cara steves :)

Last year, as a part of theater, I studied Commedia Dell Arte. This is a type of art style that is not very common today. It has layers and layers of timeless history, making it the stylistic piece of theater it is today. Not only is the acting style one of a kind, but they use characterized masks to disblay facial expresssions. In order to get emotion across, the actor would have to use their body, because most of their face is covered. It is a rollercoaster of emotion and laughter through each performance. Learning this style comes with new technique and improv skills.

I agree that this art form is super cool, and I like what you said about the actors having to rely more on their body than their facial expressions. Although the actors play a huge role in the storytelling, I think other factors like costumes, scripts, and direction also play a huge part in telling the story and conveying the purpose of the art form. When it is all combined, I think it creates a really interesting style of theater and acting.

Clothing and fashion has become a recent obsession of mine. Although I tend to wear the same two things to school every week, I love experimenting with different clothes and styles whenever I have somewhere fun to go. For me, when I’m wearing an outfit I feel comfortable in and or one that I think represents me and my personal style, I automatically feel so much more confident. I think the power of clothing is underestimated. This picture is iconic for many reasons, one being Naomi Campbell’s shoes, and two being that it’s obviously from the 90′s. It’s super weird and cool that a lot of fashion trends from the 80′s and 90′s are coming back now. Sometimes my mom will say to me, “I used to wear outfits exactly like that when I was your age,” proving that fashion trends come and go, and they can really have the power to build connections between generations. It’s awesome that we can take inspiration from decades that truly defined fashion, and put our own little 2019 twist on it. Overall, I think what I love the most about fashion and why I think it can be artistic is that it is so unique. Although it can feel like we sometimes have to follow certain trends to fit in or be accepted in society, I think that creating cool outfits and experimenting with new things can be so liberating and can feel so individualistic. No two people can wear an outfit the same, and it’s really cool that clothes and fashion can highlight our differences and push us to embrace them. 

Mamma Mia! is one of my favorite movies and musicals. The songs, dances, and of course Meryl Streep are what make it the trifecta of everything I love. I’ve always been a big fan of cheesy movie musicals, because sometimes lighthearted entertainment is just so much better than watching things that make me think about the deep secrets of life. It’s fun to just be able to watch a movie or a show and feel so happy. Recently, I was inspired by my love for the movie to audition for the production at school, and shockingly, I got a role. Seeing how things come together behind the scenes and being a witness of the hard work that comes from everyone involved to create a big show with so many moving pieces has been a really cool experience, and has taught me a lot about theater, and the dedication that so many people have to the art form. I have always been a big theater supporter, and I really love live performances of anything, but I never thought I had a place in it. But I've definitely gained a deeper appreciation for theater, and I think it’s cool that I was inspired by how much I loved the movie to try something new and gain a new experience that has been super fun and rewarding. Theater and creating movies are so different, yet so special in their own ways. Movies are a really accessible art form, but the rush from seeing, or being a part of a live performance is so special. And the goals of both are to touch an audience and evoke some type of emotion, making them super important and entertaining in their own rights. 

I think people assume photography is easy and that anyone can simply take a picture of a pretty view, but seeing photos of such beautiful places is so inspiring to me, and I think being able to capture something so vividly is such an incredible talent. My biggest goal in life is to be able to travel the word one day. One place I really want to go is Alberta, Canada because of all of the beautiful nature and scenery, and I’ve also been seeing a lot of really cool pictures of it that make me want to go there more. Recently, I went on an unfollowing spree on Instagram of the people and things that I knew weren’t benefiting me or I knew were hurting my confidence, and instead, I started following some traveling accounts that share pictures of cool places. It’s easy to forget how over saturated our minds become everyday with pictures on social media, and it’s so easy to be consumed by an expectation portrayed by strangers online. So I think appreciating art forms that are able to inspire me to live out my goals instead of creating a false sense of reality are important, because they are few and far between. And you can’t get any more real than a picture of a really cool place. Adding some inspiration to your everyday life is easier than we think, and it’s cool to me that it can come from something so accessible in today’s day and age.  

