Thursday, October 6, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Karim Rashid's Manifestos
The one manifesto that spoke to me was "Experience is the most important part of living, and the exchange of ideas and human contact is all life really is. Space and objects can encourage increased experiences or distract from our experiences." This spoke to me because I think a lot of people get caught up with trivial things in life, like what trends are fashionable and what size television is the best. All that really matter is the moments people share with each other. If you aren't out there experiencing life, you're going to look back upon your life with regret.
My manifestos would be:
1. Find a job you enjoy and do it.
2. Travel the world when you're young because you won't be able to get around as easily when you're old.
3. Be open to a career path that you didn't consider before--you might end up really enjoying it or it could lead you to something better.
4. Live in the moment--taking pictures of every moment of your life is great, but if you focus too much on getting a photo, you'll miss out on a lot.
5. Play an instrument--it takes determination, helps inspire creativity, and allows you to see the beauty in all types of music.
6. Keep a journal--you'll want to look back on all of your memories because you'll forget a lot of them as you get older. Also, feelings and experiences that you wrote down can help you get creative ideas.
7. Take advice from other people--sometimes others will give you the best ideas because they have an impartial opinion.
8. Be organized in your own way--although I am extremely neat and clean, that type of organization might not work for someone else. Find an organizational system that suits your lifestyle and use it. It will help facilitate creativity.
9. Surround yourself with a diverse group of friends--having friends who are all the same can cause you t get stuck with boring ideas. By having a variety of different types of friends, you'll be inspired in countless different ways.
10. Don't give up on your dreams--although you might have to have a boring job to make money, keep trying to achieve your dreams on the side and in your spare time. Although nothing might come of it, you'd regret it if you just gave up.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
David Rendall's "Freak Factor"
“Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness” by David Rendall discusses nine main points. Number one is your problems from other people’s perspectives. Interviewers, parents, and friends will always point out your flaws and weaknesses. Instead of being insulted, improve on these flaws. Number two is addressing your own weaknesses in your eyes. We seem to see our own weaknesses more than others do. However, we need to realize that the things that our flaws make us different and special. Number three states that everyone is flawless. The author says, that our flaws are what make us unique, and therefore, aren’t flaws at all. What you may view as a weakness someone else may view as strength. The author points out a few “weaknesses” like disorganization, dyslexia, and addiction that could be strengths.
Number four is don’t try to fix your weaknesses. This takes too much time, effort, is distracting, and doesn’t work. Number five says to build on your strengths. Building on your strengths gives you more potential and opportunities. Number six is focus. The author says you can’t try to both fix your weaknesses and build your strengths. You have to choose one or the other. Number seven is to find the right spot. You want to fit in to situations and places that cater to your natural strengths. Trying to fit in somewhere that you don’t, won’t lead you to success. Number eight is the power of uniqueness. Instead of being normal, strive for being exceptional. Exploit your differences. Finally, number nine is to put your quirks to work. You can do this by spending your energy on what is important, doing away with everything you don’t like to do, engaging in partnerships, and finding people like you, or people who are also unique.
Although I thought the entire article was kind of obvious and repetitive, I will talk about three of the points that I thought were interesting. Number two, which discussed discovering your own weaknesses was a good point. The author listed a bunch of typical weaknesses such as procrastination and poor listening skills, and turned them into quirky attributes. He said that he personally was able to overcome some of his major weaknesses by finding a strength that was close to it. Although, I think some people can achieve this, many people won’t be successful if they have such debilitating flaws like being impulsive and resistant to authority. I think you need to find a balance of what your strengths are, and how you can use your strengths to correct your weaknesses.
Number four, which said not to try to correct your weaknesses, seemed like a horrible point to me. He basically said that people couldn’t change. I think this is untrue. I know a lot of people who have noticed something about themselves that irked them, so they worked to change it. It may have taken a long time and been difficult, but it is possible. If you’re a person who has a flaw of always being late, you can’t just decide not to change that. You’ll never be able to keep a job because your employer won’t allow you to be late all the time. Some weaknesses need to be corrected.
The third point I will talk about is number nine. Overall, I though the tip was good, but something about one of the suggestions bugged me. It said, engage in permanent procrastination. So instead of procrastinating activities that you don’t like, just stop doing them all together. I think this is a very bad tip. If people stopped doing things they didn’t like to do, no one would get through grade school. No one would know how to add or subtract. No one would care about American history. Just because you get bored with something or don’t like it, doesn’t mean you should give up on it all together. Sometimes the greatest things that get achieved have a boring lull in the process. Some of the greatest inventions might not have been created if the inventor decided just to give up. I think everyone should persevere through every hardship until they finish what they started.
