writing

IAH 206 Spring 2021 Final project and paper THE BASICS: This is an individual project (with some group elements) in which each person will experiment with a range of positive responses to the limitations imposed by the current health crisis (which has disrupted our classes and almost every other institution and everyday activity). The goal is to experiment with activities that can be done in a constrained environment/conditions that have potential to either embody a creative response to challenging circumstances or just to lift your spirit in some way. Ideally, it may also have the effect of helping you identify those activities that help strengthen your creative practices. EXPERIMENT:

Each week for the rest of the semester experiment with one or two strategies for sustaining your creative life (or an activity that just makes you feel less stressed and more calm/centered). If possible, find some research or even anecdotal evidence (based on written or verbal personal accounts or descriptions from other people) that supports, describes, explains, or speculates on the effects of the activity (for example, the article from the beginning of the semester, “Want to be More Creative, Take a Walk”). Keep a journal that records your activities and observations which will help later when you write your reflective essay. (The journal is informal and not turned in.) DUE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28

Here are some possibilities to consider (internet based options are OK but try to limit the number of these and to focus more on active or off-line strategies):

1) There are 3 required experiments (tech break, bug list, and group game creation) that I will provide descriptions for over the next few weeks.

2) Find at least one technique, strategy, or tool from Creative Habit (Tharp) or Creative Confidence (T & D Kelley) to try.

3) Participate in (either as an audience member or maker) an artistic product (produce or engage with music, visual arts, performance, create a play list that you find calming or energizing, etc.).

4) Go for a walk either in a natural area or a more urban area and slow down and more closely observe patterns, colors or things that you ordinarily might rush past. For example, if you are walking in a natural area stop to closely examine things like mushrooms, mosses, fallen or budding leaves, bark, etc.. See this article on potential health effects: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/health/nature-outdoors-health.html

If you are walking in a more urban area, look for unusual or interesting architectural features like linear patterns, sculptural forms, or other features (see this glossary of architectural features for things to look for: https://ny.curbed.com/2013/4/16/10253358/a-glossary-of-common-architectural-features-and-terms ).

Take a picture or make a sketch of things you find visually interesting or try to notice what the forest or a rain storm smells like in spring.

5) Create a face mask or decoration, or a sculpture using inexpensive or free materials. See this article on using Paper Mache techniques: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/at-home/diy-masks-for- halloween.html

6) Spend time on a playful activity. See this article for some suggestions on adult forms of play: “How to Add More Play to Your Grown-Up Life, Even Now,”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/smarter-living/adults-play-work-life- balance.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Smarter%20Living

7) Engage in a problem-solving activity or hack (e.g., problem-solve an aspect of the current health crisis, like designing an alternative to face masks to effectively filter air or strategies for how MSU could safely expand the number of spaces for classes to meet, etc.). See this article on examples of creative methods being used in K-12 classrooms: “Classrooms Without Walls” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/us/outdoor-classroom- design.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

8) Engage in physical activity (dog walking; creating an informal labyrinth with leaves, snow, or garden twine; modifying a sports activity you love but can’t participate in the way you usually do). See this site for labyrinth design: https://www.instructables.com/Build-a-Backyard-Labyrinth/

9) Do some personal research (look up several articles) on something you are curious about or an interest area that is completely outside of your class assignments (that is, something you are interested in that does not have immediate usefulness). This could be almost anything. For example, a place you’d like to travel to someday; a technology that interests you; a favorite author or songwriter; an era of history that you’d like to know more about; a hobby or artistic pursuit or scientific question you’ve always wondered about, etc.)

10) Bake or cook something more complicated or different than usual (create or try a new recipe, make dinner for your family or roommates, experiment with new ingredients, etc.).

11) Modify what would usually be a face-to-face interaction to creatively deal with social distancing guidelines (e.g., create a virtual dinner party with your friends, find a way to go for a walk with a friend or to play a game while maintaining a safe distance, etc.). See some ideas here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/04/insider/tips-coping-at- home.html?action=click&module=At%20Home&pgtype=Homepage

12) Find a safe way to interact with a neighbor (especially one who is isolated) or play with young relatives or the kids on your block while maintaining social distancing (maybe charades or a distanced “Frozen Statues” or “Follow the Leader”). Or volunteer with a group that is actively and safely problem-solving issues related to the pandemic (like the food bank or a group making PPE for medical workers or others who need it).

DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF TO THESE SUGGESTIONS. THEY ARE JUST AS A STARTING POINT FOR YOUR OWN IDEAS AND MODIFICATIONS. IF YOU COME UP WITH OR RUN ACROSS AN IDEA OR ACTIVITY YOU THINK OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CLASS MIGHT WANT TO TRY, EMAIL ME A DESCRIPTION AND I WILL ADD IT TO THE D2L SITE.

TURN IN:

Write a 5-7 page reflective and descriptive paper on your experiments. Possible questions to consider: What alterations did you make to activities to fit within current health limitations? What new things did you try? Were there activities that had longer lasting positive effects for you? What worked or might be something you’d continue to practice in the future? Did anything you tried lift your mood or lead to more creative thinking? (Feel free to include photos, drawings, diagrams, maps, etc. in your paper.)