall 2018. I hope to continue to be involved in and supportive of this program and these people in the years to come.

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Finally, I'd like to thank all of the first-responders and those working on the front lines of this pandemic: Thank you. I think it's important to note that while I recognize my anxiety and emotions towards this situation are valid, I'm lucky enough to be home with my loved ones and in a financially stable situation. Below, I've attached a links to the CDC and WHO, so that we can continue to educate ourselves on this pandemic from our country and our world's top scientists and health experts.

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