Game Design Assessment
I thought my group's game design presentation went well overall. Our biggest strength was our objectives and goals for each character for Level 1. The objectives were very specific and laid out clearly so that the audience understood exactly what the player must do to complete the level. For example, the objective for Finnigan was to help his neighbor William find his kilt, while Sinastra's was to destroy William's kilt. The goals were well thought out and creative, too. They were specifically tailored to each character. As the hero, Finnigan had to collect "good" items such as bagpipes, while Sinastra had to collect "evil" items like poison and ropes. Another strength was the in-game sounds. The interface and background music was very fitting to a Scottish game.
Our biggest weakness was probably the game rules. They were a bit vague and could have been more specific. The wording of some of the rules may have confused the audience. Rule # 6, which stated, "if lives run out, the player returns to the last fully completed level with 5 new lives" may have needed further explanation. We could have said what causes a player to die, and how to avoid that. Another weakness was our mechanics. We should have thought more about the placement of the keys on the keyboard because some of the keys we assigned actions to may be hard to reach if pressing multiple keys at once.
Our biggest weakness was probably the game rules. They were a bit vague and could have been more specific. The wording of some of the rules may have confused the audience. Rule # 6, which stated, "if lives run out, the player returns to the last fully completed level with 5 new lives" may have needed further explanation. We could have said what causes a player to die, and how to avoid that. Another weakness was our mechanics. We should have thought more about the placement of the keys on the keyboard because some of the keys we assigned actions to may be hard to reach if pressing multiple keys at once.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Video Game Characters
Hero: Finnigan Strongjaw
Villain: Sinastra Pikespear
Critique 1: Adam Martinelli
Adam and his partner created the hero of a lumberjack and a villain of a dark ghost-like figure. The lumberjack displays color through his bright red jacket and green pants. These colors are complementary. He also wears a blue hat. The villain is mostly shades of black and gray, creating a monochromatic color scheme. He has red eyes that create great contrast from the darkness of the rest of his form. The lumberjack is smiling creating a easy-going and confident mood. Because he is a lumberjack, that also symbolizes strength. The ghost moves by floating swiftly through the air. This tells us that he is lightweight, but also fast. We also see that the lumberjack's axe acts like a boomerang because it returns to him.
Critique 2: Angela Solerno
Angela and her partner did a ballerina as the hero and a caped man as the villain. The ballerina displays brightness because of the pink tutu she is wearing. In the animation, she is skinny and of a light blue hue. The hero's animation has a light-hearted mood with her prancing around and doing various ballet moves while fighting crime. We can tell that she is fast because of the lines that go by when she is jumping/flying. She has overlapping movement when she jumps, plies, and moves her around around all at the same time. The villain has a red cape, glasses, and curly black hair. We can tell the villain is evil because he thinks about setting the world on fire. This is symbolic of his personality. The villain moves quite slowly, but is able to create an energy ball from his hands. There is contrast between the moods of the animation, but affinity in the weight of the characters.
Critique 3: Gabe Marchetti
Gabe and his partner Brandon created hero Captain Awesome and villain Eyesore. These two characters are very different, contrasting with each other in many ways. First, Captain Awesome has a red, white, and blue color scheme symbolizing that he is patriotic and good-hearted. He carries a lightning bolt and a gun, suggesting that he is powerful. Eyesore, on the other hand, has a very dark color scheme, using mostly gray and purple. His slanted eyes and jagged claws create a very ominous mood. Captain Awesome lifts off and flies. We can see movement because his cape is flapping. Eyesore's actions are very wiggly. We can see that although he may look threatening, he might not be that evil.
