Sprout Manifesto ( Your Manifesto )
The Sprout Manifesto encourages and promotes art that advocates the Sprout Mindset. This includes a few major themes, namely growth, persistence, finding your Sun, and bettering yourself. Sprouts learn from their mistakes and reflect on their Herbicides in the hope of understanding themselves and making better choices in their future. We understand that growth is not always linear or consistent, and we condemn unrealistic expectations of progress. This will only cause more Droughts on your growth journey. We appreciate fleeting feelings of despair and loss for what they are, but do not tolerate any unwillingness to get up and try again. Over the last academic period, I have recorded and analyzed growth (both my own and others’) on this blog to build a garden shed of examples to build my manifesto for future Sprouts.
The most vital trait for a Sprout to possess is persistence. To never give up is to grow. Some examples from the garden shed include my analysis of Don DJ Wilkins’ statue, The Wizard. As mentioned in that post, the statue of Thomas Alva Edison stands tall with his cane, and holding a small metal ball. The deliberate decision to portray Edison in his old age with a cane sends a message to encourage students to be persistent and try to learn new things every day, despite their age. It also encourages students to use support systems to get through tough times, as advocated for by his cane. Another example is in my post about the connection between transgender people via music, I mention Ezra Furman’s Maraschino Red Dress $8.99 at Goodwill. I did not get very into the underlying theme of persistence in that post, but it is a feeling of persistence all transgender people know. The crushing knowledge that people will never see you as you see yourself, and the effort it takes to keep going anyways. It is a silent persistence that transpires nearly everyday, but persistence nonetheless. Most of the other songs included in this post also have some connection to this struggle; some of the prominent ones include My Body is a Cage, True Trans Soul Rebel, and Tona Brown’s jam session. A third example from the garden shed is another song by Ezra Furman, Forever In Sunset. My analysis of this song was my second ever addition to the blog! As I wrote in that post, the protagonist struggles with security in her relationships, knowing that she will never be perceived in the way she knows she should be. This continually drives people away from her and causes her to be paranoid and combative through every relationship, yet she still gives them her best shot. Despite the fighting mentioned in the song, the protagonist meets an understanding with her partner and they move on. Her persistence in making their relationship work drove them through hard times.Â
Another crucial part of being a Sprout is finding your Sun. Just like real plants, we all need hope and encouragement to get through tough times. Finding one thing, person, or medium that helps you get through life’s trickier moments is ideal. My Sun is definitely music. An example of someone finding their Sun occurs in my post about Lost in Translation. Despaired by harmful or otherwise negative relationships in their life, the two characters find their Sun in each other. More specifically, they find their Sun in having someone who relates to their problem, who they can talk to. My second example from the shed is in my post about Shakespeare's Hamlet I.ii, who finds his Sun in interrogating the ghost of his father. Anguished by his recent loss, the chance to talk with his late father provided hope to Hamlet. My last example is in my post about abstract art, where I analyze Sohrab Sepehri’s Untitled. Depicted in this painting is a world of obstructive, monotone gray, with tiny slivers of blue peeking through. These glimmers of color represent a Sun; a little bit of hope to move past the all-consuming and contrarious gray.Â
Lastly, Sprouts must always be ready and willing to grow themselves, especially their mindset. This includes finding Droughts (things that disturb you), and confronting them safely, determining what unsettles you and why. This allows you to learn from yourself and be more intentional in your life. A great example of this from the shed is my analysis of Francis Alÿs’ video art, Re-enactment, which features him buying a loaded gun and walking down the streets of Mexico City while brandishing it. Personally, this video forced me to consider what I would do in this situation, what I should do in this situation, and to think on the politics surrounding this issue. It was very unsettling to watch and think about, but I feel I know myself better. Another example from the shed of personal growth is my short story about the ants who invaded my room, Tiny Terrors. I faced my issues with waking up my brother so he could help with the pests, and he was glad to. Asking for help took courage, but it will take less and less so each time!
As your Gardener, I have been practicing these ideals forever. I am excited to help foster your growth into strong flowers! Practicing perseverance, encouragement, and acting intentionally are the biggest factors in your personal success. Grow strong, Sprouts!