Blog Post #3 - Describe a Challenging Experience Without Using The Verb "to be"

After my second violin lesson here at the University of Michigan, my private violin professor assigned me his best doctorate student to work with, take lessons from, and use as a mentor. She attended Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the best music school in the country, and moved here all the way from Korea at just fourteen years old. After asking a few freshman and my orchestra stand partner, a senior violinist in the School of Music who also takes lessons from my violin professor, if they found themselves experiencing this kind of intensity, I realized the answer. The senior looked at me with a crazy look on her face as I told her I had two lessons per week, with two different teachers, in addition to all of my classes and my personal practice time.


After reading this, I felt as though the story came alive, for there were no concrete feelings being portrayed using the conjugated 'be' verbs.

Tyree Guyton at UMMA

After hearing Tyree Guyton talk last Friday night, I felt inspired by his words that life is a journey. He used the metaphor of life being a rollercoaster, and that one wants to be able to look back and think what a good life that was.He encouraged the audience to go ahead and be crazy to the point where one really might completely fail. I also found it  amusing that him and his wife, Jenenne Whitfield, leave polka dots wherever they go. Especially the part of leaving a polka dot on an airplane. Such a simple concept of polka dots has now been taken to new extremes. These polka dots represent his art, which has put on places, such as houses, where not many people would have thought art belonged. He has changed the conceptions of what people think art is in this world.

I think back to the lady in the video played at the talk, and how she said that art belongs to be caged. Some people are just so against the possibility of art being free and in the real world. Even the neighbor on the block used to fight with Tyree and Jenenne all the time, but she was able to come around. Art has a way of moving people either for the better or the worse. Tyree Guyton definitely made his art unforgettable. He always kept all his stuff, even if they were too old for use. He took these old objects like dolls and shoes, and made art that is still being remembered decades later.

Sarah Blog Post #2

Describe a moment on campus without using the verb "to be": At Festifall, people were milling about everywhere. Other freshman looked for clubs to join, and upperclassmen shoved fliers in their faces, begging them to join their club. "Do you like to sing?" an acapella group member asked me. "Definitely not," I replied. I walked to the next booth. "Still don't like to sing?" a member of another acepella group inquiried, obviously having overheard the previous interaction. I walked away. I stopped by tables of all kinds, some because I kind of wanted to join the club, but some just because I wanted free stuff. I talked to a ton of people, and signed up for dozens of mailing lists, and I am currently trying to unsubscribe from most of them. Though I was interested by many things, nothing jumped out. I still don't know which other organizations to join. Using hedging to draw a conclusion: To me, this experience suggests that because I am interested in so many things, most of them about the same amount, I cannot decide when it comes to actually attending meetings. Perhaps I would find it helpful to consult an older, more knowledgeable student about this issue.

Becoming a Student Basketball Manager

Describe the Most Challenging Experience So Far at School 

Getting the job as a Student Basketball Manager proved extremely challenging. To begin, I had to first contact the head manager during the summer so that I could set up a meeting over the phone. After this phone meeting, I had to sit back and wait. I had to wait a couple of months until the actual application opened. Once opened, I quickly filled out the application - hoping to land this great opportunity. A week or two after I submitted the application, I eventually received a phone call asking me to stop by the Chrysler Center for an interview. As the managers would later tell me, I looked nervous, but spoke with confidence. Due to this confidence, they hired me and this four month journey had finally concluded. I achieved my goal of becoming a manager and I feel proud to announce that I will work for the basketball program this upcoming year. 

Hedging: Use Hedging to draw conclusions

This challenging endeavor suggests that people enjoy my personality. After the interview, the managers indicated that they enjoyed interviewing people with outgoing and amusing personalities. Also, becoming a manager might teach me about the true characteristics of a leader and a team player. 

Danny Ziegelman Blog #2

Blog #2

Most Challenging Experience So Far at School

Danny Ziegelman

September 29, 2015

I found my family’s departure as the most challenging experience so far as a college student.  My friends know me as a moma’s boy and my dad and I share a lot together.  They have always supported my endeavors and care for me like no one else.  Going to school scared me very much.  Who will care for me when I can’t?  I have to on my own.  Watching my dad drive off in the rain hurt a lot.  My tears could not be distinguished from the rain drops covering my body.  Watching my mom walk out my dorm room door and head back to Chicago hurt a lot too.  Luckily, I can rely on my best friend from home.

