Blog Post #1: Introduction

Hi there! I’m Liz- I am a Communication Design major turned Illustration major as of last year. As an illustrator, I prefer working with graphic and bold styles, especially those involving line work. Pen and ink, as well as acrylic, are a few of my favorite mediums to work with. I’m also quite passionate about design and communication arts. Outside of my art “work” in my free time, I like to partake in painting, sewing, building things in wood shop, printmaking, music making (and listening), and organizing. I’m someone who enjoys a good, visual creative challenge. I also enjoy traveling and exploring places, new and old. Overall, I’m still a kid in an adult’s body who just happens to like (and be pretty good at) art.
 
My relationship with writing has been a bit rocky. As a child, I loved to write, especially in creative forms, and I was often told I was good at it. Towards the end of my high school career I started to struggle with reading, and I was diagnosed with a convergence insufficiency (brought on by stress, apparently). This means that my eye muscles refused to “sync” together, causing symptoms similar to that of dyslexia, accompanied by double vision, headaches, and eye pain. Because of this, I could not effectively read (or write, for that matter) for months. I’ve slowly been regaining my writing and reading ability over the years, but reading can still be difficult and strenuous to me. And writing is no exception, as the two usually go hand in hand. Because of this, I kind of have a love-hate relationship with writing today.
 
Two things come to mind when I think about how someone interprets something. Firstly, I think context, what background the subject is presented against, is the most important. This background can very easily be manipulated and changed to determine how the subject is to be viewed (this is also called the framing effect in psychology). Second, I believe the personal background and individual experience of the viewer can also change how someone interprets something. Much like a Rorschach inkblot test, the viewer’s own thoughts and experience will ultimately be projected onto the subject. I’m sure there are many more factors that go into how someone interprets something, but those are the two main ones that come to mind.
 
I’m very interested in this idea of perception – and how it can change based on experiences, place, or background. My perception has recently had a major shift; I’ve been inspired a lot by my study abroad trip to Glasgow, Scotland this past summer. At the moment (post-Glasgow), I think I’m most fascinated by comparing places - recognizing similarities as well as differences between familiar and foreign spaces. I’d also like to tell a story from an interview– perhaps someone’s personal experience? I’m quite open to whatever comes my way, but those are three main subjects I think I’ll gravitate towards writing about throughout the course.