Looking Back

 I can't believe this class has come to a close! This semester was jam packed with unknown mediums, material exploration, successes, and sometimes confusion. However, even through the confusion, I never felt as if I was "failing" thanks to the open-ended, generative prompts for each project. I always appreciated how even within one medium and assignment there were always options to try various softwares or ways of making. Experimenting with scanography, digital collage, video, etc., was always exciting, even when I was unsure of what direction to go in. I struggled the most with coding but still learned the valuable lesson of perseverance through difficulty, resulting in a silly, somewhat playable video game. As Judy says, it's not about falling in love with every material, rather, being open to possibility and having a conversation with what's in front of you. I would say that I fell in love with scanography, video, and even graphic design, a medium I had written off as not being for me. 

According to myself at the beginning of the semester, my goals were to:

- Incorporate/evolve my personal style through digital works

- Create more mixed media pieces

- Find creative ways to incorporate emerging technology into traditional mediums

I feel as if I've achieved these goals and more, being the most apparent in my final project which was involved multiple mediums, a blending of technology and tradition, and evolution of my personal style. It was so rewarding to take on what at first seemed like a massive challenge and execute my original idea through the uncertainty. I can safely say that I had never dreamed I would be installing circuits into handprinted clothing at the beginning of this semester. I feel as if my mind has expanded infinitely with possibility this semester, and I am so grateful for everything we learned and experienced in NMNF.

As I continue on to become an educator, I aim to bring these rich experiences into my classroom. I want students to have the opportunity to jump right into a new medium, even if it's intimidating or "not their thing". There is no end to the potential to incorporate technology into the art room, whether through circuitry, digital design, 3D printing, or video art. What may feel foreign to students who claim to prefer traditional mediums (as I did) can be made easily accessible with the right attitude, and obviously, resources. I can't wait to see students shape their ideas through new and old mediums, and though I wish this class wouldn't end, I know that I'll carry these ways of thinking into the future.