El Final!

When I originally started this project, I was honestly at a loss. I’ve always been a creative person, but never had to come up with a “big picture” idea. I just would know exactly what I wanted to do and I’d make it happen. However, for this, I randomly started googling things that have a plethora of meanings. Finally, I stumbled upon--no, not actually on the website--the word “power”. There are many things that power could describe: love, comedy, leadership, strength. Furthermore, there are both positive and negative connotations of the word. With this in mind, I set to work with a positive spin on things.

I knew one of my pictures would have to do with sports--the power of muscles. Shawn Johnson, the olympic gymnast, is one of the strongest athletes I know given her size. So, I did a quick search of her on the vault, and voilà! I had my image. My second image is the power of laughter. When I find random pictures online, the funniest ones tend to be the photobombs, be it intentional or unintentional. Based on that, I found a picture of an awkward llama and a snowboarder because who the heck would expect that animal in a terrain park? My third image has to do with the power of love. I could’ve chosen the cliché pink tinted, hand holding, ooey gooey picture, but I put a different spin on it. I chose the most absolutely awkward picture that I own: 2 of my best friends and me at our 8th grade dance. It literally reeks of awkwardness. My take on this image was the fact that even though we were horribly nerdy and weird, we’ve stuck by each other through everything, even crazy college life!

Overall, as I look at these images, I realize that they depict my life, even through the lives of others. I’ve always been big on sports and strength, so Shawn Johnson seemed like the perfect person for that, especially because I was a gymnast myself. The snowboarding picture honestly just makes me laugh. My best friend and I always joke about how awkward llamas are, so the blending of that and my favorite thing in the entire world--snowbarding--seem to be the perfect culmination of these 2 ideas. The last thing truly is my life. My best friends and I love each other, even if we’re weird and crazy and pretty awkward looking. These 3 images portray not only the big idea “power”, but also myself!

Power

What is power? It can be a dictator seeking to rule all citizens in his land. It can be the power that a muscle has to propel one's self forward. Power also encompasses love, peace and happiness. The power of laughter is nothing short of astounding. Power is what brings people together and separates them. Power is also an incredibly fake, awkward advertisement for an energy drink. Power is what keeps my computer running.

With such a copious number of definitions, power is a very palpable topic. As a video editor, I find this medium the easiest to work with. Ironically, I have the power to make an amazing video with the power fed to my computer via electricity. Since I have an affinity towards sports, laughter and technology, I will work with these three aspects of the term. Power is necessary for life. Power is the focus of the project. Power is power.

To Lift

The two words assigned to me were "to shorten" and "to lift". Being the random person I am, I looked around my room and saw all of the products and items I use to do my hair. I thought for a second and realized that there is no better lift than the "Snooki Lift". Thus, my idea blossomed. I showed all of the tools and possible accessories necessary to create the look. I started with the basics of straightened hair, moved to the lifting tool--the brush--showed the necessary holding products and ended with any glam that could be added to make the style gaudy. The last pictures were added for the "final look". However, because it's such a different way to wear one's hair, I decided to make an awkward face to complete the photo!

Here's the link to the video!

My Life as a Superhero

At first glance, my photo may appear to just be a girl doing a handstand on top of Cloud Gate--more commonly known as "The Bean"--with no special powers. However, my ability is more of a personal thing. Since I was a gymnast, I know how important balance is, not just in my sport, but life in general. I would have the power to have perfect balance in my life and the world in general. For example, last week was very hectic for me, as i had multiple midterms and papers due. I tend to procrastinate, so with a little special power, I would've been able to do everything without a stress or care in my life. This power applies not only to physical things, but emotional, as well. One's attitude can really affect how one carries herself. A balanced set of emotions may very well be one of the most important aspects of my special powers. The world would be much more calm and peaceful because I would have the power to even out people's moods and cause many less conflicts!

I chose the location of my photo because I know how hectic life is in the City. Being in the Loop during rush hour can be a very emotionally charged thing. I across these 2 ideas after thinking for a while. Most people would choose the clichè flying or x-ray vision, but I wanted something unique. I thought back on things I'd done in my life and voila! I had my answer.