Using Hedging to draw a conclusion:

I feel an else sense of connection and loss when my family left.  I tend to be scared when I feel vulnerable.  I often overcome these obstacles, but the process seems impossible.  

In-class activity

Describe best/worst moment on campus so far without using any conjugation of the verb "to be"

Recognition came to my art when I decided to enter it into a contest.  I submitted a photo that represents what "light" means to me.  I received a notification this morning notifying me that my submission placed into the finalist category.  I feel proud of this because it's hard for me to communicate verbally, so having the ability to do so through my art ensures my ideas are finally visible to others.

Hedging 

This even suggests to me that people respond to beauty.  Photography, in my opinion, serves as a way to portray perceptions and emotions by capturing a snapshot of those perceptions and emotions in a tangible setting.  For example, on a particularly good day, I might feel lighthearted enough to want to remember it.  Therefore, I may decide to photograph that day's sunset as a visual representation of how I felt.

Podcast Reaction (Extra Credit?)

There were quite a lot of themes in this discussion, and I wanted to shed light on what I felt they meant in regards to how Tyree defines art.

The first theme is family.  That was stated by both T Hetzel and Tyree, respectively, illustrated specifically in these two phrases: 
 1. "Young people and children are a part of the Heidelberg Project." - T
 2. "It's like a great marriage.  You're listening and it's an exchange and I began to see color..." - Tyree
The second sentence was more of an elaboration, but Tyree's wording was really inspiring here.  His tone was whimsical and it told a story that was almost tangible.  My initial reaction made me think of the savants who claim they see colors.  Then I read into it further--Tyree might have been stating that he can see colors because of his marriage with his art.  It's interesting to think about.

Another theme I noticed was Tyree's communication with the world (the art world, the world of art, the world in general, etc).  All of the below were said by Tyree.  Again, these serve as a remarkable insight as to how Tyree defines art.  He equates it with God.
1. "Learn the purpose of wearing a lot of hats."  This sentence touches on some of the struggles Tyree must have faced.  Part of dealing with the public (or doing any sort of performance, really) is knowing your audience and what they respond to, even if that's not necessarily how you (the performer) is feeling.
2. "You're part of the art itself, putting a paintbrush in someone else's hand..."  This sentence relates to the last two, especially #3.  The act of teaching, not just showing, his audience about art really ensures that the Heidelberg Project will thrive.
3. "If I was to leave, it would live on..."  People are immortal in differing infinities--it depends on the impact they make on the people around them.  Tyree is making sure his name is one people will remember... well, at least, the name of his project.
4. "We're all connected, that's what I saw."  This sentence was, again, a really helpful way to understand Tyree's reasoning behind this project.  He believes that we are all the same, and that is very comforting to him.  He wants to impress his knowledge on his audience, which he does very well by (as shown in #2) allowing others to contribute to his pieces. 

The last phrase I want to talk about was the most moving sentence in the entire podcast.  "I spoke it into existence." This was said by Tyree rather vaguely--I took this to mean that he was discussing his project, his inspirations for it, his ideas in general, and his passion for art.  The artist is such a crucial aspect to any piece of artwork.  Without the artist, we are left guessing about their inspirations, actions, reasons, and passions.  Tyree knows his power, and that is amazing.

Tyree Guyton Live at UMMA

During Jenenne Whitfield’s introduction to the Heidelberg Project and to Tyree Guyton, she stated a quote by Joseph Beuys that really stuck out to me. Beuys states, “Every human being is an artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping the conditions, thinking and structures that shape and inform our lives.” This quote excites me because this is exactly what this project is trying to exemplify. The Heidelberg Project believes that everyone has a right to grow and to flourish not only as a human, but as an artist. Joseph Beuys also talks about the idea that art can shape and inform our lives. Art, as explained by Tyree Guyton, is truly a remarkable thing because it can change the world and can bring hope to a city that is in dire need of it. This is exactly what this project is doing for the city of Detroit. Although the Heidelberg project is based in a quiet neighborhood, the projects goals were to try and transform social relations through art, while still being upbeat and personal to human connections. This project has definitely attained these goals. It has also changed the perspective of people who disliked art, like Mrs. Bell. Now, these types of people are able to see art as something that can be advocated as a way of life instead of being a nuisance.

