As I mentioned in an earlier post, Dr. Horton’s Critical Making course fundamentally shaped my approach to college. When I first arrived, I tried to anticipate everything and plan my four years out by day two. However, I quickly learned that doors open and close in exciting ways, so I should keep an open mind….
Author: Sophie Tayade
Rising Senior at the University of Pittsburgh
Distant and Critical
“Critical making refers to the hands-on productive activities that link digital technologies to society. It was invented to bridge the gap between creative physical and conceptual exploration.” -Wikepedia. Tucked away on the 4th floor of the Cathedral of Learning lies Virtual Media Lab where Dr. Zach Horton hosts his Critical Making course in the fall….
My Summer Creative Experience
When I began this experience I thought I would be creating a film clip I could share. Due to COVID-19 and the shear volume of work, I was unable to come even close. I thought I would feel disappointed, but I’m inspired. In completing my storyboard and script draft, I understood new ways to process…
My Aspirations
In an era of uncertainty, this project has been symbolic in how I embrace change. I started out writing a script and planning to film on campus. Due to the unique conditions of COVID-19, my project morphed into a story board and script. Through this process new ideas emerge and embed in my project. The…
Mentorship and Collaboration
There is a huge learning curve with all the equipment and even Dr. Horton did not have all the answers. We would often ask each other and collaborate with different people for different aspects of our projects. Dr. Horton facilitated an environment where we felt comfortable taking risks and collaborating with the unknown. Walking through…
Midsummer Reflection
The creative process can be broken down in many stages, but in its essence creativity is about connecting ideas (Clear, 2018). Preparation, incubation, illumination, evaluation, and implementation. Gathering material, intensely working over the material in your mind, stepping away from the problem, allowing the idea to come back to you naturally, and testing your idea…
Whack, whoosh, thwack.
In tennis, there are a multitude of strokes and their subsequent derivatives. The ground stroke is what most people probably visualize when thinking about tennis. In its essence, a good ground stroke is comprised of a back-swing, impact, follow-through, and footwork. In W. Timothy Gallwey’s book, The Inner Game of Tennis, Gallwey outlines critical focal…
Testing, testing… 1,2,3?
Creative Arts Fellowship Project: “The Dorm” As an undergraduate student, I want to experience intimate, vulnerable moments with a variety of individuals in order to gain a perspective on what access, quality, and the cost of healthcare is. I always wanted to influence policy from the perspective of a physician, but after the huge success…