Amy Meier's Mastery Journal

I AM A WRITER!!!

This is a statement I've always wanted to say ever since I was a little girl. It's a statement that has always been deep inside me but that I never had the confidence to proclaim out loud. It's a statement that despite the number of journals I've filled, the countless articles I've written for my job, and the dozens of fics I've posted on my personal blog, that I was always hesitant to utter.

But now it's not just a statement. It's a fact. And I have no qualms about declaring to all and sundry that I AM A WRITER! Because I have earned that title - and then some.

I'm not gonna lie. This year was hard.  There were several times I wanted to quit. Tears were shed, baths were soaked in, and copious amounts of coffee were drunk. I had to cancel outings with friends, cut family parties short, and spend many, many nights and weekends not leaving my apartment.  It was tough.

But I also created some of the best work of my entire life that I'm incredibly proud of. I found a wellspring of creativity, perseverance, and confidence inside that I didn't know I had.  I learned not just about writing, but about myself. And I met some amazingly talented and inspiring people along the way whom I hope to keep in touch with in the future.

This post is not just a proclamation of my being a writer, but also a promise to myself to continue to make my writing a priority. In Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way," she talks about keeping a weekly artist date for yourself in which you set aside a block of time to set your inner artist free. It's a way of keeping your creative juices flowing. I vow to always keep this weekly date with myself, whether it's by renewing my pass to Disneyland (oh how I've missed it!), going to see plays at my local theater, or even keeping up with the newest animation series (Voltron reboot I'm looking at you!). I will no longer see these as just fun diversions, but as crucial to keeping my inner artist alive. And I will enjoy every minute of these dates!

Last but not least, thank you to everyone who supported and followed me along on my journey – classmates, professors, friends, and family. I appreciate each and every one of you more than I can say! 

All the best,

Apple

You can always tell when someone is using an Apple electronic device.  Despite being constructed of metal and wire, each piece of technology is made to feel organic, just like the fruit they are named after.  Sleek lines, rounded corners, minimalist design, and lightweight materials all combine for a futuristic, yet classic look.  Their print and television advertising is similarly clean and no fuss, generally consisting of a close up of the item for sale against a white background with one, maybe two words tops. Apple epitomizes the adage, "Less is more."

Nike

The Nike swoosh is arguably one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Though technically meant to symbolize the wings of the goddess Nike whom the company is named after, the swoosh also gives the impression of speed and swiftness, effectively conveying the traits its sneakers will give to their wearers.  Nike was not only effective with the branding of their logo, but also with their motto, "Just Do It." This no-nonsense phrase inspires consumers of all backgrounds and fitness levels to exercise (with Nike gear of course) without excuses or apology.

McDonalds

Their, there, and they’re are all spelled correctly according to spellcheck. But spellcheck doesn’t know which one you really meant to use...

For my “Storytelling and Storyboarding for Animation” class, I had to find ten images that illustrated, inspired, informed, explained, or showed what was happening in the original animation script I crafted. The following are two images from this selection for my script "Mermateys – Fish out of Water."  In my animation, Kaito the merboy wishes become a scientist who studies humans, but the Ocean Queen doesn't think it's a good idea. So he decides to give her a report about his human friends, to prove he can do it. However, Kaito just can't seem to get the hang of human swimming pools and their games. Just as he is beginning to think that maybe humans and merpeople are just too different to be friends, he saves the day literally and figuratively for human toddler Luna when she falls into the pool. Kaito becomes a hero for both humans and merpeople, achieving his goal and advancing relations between the two societies further.

Kaito the Merboy

While I currently lack the ability to draw, there are several online “dress up” paper doll type games where you can design your own original characters.  Utilizing the dress up game "Chibi Maker" at http://www.chibimaker.org, I designed what I envisioned Kaito the merboy would look like. Since Kaito is studying humans, I gave him goggle-type glasses, a notebook, and a knapsack to carry things in as part of his research. I also gave him a more serious expression to reflect his more reserved personality. The dress up game did not offer a mermaid tail as an option so I utilized a long skirt with a frill and matching boots to give the illusion of a tail. His dark blue tail also echoes his subdued personality.