            As Tyree was explaining, art is a process, philosophy, and a lifestyle. It is not what people look at every day, yet rather art is what surrounds us. We are surrounded by art everywhere we look, whether we want to or not. Due to this reason, Tyree felt an obligation to create this project. He believed that this project was an artistic mission, not a spiritual one. Due to this artistic mission, the project has now served as a catalyst to begin the rebuilding of the reputation of Detroit. Instead of saying Detroit in a negative connotation, this project allows people to talk about Detroit positively and to have a reason to visit its remarkable beauty. This project has also been able to truly inspire people of all ages to succeed in life. An example of this was a kid named Justin who, by continuously going to this project when he was younger, is now a delighted senior in college. Stories like this one makes the Heidelberg project so special. It has been a thirty-year journey, filled with times of joy and times of sadness, but ultimately, it’s everlasting. Just as Tyree’s grandfather changed Tyree’s life by giving him a paintbrush and telling him to paint, Tyree now wants to change the world and the reputation of certain areas by inspiring every human being to see themselves as an “artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping conditions.”

Tyree Guyton on WCBN

Tyree Guyton is an artist on almost an ethereal level. Listening to him talk with T, it was clear that his mind is constantly expanding. He is always searching for a new perspective and a new statement. His comment right at the beginning about having a conversation with young people and the mutual learning experience that is gained from both parties was inspiring and empowering to us curious young people. It feels good to be seen as valuable even when you are not in the sphere of "the real world". My favorite part of the conversation was when T mentioned the opposition to his project and he said, "If you love something so much, nothing can stop it." He clearly has a deep passion for what he is doing and creating.
On top of his love for it, Tyree has a positive outlook on his project, despite the struggles he's gone through the past couple decades with the city of Detroit. He says, "You have to get to a point of consciousness where you can make lemonade with no lemons." He lives with this incredible idea that you control your own happiness and everything bad that happens is necessary to make you think.
I also thought it was interesting to hear about his travel. I wasn't aware of anything he'd done besides the Heidelberg project. His opinion on travel and going new places to experience new cultures align closely with mine and I was charmed to hear his genuine love for people and life in general. He exudes this curious light that washes over an observer, whether you witness his art of his words. As he says, "We are all connected." Our humanity defines us, whether it is a restriction or a release from imprisonment is for each person to decide.
Several times, Guyton mentions some nonsensical mathematical equations as being an integral part of the Heidelberg Project. The idea of 2+2=8 seems to stand for the idea that the world doesn't make sense all the time and art gives us a sphere to define these moments outside the realm of "sense".
It's a fascinating flip of need to know and unknown.
I'm really looking forward to observing his art next weekend and applying what I've learned about the project and Tyree Guyton himself to viewing his creations. I think it will be a learning experience for me, especially regarding my perceptions of Detroit.

Tyree

Tyree Guyton Extra Credit

Danny Ziegelman

September 26, 2015

Art is much more than paint on a canvas.  Our conventional society has been conditioned to accept art in a certain way, but Tyree Guyton cuts right through that.  The way Tyree puts it, art can change the world.  The purpose of the Heidelberg Project is to cause impact and as a result, transform on the neighborhood.  The polkadots (the symbol of universality and inclusion) are a staple of the project core.  Tyree’s canvas is ever-changing as his art is constantly developing.  Art is an enterprise, a philosophy, and lifestyle.  A lifestyle that has altered the very identity of Detroit and Heidelberg street.  Tyree has turned his environment into his canvas. For thirty years, the Heidelberg Project has questioned the nature of power and transformed the social relations in the Detroit community.  The goal of the project is to promote art education in Michigan public schools, promote art as a catalyst to help rebuild a community, and advocate art a way if life.  

My impression of the discussion was that its controversy speaks volumes to the impact that its had on the Detroit community.  Janine (the executive director of the Heidelberg Project) discussed how the project has the power to transform one’s life.  She came to Heidelberg street on accident and is a living testament of the project’s vibrancy.  I found Tyree’s work inspiring and feel that it should serve as a jumping point for future artists in all communities.  