Gabe and his partner Brandon created hero Captain Awesome and villain Eyesore. These two characters are very different, contrasting with each other in many ways. First, Captain Awesome has a red, white, and blue color scheme symbolizing that he is patriotic and good-hearted. He carries a lightning bolt and a gun, suggesting that he is powerful. Eyesore, on the other hand, has a very dark color scheme, using mostly gray and purple. His slanted eyes and jagged claws create a very ominous mood. Captain Awesome lifts off and flies. We can see movement because his cape is flapping. Eyesore's actions are very wiggly. We can see that although he may look threatening, he might not be that evil.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Joke Video Comparison
I did a comparison between my group's video (video 1) and Andrew Sewell's group's video (video 2). In this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting space and movement. I will also talk about tension and release, as well as contrast and affinity. Video 1 starts out with the camera moving down the hallway and going into a bedroom. This shows deep space because you can see the depth of the background. The shots within the room are mostly medium shots, with several extreme close ups of the clock, planner, deodorant, and toothbrush. These shots are also flat because there is no depth to the room. The outdoor scenes where Michael is running features a lot of wide and extreme wide shots. He in constantly running straight towards the camera, away from the camera, or across the camera's field of vision. When he enters the elevator, there are a series of close up shots in flat space. The final shot is from a high angle to convey Michael's weakness/stupidity at mixing up the dates.
Video 2 starts off with an establishing shot of an office building, then cuts to a medium shot of a man at his desk. The room is mostly white and the man is wearing black creating great contrast within the frame. This shot is also flat. The next cut is to the man's wife who is in the kitchen. It is a medium shot in limited space because the main focus is on her, but you can see elements of the foreground and background. She is also located at the right vertical point of interest. After an establishing shot of the house, we get deep space as the man walks up the stairs and enters through the door. After his wife blindfolds him, she leads him into the dining room. This sequence is a series of medium and close up shots. The man freaks out at his wife and there is a cut to a medium shot of his co-workers standing there staring at him. His co-workers display visual rhythm because they are all dressed in blue.
Similarities between the two films include several close up shots that are also flat in terms of space. Mostly, the two films are very different. In video 1, there is a lot of character movement on screen, while video 2 had little movement. Video 1 features a lot of wide shots, while video 2 features close up and medium shots. Video 1 also has a variety of shapes and colors, while video 2 features a black, white, and blue color scheme. Tension and release is used in video 1 through music. The intense music while he is running builds then tension, then releases when the music stops. Tension builds up in video 2 as the man gets stressed out at work, and doesn't release until the end, when he ruins his own surprise birthday party.
Video 2 starts off with an establishing shot of an office building, then cuts to a medium shot of a man at his desk. The room is mostly white and the man is wearing black creating great contrast within the frame. This shot is also flat. The next cut is to the man's wife who is in the kitchen. It is a medium shot in limited space because the main focus is on her, but you can see elements of the foreground and background. She is also located at the right vertical point of interest. After an establishing shot of the house, we get deep space as the man walks up the stairs and enters through the door. After his wife blindfolds him, she leads him into the dining room. This sequence is a series of medium and close up shots. The man freaks out at his wife and there is a cut to a medium shot of his co-workers standing there staring at him. His co-workers display visual rhythm because they are all dressed in blue.
Similarities between the two films include several close up shots that are also flat in terms of space. Mostly, the two films are very different. In video 1, there is a lot of character movement on screen, while video 2 had little movement. Video 1 features a lot of wide shots, while video 2 features close up and medium shots. Video 1 also has a variety of shapes and colors, while video 2 features a black, white, and blue color scheme. Tension and release is used in video 1 through music. The intense music while he is running builds then tension, then releases when the music stops. Tension builds up in video 2 as the man gets stressed out at work, and doesn't release until the end, when he ruins his own surprise birthday party.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Analysis of Artwork
I was drawn to the original image because of its simplicity. There are very few colors, but clear and distinct lines. The original image has actual lines that lead the eye from the white stripe to the red blotch. The quality of the white lines are linear and diagonal, while the blotch is curvilinear. The cropped version makes the lines seem shorter. I also thought that the red spot looked like a strawberry because of the green line that is shaped like a leaf. Movement is achieved through the use of lines. This can also be classified by the Gestalt Principle of continuation, where we move through an object to another. In the big picture the white stripe leads the eye to the red spot (point of interest). We know the red spot is the point of interest because it is located in the right third of the frame. Shape is a huge factor, using triangles in the areas filled with black and brown, a rectangle for the white area, and a circle for the red area. The red blotch almost seems to be the foreground, while the other shapes and colors are the background. There are few colors in the picture: black, brown, white, red, and a little bit of green. The colors are not bright, so the picture doesn't seem to have much depth. In the original image, the red spot seems sort of small. In the close up, it is the focus of the frame, making it seem rather large. The original shot is more of a wide shot because you can see the big picture. My cropped version is a close up. It is not an extreme close up because you can see the entire red spot (not just part of it.) The only lighting the picture has would be the stripe of white, which adds importance to the red area because the colors stand out against each other. This causes us to focus our attention on the red.
