February 26, 2021
Dear Design Studio,
Long time, no talk.
It has been a while since I felt like my research has been effective for me. I could feel the potential of my project but there were these holes that needed to be filled and connected. My project is about expressing gratitude, feeling some kind of magic, and bringing positivity to one’s life.
The core component of my project is a mirror. I think I felt a disconnect with my project being a mirror. Why would a mirror seems intimidating to me? I realized that it might be the function of a mirror. What do we use a mirror for? To look at ourselves? To check out our flaws? Is it a self-reflection to who we are? Does the mirror show us who we really are? Is it narrcisitic to look in the mirror?
But can looking in the mirror be a positive experience?
Looking at myself in the mirror can make me feel extremely vulnerable. So the easy answer would be no; I see my flaws and I don’t want to see that.
After some research, I quickly learned about mirror meditation.
“Learning to tune into your image will not turn you into a towering narcissist. Quite the opposite: you’ll learn to stay present with yourself, manage the intensity of your emotions, and tap into a new inner strength. In fact, kinder self-awareness is the key to breaking free from the inner critic and the external world that stokes our fears and anxieties that we are never safe, never good enough, and never have enough.”
There is a new power in a mirror for me. The mirror meditation alines with my intent to design a way to express gratitude. A mirror is a not only a moment of self-reflection on the outside, but also the inside.
https://youtu.be/Yv--OcsSKQ0
Sincerely,
Jamie Yoo