Like every other person alive today, The Office is one of my favorite shows ever. Maybe that sounds basic, but I have my reasons! I have seen every episode and have watched most of them more than once, which seems on the lower scale of obsession compared to most other fans of the show, which at this point seems like everyone. I think it’s so cool that something like a T.V. show has the power to unite so many people, and it’s crazy to think that the show will have multiple followings between generations. My parents watched the episodes as they came out weekly, I watched it as a teenager on Netflix, and maybe my kids will too. I obviously love the humor and the jokes in The Office, and I love how my mood can automatically be brightened by the stupid sense of humor showcased in the series. I have such a respect for people who are creative and smart enough to turn an idea that seems so ordinary, and people that could seem so normal into something so massively entertaining. Sometimes when watching the show, I will literally sit there and laugh at how ridiculous a situation is, or how insane something is that a character (usually Dwight) says. People use T.V. as a way to escape their own realities and to make their own day to day life a little bit better, so to me it’s interesting that an idea so everyday and normal as the goings on in an office building were able to command such a massive following and be turned into something so opposite of normal. The show has become a classic, and I love how it’s something that the general population can relate to on some level. The magnitude of it shows us that art doesn’t need to be some elaborate and out of reach idea. It isn’t always a fancy painting in a museum, it doesn’t have to be so formal. Art can be as simple as your favorite T.V. show, as long as it’s able to create some type of impact on your life.  

I spent almost 8 years of my life being a competitive figure skater. From the ages of probably 7 to 15, skating was my entire life. The whirlwind of performances, practices, injuries, and everything in between made me fall in love with the sport, and it holds such a special place in my heart as one of my favorite art forms in the entire world. Skating was my creative outlet, and being able to tell a story through my movements in such an athletic and genuine way was something I loved. The combination of artistry and athleticism was perfect for me, and I honestly attribute so much of the person I am today to the fact that I grew up in the sport. When I was little, being expressive and honest through my movements and facial expressions in performances was so natural to me, because it was all so genuine. I had such a passion for performing over the technical side of the sport. I was never the best jumper, or the fastest spinner, but I could feel the music and perform to it, and the artistic side is my favorite thing about the sport, and always will be. I have memories of waking up at 5:00 a.m. to get to the rink before school so I could be the only one out there on the ice and play music and just skate to it. As I got older, I moved to a more competitive environment where artistry became less valued and competition and points meant everything, which eventually led to me leaving the sport I dedicated years of my life to. I was burned out, and my passion just wasn’t there anymore. Ashley Wagner doing her program to La La Land at Nationals in 2018 is one of my favorite moments, because I remember sitting and watching her perform on my T.V. after I had quit, and feeling the same spark of artistry that had once inspired me, too. Ashley had a lot riding on this performance. If she lost, she would miss her final opportunity to represent the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. But her program is one of my favorites because of the pure emotion behind it all. I love the choreography, and the music is from one of my favorite soundtracks of all time, so it really resonated with me. Skating for me will always be about the performance over the technicality, because performing from the heart can inspire people and stay with them always, like Ashley’s program did with me.

Even though this song has been super popular for a while now, me and my friends still blast it in the car and sing it at the top of our lungs all the time, and when it came on at homecoming, we all freaked out because of how much of an anthem it really is. Music is one of my favorite art forms, and I love songs that make me feel empowered. Lizzo is a really inspiring artist because she’s been creating music for years and just recently blew up, and I think her message is so important and so relevant in today’s society. She is a body positive black woman who creates anthem after anthem that all make me and so many others feel so powerful and confident in their skin, and I think the art she creates is so important for audiences. It’s super special that she is able to inspire so many people through her music. It’s super sick that the songs she makes feel so girl power driven.  Her songs are something that me and my friends can bop to in the car and all feel like queens. Even though it sounds cheesy, something as little as the song I hear on the radio on my way to school is enough to make me feel confident throughout my whole day, and that’s a really cool thing about being a girl and being inspired by other girls. :)