I chose to reframe the picture with the focus on the red circle because it is the main focus of the original picture. I wanted the audience to be able to get a closer look at its details. I think the artist framed the picture the way she did because she wanted you to be able to feel the rhythm of the painting and move your own eyes to the red spot. She wanted you to be able to explore the colors and lines of the whole frame before focusing on the red area. I like that she did that. I like the big picture better than the cropped one.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Response to "Brainwashed"
Article link: http://changethis.com/
"Acknowledging the lizard" is allowing that self-conscious voice inside of your head that is always telling you that you can't do something to take control of your thoughts and actions. This is the part of our brain that feels shyness, worry, and anger. By giving into these feelings we live in fear and cannot be artists. By recognizing that this "lizard brain" is a part of our being we can actively find a way to get past it and create art.
Failing is another way you can reinvent yourself. According to the article, you must be open to failing often and in public. Creating things takes time--like building factories or institutions. The same goes for art and media. In order to create something good, you have to take risks, make changes, and sometimes fail. Try, try, try again, the saying goes.
Acknowledging the lizard and failing apply to creating this blog because there is always going to be that one person that critiques your work that hates it. They are the lizard in your brain. They will try to bring you down, but if you ignore them, you'll be fine. Failing doesn't really relate to this blog because it is so subjective. I think these blog posts are a good way to speculate about media and discuss our opinions on our own creations and our classmates creations.
Garageband Song
My Song Here
Critiques:
1-- Michael Garrett: Written critique / Audio critique
2-- Michael Mulig: Written critique / Audio critique
3-- Samantha Williams: Written critique / Audio critique
Friday, April 15, 2011
Original vs. Cover Songs
Original- Link: Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
Cover- Link: Can't Fight This Feeling by Cory Monteith (Glee)
For this assignment I chose the song "Can't Fight This Feeling" originally by REO Speedwagon, and covered by Cory Monteith on Glee. I will compare and contrast the two songs based on lyrics and some of their musical qualities. The original lyrics of the song talk about a man who can no longer deny that he is in love with someone, but is too afraid to tell her how he feels. He compares his love to a candle in the window on a cold night and a sailing ship. The song is very metaphoric and uses, in my opinion, beautiful language. In the cover version, the same lyrics are used, but several verses are taken out. By taking out some of the lyrics, the organization of the song is altered a bit. Instead of having two verses before the chorus, there is only one. It not only changes the flow of the song, but also the length, (which is shortened.)
The first musical quality that stuck out to me the most was intensity. The original song by REO Speedwagon has a much softer intensity than the Glee version. The singer’s voice glides across each word softly, making the words sound very heart-felt. Cory Monteith’s voice is more gravelly, though he still manages to sing the words sweetly. Pitch is the next point I will discuss. Both the singer’s voice and the instruments are at a lower pitch in the cover than the original. The original also uses piano as the main instrument to keep the melody, whereas the Glee version uses an acoustic guitar, so the difference is very noticeable. The speed of the REO Speedwagon song is relatively fast. The cover song is much slower; the singer elongates the lyrics to make up for taking out several verses.
If I were to characterize the tempo of the two songs the original would be moderato and the cover would be andante. This also affects rhythm because in the cover song there are less beats than in the REO Speedwagon original. The two songs have different kinds of timbre, but both are simple. The main instrument in the Glee version is guitar, and then the drums kick in strongly to give it a more complex timbre. Similarly, the original song starts off with just a piano riff repeated over and over, then the drums kick in, but softly and more understated. As I states in the first paragraph, the organization of the two songs is mostly the same, except several verses were removed in the cover song. However, the pattern of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, remains the same.
