Week 9:
Fresh start

Wednesday:

Well I’ll start by saying that on Tuesday night I was really looking forward to getting back to normal, I was feeling well and, surprisingly, was looking forward to getting back to college. No apprehension what so ever.

Wednesday morning comes, feel awful, typical.
Anyway, I got to college for what I thought was early, only to find that I was one of the last in! Oh the dedication! Steve should be so proud.

Walking into class felt a little ‘unnatural’, for want of a better word. I couldn’t sit with my previous peer group, Mirhad and Rich, as we’d been given new peer groups. It was awful, I could of quite easily told Steve no and that I was sitting in my normal place. I needed to be next to people I was close to, for some silent reassurance. I really like everyone in our group and I genuinely mean that, but when you’re feeling vulnerable, it’s like you just want someone to shield you and I would have got that from Mirhad and Rich. Sitting with someone new means you’ve got to hold your own and I really wasn’t in the mood.
I said nothing and went to sit with my new ‘Gamma’ group which consisted of Scott and Chris.

Two full-size smiles staring at me as I found a seat and sat down. Instead of making me comfortable it made me want to cry! I wanted to cry because they seemed pleased to see me and have me in their group, I might be deluded but that’s what I took it as. Pulling my chair up to form an odd circle with my peers, Chris asked “how are you feeling?” I had to swallow quickly as to not make it obvious that now I nearly was crying. Simple words when I was so fragile meant a lot.
I realise the above paragraph sounds a little like I’m writing a novel, but I wanted to point out that I notice the little things people do, and the few seconds in which all that happened, made me forget I was feeling shit and made me want to come back the next day.

First thing we were given the A3 assignment and talked through it. It seemed, like the previous assignment, quite self explanatory. Once I’d got to grips with what it was actually asking, like the last one, I was looking forward to it. I said that in the 2nd week and look what happened there!

After digesting it, each group were allocated a small part of one of the questions on the assignment. Ours was to name the 7 main internal computer components. I contributed one I think and had to ask Chris and Scott what most of them were. It didn’t make me feel stupid and I don’t know if it was because I don’t get embarrassed easily or because they didn’t make feel stupid when they answered me?!?!

When I got home I did some self study and worked off the back of enthusiasm for the assignment. I collected some wallpaper patterns and put them in my sketch book to explain why I liked them. I also did some further research into the project and thought of ways I could expand on the ideas given to me in the assignment.
I spent around 3 hours on and off (mostly on) completing my self study.
I went to bed feeling satisfied, but then couldn’t sleep for idea’s circling around in my head. A good thing I suppose but not on Thursday morning!!


Thursday

I was extremely tired on Thursday morning due to lack of sleep! I dragged my ass out of bed and got into college early again. I had to get in early to print off the A4 assignment, which should have been done the night before and would have been if my computer would work properly! Makes me tremendously angry to say the least!!!

Most people were in again when I got there even though it was only 8.40. Half of them were also printing off the assignment because they’d forgotten, so I wasn’t on my own. In the end Scott printed off mine for me.

Note to self: IOU 4 prints Scott

Before we went through the assignment we were presented with a question “What’s the difference between an artist and a designer?” It wasn’t phrased exactly like that but I can’t remember exactly how it was phrased. Our argument was that a designer thinks commercially where as an artist does it for them self. I also think the clue is in the name: a designer is the name of a job, a career where as an artist suggests a hobby. Then you could also argue that opinion is derived from opinion. In all honesty I don’t think there is an answer, only opinion.

We were also given a lecture on digital images. I really enjoyed it and got to grips with it straight away. The terms were explained and the reasons behind them.
We were then asked to research The Designers Republic work and to try and get to grips with their style. I really liked their work and I’m looking forward to ‘dissecting’ two of their pieces as part of the assignment.

Later in the afternoon we had our peer meeting with Steve. I don’t think our group got to the point where we were talking about what was intended. What we did say though, was that we weren’t happy with how our sketch books and the fact we had to combine creative work with written and sketchy work. We suggested having one for written and one for creative. Steve’s argument was that, when it was all together in one, he was able to see development as he flicked through. I looked at one of the previous students work and I could see his point. My own point was that it was different to the way I was used to doing things and I couldn’t look back in my sketch book see any order, and that annoys me.
I suppose we’ll see what Steve decides, either way I don’t mind.
I left college happy, and, freezing cold! Winters here!
Sorry about the length of this blog, I had a lot to say, as usual!!

Note to self: Make blogs shorter!