#module one

My confidence in using new materials has grown on this module.  Working with wood and metal usually involves machinery though which I am not keen on using.  I feel I am most comfortable when I can use hand tools because I find them less intimidating and I feel more in control.  I have used the ban saw regularly, also the electric sander and am aware of the safety precautions I need to take with these machines.  The wood and metal workshops are usually a very noisy place to work which I have become used to.  I have been positive about engaging with the various materials and I have learnt about their different properties.  It requires a lot of physical strength and endurance to work the metal in the Forge which I have realized I do not want to have to do for my craft.  I also found the Welding apparatus quite cumbersome and difficult to use because of the safety mask and protective clothing that you must wear.  My eyesight isn’t perfect, and I require glasses to aid my close vision, having a mask over my glasses wasn’t comfortable.  I tried out using the wood lathe and was pleased with the bowl that I produced.  I didn’t enjoy using the lathe either because it was so noisy and made me feel very tired.

I am looking for material and associated tools that I feel comfortable in using so that I can relax and enjoy my craft.  I don’t think I have found it yet although I have enjoyed creating the wood carving of the Robin bird.  I have learnt how to work with the grain in wood and how best to use the carving tools.  I have also learnt the respect I need to have in using tools safely and to take care of the tools, sharpening them so they perform to their best.

I like to re-use old materials because they have a quality about them that feels good.  I want to be considerate of the environment, I know this is important to me.  We experimented with using clear resin, which I could see has possibilities for creating some interesting pieces of work.  But I am not comfortable with the environmental impact of plastics so for this reason I don’t see me progressing with this material much further.

I am sure there are still many processes with wood and metal that I could learn more about.  I think I will be doing more wood carving in the future.  I have watched a few of the others do enamelling which looks to be a simple process that I may well use myself at some point too.

Although I have been quiet gentle with my engagement with the three materials, I have always tried my best to be positive and open minded to each process that we have experienced.  I am hoping that this attitude will lead me to the material and process that I feel comfortable with, that will enable me to produce the Art and Crafts that I know I am capable of.

Module one; 

In the world of religion and beliefs, there are many different kinds of lifestyles and moral codes in which people align themselves. Some are open minded, while others are the polar opposite and unwilling to change. In her talk, Megan Phelps-Ropper addresses her experience in which she went from close minded, to someone who openly advocates communication and love between people. She states that she grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church, holding her first hateful protest sign when she was just a toddler. Her first protest led her to be in possession of a hateful sign that “she couldn’t even read”. The ideas of the church were taught to her at a young age, and were deeply seeded by the time she was a teenager. But then, something changed when she took to social media. People began having civil and calm debates with her, and she began to realize that her ways, my not be what she actually believes. Over time, she decided to leave the church and her family’s hateful ways.

           This talk appealed to me because I am a strong believer in open communication and understanding. Having a family that went through a divorce, I have come to learn that most problems that arise between to people, happen because of a lack of communication. Incorrect assumptions are made, and this ultimately leads to incorrect conclusions. In my life, I see this happen often, not just between my parents, but between me and family members as well. For instance, my father and I are prone to fighting often, however after a few days, I tend to realize that it was because of a simple miscommunication that this occurred. It’s because of communication that the problem is ultimately solved.

           In my own life, I have seen the close mindedness do far more harm than good. It causes fear, anger, and often times hurt on both a physical and emotional sense. Just recently, I had someone very close to me come out as bisexual. Being of full understanding of what they were going through, I asked what it was like for her to tell her parents. She came to me in tears, telling me that her mother cried and was angry, making her feel like she had done something wrong. This confused me. Before then, the only back lash I had seen from someone coming out as gay was received because of a religious background, but this girl’s family was not religious. I helped talk her through what to next, and we came up with the idea of her sitting down with her mother and explaining more of what it meant to be bisexual. The reaction took a turn from negative to positive almost instantly once her mother was able to ask questions and speak freely about her feelings in a calm environment. This mirrors what happened in the talk.

The biggest idea I’ve gotten out of all this talk about rhetoric is that the evolution of rhetoric has been moving towards reaching more audiences in every possible way. I’m bringing up the example of Thug Notes because it is the perfect example of how the presentation of rhetoric and information has changed so much with the emergence of digital rhetoric. Although this video is discussing an old work of literature, it is doing it in a way that uses all the modes to make it more understandable to a younger, modern audience. This kind of digital rhetoric breaks down older forms of rhetoric into bite-sized pieces that are more enjoyable and comfortable to an evolved audience.