Week 6

Thinking Tool: Coffee

I only drink coffee once or twice a week, but when I do, it amazes me. My thought process in a sense is completely heightened, and I can flow much quicker through my thoughts. At times, a good quality cup is extremely helpful in getting through classes and seminars, and helps me stay focused. At other times, when I drink it too often, the caffeine makes me too anxious and instead of helping my thought flow, hinders it by overshooting. It amazes me how so many people all over the world depend on coffee to think. It is the fuel that drives people to work, that wakes them up and allows them to function. We all know that coffee is addictive, and is  drug that much of the world is on. After crude oil, coffee is the most sought commodity in the world,  and over half of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee everyday. (http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-the-coffee-industry-2011-11).

 

Fresh Coffee Beans

 

In Bits of Life, the question is raised, “…how do digital technologies affect acts of cultural memory?” (115). I also wonder how the various drugs and foods we intake affect acts of cultural memory, and specifically how coffee affects our cognitive function. I also wonder how the foods and drinks that civilizations ingest affect their cultural memory, and the art that they make. Coffee is an integral part to so many lives on earth, not only for drinking but also living, and it must have a huge impact on our individual thinking processes, as well as the collective.

I remember harvesting and roasting coffee beans in northern Thailand on a farm, and it was a beautiful experience. It felt really good to be a part of this process, and familiarize myself with the labor involved. Something many people may not know is that you can eat the berries, and making delicious jams is the best way to eat them (in my opinion). The oils that contain the caffeine are also in the fresh berries, and can get your really amped through just touching them and rubbing your hands in the berries for awhile.

Jewelry That Speaks

Week 7

Word count: 210

Font: wordpress font

“Played out on the global stage, the history of ornament is a many-faceted drama of creation and renewal, remembering and forgetting.” (Trilling,104)

“Artists (Paleolithic) did not make their own media, but accepted what nature gave to them…the creative process began with found materials.” (Trilling, 93)

“We live in worlds of the mind, in which the material and the mental, as well as the experienced, remembered  and imagined, completely fuse into each other” (Pallasmaa, 127)

“Does thought lie in the interaction between brains, bodies and objects in the world, or in the correspondence of material flows and sensory awareness wherein consciousness to recall the words of Deluze and Guattari, is the ‘thought of the matter-flow’ and material the ‘correlate of this consciousness’…?” (Ingold, 98)

“Humans and their and their artifacts grow organically into large complex systems characterized by cycles of growth, blooming and dying off…There is no plan behind it all. These are natural processes.” (Gast, 67)

I have ideas for my jewelry design. I want to make a necklace with a wood long centerpiece that I carve either a pictorial story or sanskrit letters across. I also want to make more beads out of paper, of written text that I value and love. I want the beads to hang off the necklace in a way that you can unwrap the beads and be able to read the text.I want this piece to actually tell a story, concept or idea. I connect this with ornament being a “global stage…many-faceted drama of creation and renewal” (quoted and cited above). 

I want my jewelry to literally speak to the audience, to make the cognitive connection between ornament and language. This piece would be wearable as well as readable, and plays with the boundaries between accessories, gathering information and communication. I haven’t found anything quite like this online, and am starting to draw sketches. I have not decided want I want my jewelry to say, but I may go to a used book store, or thrown out magazine for inspiration.

I am very inspired by the Egyptian style of jewelry, especially for the wood centerpiece. I think the the pictorial forms and symbols in Egyptian art communicates powerfully.

egyptian_jewelry_item_museum

Yoga Class and Trip to Portland!

This began with my first yoga class at Evergreen! A couple people came, which was excellent for how long our advertisements have been out. I received positive feedback, and have been getting regulars since. This is such a great outlet for me to hone my teaching skills while deepening my knowledge of yoga. The yoga team has been so great and supportive, and we will continue having classes and starting on budget proposals.

On friday I visited Portland for the first time. I was amazed at the energy and artisanal culture. I was only there for the day, so I was limited in my explorations, but the strong community was apparent and back-to-roots outlook was visible.  It was really inspiring to see the presence of small businesses and how they seem to flourish much more compared to the rest of the USA. It is a place I will be visiting more often. In Portland I saw a band play called Lettuce.  They are a funk instrumental band, who are known for their awesome shows and fantastic music. A group called Break Science opened for them, who played digital dance music with a live drummer (the drummer from Lettuce). It w

This is a picture of our first partner yoga class!!!!!
partner yoga classI found this picture in Portland and thought it was hilarious. It amazes me how people play with yoga and how many forms it can take.IMG_1957