Julia Pott - Your World Only Better - Task Four

Task Four - Choose three themes to focus on

The next task is to choose three themes to focus on. For event or item based themes I have chosen jumpers, lonely animals and Agoraphobia. For the emotion based themes I have chosen loneliness, fear and embarrassment. These are the themes I have been drawn to the most when doing external research, and the feelings I have experienced the most recently. Although these don't match my own personal visual diary, I have chosen to document only good experiences to look for visual references to contradict and juxtapose with the feelings I may be having.

Julia Pott - Your World Only Better - Task Three

Task Three: Research everything

Like the second task, I chose to keep a visual diary where I could collect all the images that interested me here on this pinterest mood board.
http://www.pinterest.com/iambambiwillow/narratives-workshop/
Below I have chosen a few, both illustrative and photographic, that caught my eye the most, and a small description underneath why.

Illustration

I really liked the monster/creature outside almost acting like a hidden force which makes you just roll back in bed and hide from the world. For me this links more to how I feel when my agoraphobia is at its worst, rather than it relating to coldness.

When you are scared to leave the house or have social anxiety, I have found that I communicate more on the phone or via the internet, so this image stood out to me. I really like how oversized it is in relation to her. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I love objects in unusual sizes, and to me this looks as if being on the phone is a burden or at least a bit stressful.

This image I found really funny at first, because this is what I used to do myself when I was younger, but then it made me feel strangely sad. I think it's because whoever is underneath can't move their arms (or at least they are very limited) and they are unable to see/hear/smell under the hood. This limitation reminds me of how I've felt with both depression and agoraphobia, that I am unable to escape, but it is easier and safer just hidden away.

As I mentioned in my last post I really like it when animals are dressed as humans (not only when they are humanised and anthropomorphic). I have a slight obsession with panda bears, and I especially love that this one is wearing a jumper and is blushing. Lots of my friends know me for my love of the animal and say in another life I must have been one, so this could be an interesting link for my animation.

I was really drawn to this image as it relates not only to memory, but also nostalgia and old technologies which were around when I was really young. It also reminds me of the film 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', for some reason.

Photography

This image really interested me, as the trees inside are as they were before, however the outer edge of the tree borders have been trimmed back into straight edges, showing an organised madness. It also could show how someone feels confused and jumbled inside, but from the outside it looks organised and together.

Sea cows, or as I know them manatees, are one of the most gorgeous creatures, and I love this image for the child's reaction and the look of wonder and amazement. I have a fascination with seeing animals in real life, but have never had the chance to see any in the wild other than British wildlife like deer. This 'behind bars' theme keeps cropping up.

I love jumpers, and when I feel scared or nervous I put on a small jumper to feel as if someone is giving me a reassuring hug. I love these patterns all together too, and really appreciate the autumnal and Nordic feel to them all. 

I love the colours and framing of this photograph, and like the image of myself in the last blog post, I love how this lady is staring in adoration. This brings back the childhood qualities of amazement and ore for history.

Jelly shoes were every 90's child's first choice in footwear, and I love how this image is of young adults reconnecting with their past. I also love how the two ladies are wearing matching clothes, which reminds me of myself with my sister when I was younger. The colour tones are also really soft and beautiful.

Julia Pott - Your World Only Better - Task Two

Task 2: Personal research ~ Keep a diary 

Julia suggested looking at how Rookie present their ideas in a diary style format, with collages and snippets of writing, mixed with larger text pieces.

I however decided to document in a completely visual way, and collected photos which interested me, that either I took or that someone else took of me. So below are these photos, with a short piece of writing under each describing the photo and what it means to me.

Visual Diary ~ Photo's I have taken or people have taken of me

Petting animals is fun. Especially when they are friendly and don't bite.

First time my immediate family met my boyfriends immediate family. We celebrated Chris', Mark's and my birthday. I was so nervous that they wouldn't get along and worried about it for months before hand and I still worry now, seven months later, that it was just luck and it will all mess up.

I love this photo so much. I am waiting for warm donuts.

Imitating statues is hilarious, especially when people are watching you and the wind is really strong and you might blow away any second.

This has to be the biggest block of cheese I have ever seen. I love strange sized items, which are either overly massive or teeny tiny. Something a bit weird about it.

Since being a little child I have had an interest in dinosaurs, I hadn't seen any dino bones in over a year when this picture was taken without me realising. I look oddly like an engrossed child, which I think is really interesting, when adults show their childlike qualities.

Fed donkeys for the first time since I was really little. I loved how calm they made me feel, but the little shetland pony was really naughty and kept head butting the donkeys out the way to get to the food which really upset me. I didn't like how it got away with it and the donkeys just let it happen.

For the last year I have been really interested in becoming a beekeeper, and on one hot summers day I was helping Chris put washing out on the line, and afterwards put the laundry bag over my head and ran around pretending to snuggle all the bees.

I found some skittles at the bottom of the vending machine and someone had left their change in the machine too. Small little things which cheer you up momentarily.

I love unexpected visits from my best friend Derrian. This is us on Valentines day where we ran into my bedroom whilst her boy friend slept on my sofa, and we just sat giggling and telling each other silly stories and hugged and wrestled.

Nostalgia. It is so weird to listen to music which brings you back to an old memory of being young. I went to Pixar in concert where an orchestra plays a selection of songs from Pixar soundtracks. The most moving was Finding Nemo where I remembered watching it with my little sister and choosing which character we wanted to be. Up's opening song was also so gut wrenchingly sad, and all of the Toy Story songs brought a tear to my eye.

Weird packaging is great, especially when it's unexpected. This was a take away box which was shaped like a house.

Flailing your legs in the air is so calming after a long day. Especially with cute slippers.

Celebrating big occasions, in this case new years, in a chilled out way. I prefer being with a few people I'm comfortable with than lots I don't know. We missed watching the fireworks because my internet cut out, but it didn't matter.

Family photos. I don't have that many from the last few years so the few I have are really important.

Pretending to be a walrus or wooly mammoth whilst eating is the best.

Pretending to be a panda on Christmas day. I like when humans dress as animals and vice versa.

Pride in someone else other than yourself.