A Thirty Year Journey

I listened to T Hetzel's interview with Tyree Guyton and it gave me food for thought. At the beginning, Hetzel asked Tyree what brought him to the moment that he decided to start the Heidelberg project. He replied that he just heard some beautiful voice that gave him vision, began to understand what space is and eventually found his way. When being asked about how he faced all kinds of challenges, he joked that he was actually against the whole world. But his strong passion for art enabled him to struggle. He said, "If you love something, nothing can stop it...You need opposition. You have to go through something. You have to pay the price. It makes you. It shapes you and all in a sudden you create a masterpiece."

In the interview, Tyree also talked about his experience in other countries. He has travelled to many other places and now has a studio in Shenzhen, China. As a public artist, he regards meeting people and being exposed to new cultures as part of his life and inspiration for his creation. He found many things that were universal and connected.

From the interview, I knew more about the Heidelberg project as well as his life experience. He controls the life, not let it control him. Growing from a poor kid to a famous artist, he changes people's common concept of art and art also changes his horizon, his mind and his life.

48207 - Detroit (A Thirty Year Fight)

"Art is a process, philosophy, and a lifestyle". This statement, presented in the beginning of the lecture, outlines the thinking behind the Heidelberg Project and this presentation: Tyree Guyton and the Heidelberg Project: A Thirty Year Journey. At the start of the lecture, the Heidelberg Project was described as a 'surprising interlude in the sparsely populated area', and a place that embodied sustainability, spirituality, and hope. Three specific ideas were shared and promoted to the audience of this lecture, and were included in what Janine, the project's executive director, called 'Heidelbergology': 1) Abstract Advocacy through Art. 2) The idea that Art is a medicine. 3) The notion that Art is a catalyst for change.  Janine advocates art as a way of life, and not a frill. The project hopes to transform social relations through art, and spread the idea that everyone has a right to grow and flourish. In many ways, the project has already done just that. Stories of how children of the area have been positively affected by the project were shared, and specific examples of success stories were told to prove that 'art is a catalyst for change'. 

The controversies regarding the Heidelberg project were briefly discussed. As far as Janine, Tyree, and other supporters of The Heidelberg Project were concerned, the project is "a fashionable issue for the city to mask all their other issues". The projects attracts over 275,000 visitors per year, and 140 of the 196 countries in the world have been represented. The project is seen as a community anchor, and at this point, has become too big and too global to be stopped. 

Guyton, as he spoke, asked the audience: "What is art today? What is creativity today?" His own questions were answered within the lecture - art is a heightened humanitarian attitude. Art is what you look at, not what surrounds you. Art emphasizes the question of power. The Heidelberg Project inhibits all of these qualities, and its very existence is changing what we know about art, and what we know about the world today.

Tyree Guyton @HH

Some of Tyree Guyton's art is exhibited at Haven Hall right now on the ground floor if anyone is interested in looking. I think it's part of the opening of his exhibit at UMMA.

Yuxin Xuan Blog 2

We read Shaun Tan's The Arrival last week. It is a wordless novel and tells a story about an immigrant who comes to an imaginary world which sometimes resembles our own. He meets all kinds of problems, including language barrier, looking for accommodation and buying things in a market. Some scenes are difficult to understand, but I can feel the contrast of his feelings when he first comes to the new place and when he meets helpful strangers. We may experience similar pain or joy in our life and so the book can strike a responsive chord in readers' hearts.

Stream of Consciousness in Writing

As we have been reading works of writing by Annie Dillard and and experimenting with our  own points of view and stylistic narratives, I have started to ponder how stream of consciousness as a technique in writing can affect one's paper. I notice how it can be very accommodating in expressing vivid details and allowing a writer to elaborate on a point in ways that make it seem natural even if it is a little arduous for the reader to grasp. In any way that stream of consciousness is utilized there must be a nice balance between concrete details and over establishing a point the writer is trying to make.  No reader wants to sit and be bored to death with nonsensical details that are unrelated and confusing. I hope to experiment with stream of consciousness in my writing to develop a sense of balance in my writing that can be both expressive and deliberate.