I will conclude by telling you which song I like better. Although I have much respect for the original version, I like the cover better. I enjoy the sound of Cory Monteith’s voice more than the higher pitched voice of REO Speedwagon’s lead singer. The sound of a sole acoustic guitar also is a more pleasant sound to my ears than the piano, which is a bit too dramatic for this kind of love song. Even though I really like the lyrics of the song, I was pleased that Glee removed several of the verses. It made the song flow more smoothly. Overall, I enjoy listening to both versions very much because they each have unique aspects.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Emotion Soundscape
Friday, April 8, 2011
Summary of Flaum Article
Part 1:14 wolves were released from captivity into the wilderness, but they didn’t know how to howl. One wolf, Mumon, journeyed deep into the forest to find his howl. There he sees a deer and begins to hunt, but before he can attack the deer speaks to him, saying when he is hungry enough for his howl, he will hear it. Mumon eats the deer and is grateful, but ashamed. He bathes in the river and sleeps. When he awakes, a raven tells him that his mark is on the deer carcass and that his howl will come to him when he stops being ashamed of what he is. Mumon begins running and feels his old self slipping out of him. He encounters a farmer with a gun and he gets shot. All of a sudden a tribe is chanting around a fire. Mumon walks into the middle and howls, realizing that its not a tribe and a fire, but his pack and a rock. The rest of his pack begin to howl and they all feel free.
The point Flaum is trying to make is that to find your voice you may have to sacrifice everything. You might think that you can’t do it. You might think it’s too hard. You might think it’s terrifying, but the only way to it is through it.
Part 2:
“And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to
The love you make”
-The Beatles
This quote speaks to me because it is so simple, yet so relevant in everyday life. The quote is basically saying, in the most general terms, in order to get an outcome you must put in some type of effort. This can apply to love (if you want love, give love,) respect (if you want respect, give respect,) or sharing (if you want something, give something in return.) I also think its important that we remember this quote because often times people expect things without attempting to earn them. Although people don’t always get what they deserve, putting in the effort is the first step.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Critique of Mitch Ditkoff’s “14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas”.
Article: http://changethis.com/
In Mitch Ditkoff's article, "14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas," he states that there are two approaches people generally take when trying to come up with ideas. The first, the Western approach, involves more "thinking." The second, the Eastern approach, involves more "feeling." Business people are associated with the Western approach, while artists associate themselves more with the Eastern approach. He then goes on to provide 14 ways to help you come up with ideas.
1. Follow your fascination—allow yourself to be called to, enchanted, and delighted by something.
2. Immerse—become completely involved or absorbed in it.
3. Tolerate ambiguity—you may be confused or uncomfortable.
4. Make new connections—step outside your box of confinement.
5. Fantasize—be curious, take part in dreams and impossibilities.
6. Define the right challenge—come up with the question before the answer.
7. Listen to your subconscious—breakthroughs come after intense conscious effort.
8. Take a break—walk away from your project for a while.
9. Notice and challenge existing patterns and trends—change old ideas and reconfigure them in new ways.
10. Hang out with diverse groups of people—go beyond the usual suspects, let go of your need for comfort and agreement.
11. Brainstorm—frame the question, invite the right people, and facilitate the process.
12. Look for happy accidents—notice something new and unexpected.
13. Use creative thinking techniques—use a quote, book, or exercise to get your motor running.
14. Suspend logic—put judgment and practicality out of your mind.
Three of the suggestions caught my eye. Number six says one must “define the right challenge.” I agree with the writer in acknowledging that this is important, but I think he needs to define how to do this in a better manner. He explains that in order to get the right outcome you must first ask the right question, but he fails to discuss how to go about finding the right question to ask. If he gave examples of how to come about this reasoning his explanation would be more fulfilling. The next prompt I want to talk about is number two, which states, “immerse.” I believe this is one of the most important topics he talks about. In his description he says that breakthrough ideas have the likeliest chance of showing up when we are completely involved or absorbed in a task. This is a proven fact. I took a management class fall quarter and in it we learned about things called “flow states.” A flow state is “the sensation of being in a state of full concentration or hyper-concentration [that] is both pleasant and productive” (http://www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/creativ/flow1.htm). When you’re doing something and your worries melt away, you have a feeling of great control, and time seems to almost suspend itself or pass rapidly—you have just experienced a flow state. Immersion is the key to flow states and getting great new ideas. The third recommendation that I thought was interesting was number 14, which asks us to “suspend logic.” The author states that as adults we tend to search for rationality in things so we can analyze them. He suggests we return to a child-like state so we can suspend judgment, evaluation, and practicality. Although I believe this technique works, it is a hard task to do. Our minds are always actively looking for things that are out of place or wrong, so as to correct them with logic. In order set aside logic, I think our brains would have to be either thoroughly distracted or completely worn-out.