This week we are studying the concepts of gamification and media convergence.  The following are three examples of these two concepts which I personally utilize in real life.

1. Waze - https://www.waze.com

Waze is more than just a navigation utility. It uses real time traffic and road information shared by its users which the application uses to find you the shortest route to your destination.  Users are encouraged to participate through gamification. The more you use and contribute to the app, the more features you can unlock.  For example, after driving your first 100 miles using Waze, you are given the ability customize your avatar to a variety of moods. Reporting accidents, hazards, or police traps will also earn you more points and badges such as swords, shields, and crowns. You can then compare your ranks to your friends and everyone using the Waze app across the country.  In addition, you can join local teams and wear a badge to show your team membership. Making commuting more of a game than a grind not only encourages people to use it, but increases the effectiveness and accuracy of the app overall.

2. Credly - https://credly.com

As an instructional designer, I have been hearing a lot about gamification in the workplace as an incentive for employees to train. Credly is a site where companies can create badges for employees when they earn specific achievements - taking classes, earning certifications, attending conferences, etc. However, the recognition doesn’t just stop in-house. These badges can be shared via several platforms and tools including social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In addition, some badges can earn you college credits. Distributing badges to employees fosters a sense of competition and collaboration when it comes to advancing their skills, while also introducing an element of “play” in their work.

3. Storium - https://storium.com/

I really, really enjoyed the experiences I had as a member of an ad-hoc writing staff in my “Episodic and Serial Writing” class. I also realized that much of my writing background in both my professional and personal life prepared me for this kind of work.

First, coming up with ideas for episodes of “No Good Deeds” was so much fun creatively, and being able to do so within a week’s period showed me that I do have the capability to bring several ideas to the table for a weekly television or webseries. In my professional life, for a five-year period I published a weekly online newsletter for my employer where I had to come up with six story ideas every week about events in my workplace. Having to come up with six journalism-style story ideas each week for five years apparently primed my brain to be able to come up with several creative ideas for “No Good Deeds” quite easily. I posted three ideas as part of the assignment, but I also came up with an additional three that could be used for future episodes.  This left me feeling much more confident about my ability to offer a variety of ideas in a short amount of time.

Second, working on creative property that was not my own was easy and familiar for me, because in my free time I write fanfiction, which I have been posting on another tumblr blog of mine, as well as fanfiction.net, for several years now. Fanfiction is also writing about existing characters and settings that are not my own, so being able to write someone else’s characters accurately and within canon is something I’ve done quite a bit.  In fact, I’ve been telling many of my fellow fanfic writers that writing my own episode of “No Good Deeds” was just like writing a fanfic, but just in script format.

I am hoping to do television writing for a living and have a plan ready to implement it. First, I hope to be accepted into the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Television Writers Program. As a Latina, it’s important for me to be represented accurately and positively in mainstream American media. If not, I plan on applying to NBC Writers on the Verge, Warner Bros. Writer’s Workshop, the Disney/ABC Writing Program, and the CBS Writers Mentoring Program as well. Since I live in the Los Angeles area and have time on the books from my job, I can more easily take advantage of these workshops than people who don’t live in the area.

Mastery Assignment - What My Protagonist Would Read.

Since Teresa Ayala is a second-generation Mexican-American and the owner of a small Latin-fusion cafe, I believe she would read and frequently refer to Diana Kennedy’s “Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy” when preparing her menus.  According to Amazon.com’s description of the book:

“No one has done more to introduce the world to the authentic, flavorful cuisines of Mexico than Diana Kennedy. Acclaimed as the Julia Child of Mexican cooking, Kennedy has been an intrepid, indefatigable student of Mexican foodways for more than fifty years and has published several classic books on the subject, including The Cuisines of Mexico (now available in The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, a compilation of her first three books), The Art of Mexican Cooking, My Mexico, and From My Mexican Kitchen. Her uncompromising insistence on using the proper local ingredients and preparation techniques has taught generations of cooks how to prepare—and savor—the delicious, subtle, and varied tastes of Mexico.”