Palmer Field Observation

As I sit on this hill I notice how the grass moves in a fine tune with the trees and the clouds, It brings a soothing feeling to my mind. It is a beautiful place we live on, the earth that is. The components of this earth have changed the face of humanity for the better, and yet we still don't give it the credit it deserves. How can we ignore something so marvelous and genuine? I look up at the clouds and watch as they move in perfect harmony with the trees around it and I can't help but breathe in its beauty and listen to it's beat. The wind sweeps across my face and as I watch it grace the skin of others I can't help but wonder why they don't appreciate it as much as I do. Why must we feel the need to disturb it's peace when all it does is continue to provide that very feeling for us. Our planet creates lives, our planet destroys them, the earth is powerful and beautiful. As I sit on this tree stump and watch the bodies move across this field I wonder if they too stop and take a moment to appreciate this marvelous planet that we live on.

Reaction to Dillard's "Seeing"

My favorite author is Patrick Rothfuss, and I've always admired the way he's able to string words together in a meaningful way.  We talked a bit about how there can be too many words in a piece (for instance, in the introduction of Knittel's "A Crack In The Sidewalk"), but Rothfuss never seemed to have that problem.  In fact, I've tried to write like he does, using an abundance of pretty words in an effort to describe something.  I know I fall short, and my writing can be confusing (and over-seasoned).  But after reading and discussing Dillard, I have some more insight on how to fix that problem. 

Dillard's writing made us feel without explicitly telling us what we were supposed to feel.  I like to be able to control everything in my writing, and that might be part of the reason I like to write so vaguely - just so I'm the only one who knows exactly what I'm saying.  Dillard's confidence is inspiring, and her execution is flawless.  It was really helpful to me to see other examples of beautiful writing.  Now instead of just having Rothfuss as an inspiration, I also have Dillard.

Palmer Field Description

I didn't get to finish this, but this was from class a couple days ago.   


      I sat down and went still, giving the world the chance it needed to be seen.  It commanded my attention with the way it moved, my perch on Palmer Field proving to be an excellent vantage point from which to see it dance.
      The grass fluttered in the whispering wind.  Delicate emerald blades taunted me with their unassuming grace, the way they swayed made me painfully aware of my inability to join them.  Pedestrians dotted the expanse like ants, acting as a partner, of sorts, in this performance.
      By definition, nature does not get along with the city.  Plants are, for the most part, erased with molten concrete.  Birdsong is drowned out by the monotonous drone of construction and the screeching of sirens.  Even the air loses its buoyancy, cluttering our lungs with smog.
      Here, though, there appears to be a rare balance between these two extremes.  If you allow yourself to go still - to really absorb the nature in Ann Arbor - there are lines of symmetry that become apparent.  The human-ants march upright across the bridge in front of me, their constant movement paralleled with that of the cars underneath.  The snaking road is remarkably iridescent with artificial dye and bright eyes.  Skin glows pale in the afternoon radiance as students and insects alike make their way to their respective destinations. 
      Closer to where I'm stationed on the hillside, others are scattered in spaces of their own.  They break the rich green of the grass ocean with their talking hands and bowed heads. 

Skylar's Grass Blog

Hey guys!  I talked a bit in class today about how I wanted to work on focusing more on the many ways to look at a single object rather than the many things going on around me so here is my go at it!  It was actually pretty fun, I kinda wonder what else I might have noticed if I had been able to stay for longer then ten minutes.  Anyhow.. here it is:

There it stands.  Shivering in the warm sunlight, it's surrounded by friends but their support does not extend to protection from the barreling gusts of wind.  Its quivering intensifies to be a whirlwind of green.  An inverted tire swing being shoved around by the childish breeze.  The slender blade isn't one I had noticed before but now I can't look away.  A dark line slithers its way up the object forming a perfect crease down the middle.  Where one would expect to find an emerald point, a beige staggering lid is placed atop, dead after yesterday's trimming.