For the final part of this assignment we were asked to execute one of the 14 prompts. I chose number four which asks us to “make new connections.” In his explanation, the writer suggests: “Make three parallel lists of ten random words. The first list? Nouns. The second list? Verbs. The third list? Adjectives. Then look for intriguing new connections between them.” Below is my execution and discussion of the prompt:
Nouns: Flames, Mirror, Cloud, Bouquet, Knot, Sea, Girl, Desk, Piano, Frame
Verbs: Bloom, Collect, Flee, Polish, Reap, Unbutton, Shiver, Fix, Erase, Wake
Adjectives: Dark, Clear, Natural, Tender, Unruly, Bitter, Mysterious, Sleek, Glistening, Messy
When looking at some of these words side by side, I noticed several things. I originally paired the verbs "fix" and "polish" with the nouns "desk" and "frame" interchangeably. This is a logical connection that my brain instantly made. However, looking at the list of words again, I thought, a desk can be messy or unruly. A frame could be sleek. You could collect frames. Other connections I made were that the words "sea" and "girl" can use the same verbs and adjectives. The sea can be mysterious. So can a girl. A girl shivers. The sea, in a way, can shiver as well. The sea can be tender or unruly. A girl can be either, too. This exercise could definitely help me make new connections or see connections that I didn't originally see. This is something I could see myself using while writing a paper or a song.
My Creativity Defined
My creativity is hard to explain. I find that I enjoy my creativity the most when it is focused towards songwriting, playing instruments, and creating music. However, I don’t like to limit myself to just one creative process. I also express creativity through drawing, what I wear each day, coming up with new ideas in my professional business fraternity, figuring out the best way to study for a certain subject, and through many other ways in my daily life. In this blog post though, I’m going to focus on music. My early influences were: The Beatles, Dixie Chicks, The Eagles, Garth Brooks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Over the Rhine, Paul Simon, and Pink Floyd. My recent influences are: Adele, Ben Harper, The Black Keys, Feist, Jack Johnson, Jay-Z, Nickel Creek, and Taylor Swift. Below I will discuss the two artists who have influenced and inspired my creativity the most.
1. The Eagles have been a huge influence on my musical creativity. I began listening to them as a young girl when my family took road trips. I was drawn to the harmonies and the differences between each of the members’ voices. I have always loved Joe Walsh’s voice the best because the way he sings is very relatable—it’s not amazing, it’s real. He tends to drag out words with a bit of a croon. My favorite album is “Desperado” because they use the theme of the “Old West” and draw comparisons between that lifestyle and the lifestyles of rock stars. Some of their songs have mysterious lyrics, and as a kid I was always trying to figure out what they meant. Though they started out as a Southern rock group, they moved towards what was considered a mix of pop and hard rock, and are now “classic rock.” The Eagles relate to our media class through Contrast/Affinity. Their harmonies are often important parts of their songs. By highlighting the differences between their voices (contrast,) they create unique sounds that ultimately fit together to make a homogeneous (affinity,) melody. The Eagles lyrics also correlate to class through Conscious/Subconscious. In many Eagles songs, there are the themes of love and life choices. In a song like “Desperado,” the lyrics take a subconscious stand. The narrator/singer is saying that this person, the subject, needs to let love in. Within the song, it is inferred that the subject wasn’t aware that his actions were preventing him from love. In another song, “Lyin’ Eyes,” the narrator/singer comments upon a young girl who married an older man for his money. It follows the story of her looking back at her choices and realizing that they got her to where she is now--an unhappy and loveless marriage. This is an example of conscious.
Links: Contrast/Affinity—Seven Bridges Road
Conscious—Lyin’ Eyes
2. Taylor Swift inspires me because of her songwriting style. Love and relationships are her main topics, and that is what I tend to focus on in my songwriting. Taylor relates to our media class because in her songs she often uses Active/Didactic language. In some songs she’ll flat out tell you what her feelings or opinions are on love/a relationship/a boy (didactic). In others, she’ll give you some hints and clues, but she’ll let you decide for yourself (active). I like both of these approaches. A didactic approach is more direct, straightforward, and “in your face.” Active tends to be more vague and open-ended, and leaves the decision on what to think “up in the air,” so to speak. I believe using an active approach allows the audience to be more involved because they have to think harder about the lyrics in order to discover their meaning.
Link: Didactic—Jump Then Fall
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