THE PROCESS
THE HICCUPS + ADJUSTMENTS
It's been a tumultuous semester (to say the least!), and I think it's important to outline how this capstone evolved into its final form. I hope this goes to show how much thought and growth went into and came out of this project, and to ensure that incoming arts scholars Sophomores know its okay to change your mind (and you probably will/should!). Below outlines the changes made, whether that be because of personal creative decisions, in response to the situation with COVID-19, research, and more.
Fall 2019
THE "BULLET-LIST"
Originally wanted to complete a "bucket-list" of sorts, related to personal growth and journaling about, and taking photogrpahs of, that experience. While I've deviated quite a bit from this original idea, remnants from this inspiration live on in the final series. Most Notably, the central idea of experiencing something new
Early February, 2020
MORE WRITING?
At this point, I'd completed a bunch of my bucket list items and figured out why I was doing my capstone (my intended impact). But it still felt too broad, too unfocused. I wanted to shift my "journaling" to works of fiction inspired by the spaces I was visiting. I decided that reducing the number of bucket-list items I originally planned to do allowed me the time to produce a short work of fiction in conjunction with visiting these new places.
Mid-February, 2020
THE "PEOPLE WATCHING" ADDENDUM
While I'd gotten some headway with my capstone, excited about the new "literature" edition, I still hadn't yet decided what the focus of these pieces would be. How can writing this prose help me better engage with these new environments? Then I thought about writing my works from the perspectives of other individuals at the places I'm visiting. The stories would be entirely fictional, but it would still be based off of real people, the stories inspired by the way they chose to engage with this space. It would allow me to configure how I experience these new spaces: being considerate of more perspectives than just my own.
Mid-March, 2020
REDEFINING "NEW"
It was right before spring break when the infamous COVID-19 caused the rest of our spring semester 2020 to move entirely online. The entire country—for the most part—has transitioned to working at home in an effort to combat the spread of this virus. A lot of anxiety followed the heels of this drastic change, which became the new focus, in a way, of my capstone. I could no longer "go out" to new places, but the places in my home, those rooms that had always held a distinct meaning, had suddenly taken on a new significance for me. And so the people-watching inspired pieces were replaced with what is now my final capstone: works of literature detailing these changes, in myself and related to my environment.