Mary Kate Kemp Blog #1

I can hear the drilling in the background, but for once that does not annoy me. It is something about the peace surrounding me in this imaginary bubble that  makes the work instruments sound like home. My seat is green and wet in the grass, and quite delightful. I look around and see a sight to me that is unusual. Here surrounding me sits college students silently, continually, and individually enjoying the smiles of earth. Here I am sitting down appreciating that I have ten minutes to take in the small but mighty breeze, to look at the seemingly empty yet wholesome field ahead of me. Students need this, a break that allows them to just look around and relax, to look around and write. It is ridiculously easy to run from class to class without hearing or seeing anything. My day would be a lot less exciting if I did not get to admire the construction happening in front of me. Why? Because I found peace in something many do not. 

Eva A-L's blog post #1

Hints of sapphire glimmer in the shadows on rounding crags of chipped sidewalk. Unlike a well-loved coffee mug chipped from use, the sidewalk lays forgotten and tread upon by students. Only noticed when the edge of ones boot collide with the sharp separations of squares of sidewalk. We are but pack mules only noticing what obstructs our path to the destination, unable to notice the minuscule imperfections of magic that the world holds.

            Where the natural meets the unnatural, umber dirt yields to cement. One soft and malleable permits life to flourish; the other hard, unyieldingly sharp. Yet sidewalks erode like anything else. All things do yield.

Why We Buy thoughts

Reading Underhill's "The Twilight Zone" reminded me of when I walk into my favorite store, Kholes. The space around the entrance is men's clothing, which I usually just walk through. Now I wonder if this was done on purpose, as most clothing shoppers are woman and therefore has no need for he men's section unless buying a gift. That way the customers doesn't pass items they might buy,

Sarah Blog Post #1

The path circles around, a continuous smudge of charcoal. Grass, drying out in the sun and blowing violently in the wind, fills the center. The slope where the two meet disappears into the parched dirt. Beyond this, patches of trees tremble, their branches shaking, leaves losing control. Trembling trees cast trembling shadows on the tired grass. Any sense of tranquility is broken by the tall, dark walls of chain link, and interrupted by looming structures.

Lyndsey Covert Blog Post #1

      There are sunglasses hooked on my shirt and I leave them there so the light might sting my eyes a bit. I see the clover’s stocky leaves turn from the gossip of a frolicking wind. The blades of grass cannot resist but listen, responding shock and awe to the sharp angles of buildings as soon as they tilt their heads back. They left a stump, a tree not good enough to make the proverbial cut, instead making the literal one. My eyes, squinting beneath the cloudless rays, reconstruct a tree with branches named Grace, a tree with all the slender movement of a dancer. I see no reason to understand how the grass might grasp my calves, had trampling feet like mine not left it to petty words exchanged with fickle winds. That being said, they are not so easily convinced as the golden strands of me, spun like Rumpelstiltskin’s prize; sometimes it feels like I was coerced into existence, when the worms squirming beneath need nothing more than to be. My mind is empty besides the secrets shared between leaves of trees more worthy than my stump, trees that feel the Earth more completely than I could in bare feet with my toes burrowed into sand. I bow to trees with trunks like awkward ankles, knobs knocking together in a rhythm only imagined, never heard. In the distance the students move, ants on scent trails with mindless, restless thumbs; gossiping wind whisks us away same as the tittering grass. I want to stay grounded but even the ground walks these days. Buried steam carries me from presence into precedence, always fitting “most important” into boxes and stacking them. I’d chose a still moment and grass tickling my shins over destination. At least I’d like to think I would. I love the bark that leaves my eager hands rubbed raw, all because I wanted a better view of nothing in particular. Still, I’d sit and listen to the slander of the wind at that altitude because who am I to say what is true?

Evan Wolfe Blog Post Regarding Jamaal May's Poem "There Are Birds Here."

When I was reading the poem by Jamaal May, I was quickly intrigued by the boy that he writes about. Although we had not discussed this in class, does anyone think that he tried to bring himself into this poem? I believe that when Jamaal was describing the boy from Detroit, he was picturing himself. I am beginning to think that he thought back to his own childhood when talking about the normal smile the boy had and the beautiful city that the boy was raised in. Obviously, as everyone should, Jamaal takes offense when people talk rudely about his city and because of this, he felt an obligation to describe his own upbringing in his poem. What are everyone else’s thoughts?