Fall semester has finally come to a close—and I finished with straight A’s, woo-hoo!!! God is good =)
Although I should be relaxing over winter break, I have been on it with my graduate school applications for Art Therapy. Two out of three of my letters of recommendations have been completed, and I sent a reminder to my third recommender. Today I went through all of my artwork with the mindset of picking out pieces that could go into a cohesive body of work while still putting my best foot forward. I have also been writing and rewriting trying to get my essays cranked out in hopes that other sets of eyes can look over them before I am ready to submit them.
Finally, I am having the hardest time picking what to shave off my resume and what to keep…I do have an option of submitting a CV, but I think that would just be too much. Most admissions persons just want to be able to glance at a resume. Although I am sure whoever’s my application will be contending with will contain a CV—this prediction is based on who else came to visit GW when I went for a visitation day. Some people in there already had two or three degrees beyond their bachelors, so I am pretty sure they have some published content somewhere.
ANYWHO
When I finish with the Grad school Apps I’ll be looking for campus jobs and scholarships =) Hopefully something with ResLife, I like my life as an RA…I think I’ve been doing more “buddy”ing than policing this year, so it’s all gravy.
So this winter break, I will be on my grind….not necessarily hustling—that’s my school year gig lol.
It's been a couple of months since I have blogged about anything, for my avid follower(s) [[lol I doubt many people read this--if you are, thanks!]] I apologize. Basically the only thing going on in my life besides school is...well...applying to more school. Towards the end of my junior year, I felt that I would be in school for quote on quote FORREEVVERRR, but Fall semester of my senior year has flown by like none other....in a couple of weeks I will be blogging about Thanksgiving for crying out loud. I digress *sigh*
For obtaining my M.A. in Art Therapy, I am applying to both The GW Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and NYU, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Both programs are extremely competitive; both are far away from home.
In a nutshell, my GRE scores suck. NYU doesn't require the GRE for the art therapy program, but GW requires it for strictly admissions into the Columbia College, not the art therapy program itself.
Right now I'm praying for wisdom. The right words to use in my essays, both admissions and scholarships, and for the right works of art to select to include in my digital portfolio. If invited for an interview I get to have fun hauling my work around from NC to DC and NC to NY. Thank God for SUVs.
So hopefully, next Fall I will still be in school, enrolled in an accredited Art Therapy program. As far as "Plan B," I do not know where I will end up. I guess I could apply to random "starter" jobs and hope for the best. Honestly, after all of the internships and jobs I have worked, there has not really been anything I have fallen in love with. The whole 9-5 thing is a real joy-kill for me. Don't get me wrong, I am a very hard worker, but I hate being stuck at a desk. I understand the necessity of paperwork, but I don't want paperwork to be my job. I love research enough, but there's not much I am able to really do without any credentials. I really, really LIKED working in the Meredith Autism Program (MAP), but there was something missing--art! The only job I absolutely LOVED[[/will LOVE (God-willing I will have time to volunteer next semester)]] is when I was at SeeSaw Studio. I blogged about my summer job here: iSketchMyHeartOut.
Anywho, my heart's desire is to be an art therapist. I will be sure to put updates later about where I'll end up.
For the 12th Annual Raleigh Street Painting Festival apart of artSparkmy friend Shonta and I decided to work together. Between busy class schedules and getting ready for graduation, neither one of us really had the time to sit down and come up with a design. I did not get an idea as to what we should do concept wise until late Thursday night, so I wrote it down to make sure I didn't forget my idea in the morning.
Along the lines of being fed up with constantly having to be PC (politically correct) when around others and certain individuals refusing to talk about current issues, I came up with the idea of juxtaposing the common phrase, "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," with the three taboo dinner conversation topics of race, religion and politics.
I thought "see no evil" should go with race because in the United States, race is a construct based on appearance. I thought "hear no evil" should go with religion because people set in one religion rarely want to hear about another religion's viewpoint. I thought "speak no evil" should go with politics because it seems people constantly run their mouths about political beliefs but rarely know enough for an intelligent conversation or have all the facts.
A couple of hours out of Friday afternoon I looked up various symbols and images that would best represent the concept. Friday night, I met with Shonta, and she was key in finalizing and putting the design together. She pointed out that without text, we would have to make sure that the image would have to be clear and concise in communicating the concept. Initially, when I showed Shonta the images I came up with, she jokingly said, "Now Katelyn, don't get us shot!" (lol) I told her we should be fine, but as the night went on, I really began to question if even in the context of our design, would the Swastika next to the Star of David be offensive no matter what. I did research the KKK symbol, but theirs is actually less recognizable, and current skinheads are against everyone the KKK is against, which includes all people of color. I decided to call a classmate of mine, Alissa, who I remembered had mentioned in class that she is Jewish by heritage. In a nutshell she told me it should be fine as long as we were willing to stop and explain our concept to people.
The next day on Saturday morning, when I got started on mapping the design out, a lady, unbeknown to me who was Jewish, as she was walking by smirked and commented, "You're putting the swastika next to the Jewish star?" *snorty fake laugh* I stopped her, explained my concept, and asked should I change it while I "still had the chance" (it was a little before 9am at this point--not too many people were there.) She explained to me that she was actually Jewish herself and was not offended, but of course everyone is different. Then she jokingly said that it was the first day of Yom Kippur so not too many Jews would be out anyway. She was a funny lady! (lol) Apparently during our unnecessarily long lunch break due to bad service at The Big Easy a high school kid came by and was ticked off and ranted how one of his teammates is Jewish. After a classmate chalking out a square next to ours explained our concept for us he said it was ok. (lol) I'm glad I wasn't there, me sit through a high schooler going off on me??? For all intent purposes we are grown women *please*
anywho...
Shonta and I worked really well together! We also had a lot of fun :) Plus, we won BEST IN SHOW: DESIGN in the college category!!!!
**Extras:
Click to see photograph taken by Simonae Williams of newsobserver.com @ www.triangle.com. And other photos in the album...
Don't eat at The Big Easy!!! The service was horrible TWO YEARS in a row!!! (we ate there last year for lunch--same story, but the food was delicious though lol)
Shout out to Alissa & Mary who got an HONORABLE MENTION!!! MC Represented w/ 5 squares btw--Angels in the house :)
Now, with the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender being all white, when clearly the cartoon is made out to be more of an "Asian" series is quite offensive. The movie being filmed in parts of Asia just adds insult to injury. But what do you call it when the film director himself is Asian--Indian to be exact. Does this go back to when Indians/Indian Americans bubbled in white on American standardized tests before 9/11? Are Indians so engrossed in wearing the full new identity of Middle Eastern that they forget about other Asians? Does M. Night Shyamalan realized what he's done with the casting?
OR
Is M. Night Shyamalan an Asian Uncle Tom?
I could even see if the cast were stellar and the actors simply got their roles off of pure talent--that is obviously NOT the case--THE ACTING SUCKED!!!! The ONLY part I liked about the movie was the bending, and THAT'S b/c the bending reminded me of DANCING and I love to watch pple dance!
Anywho,
here's a video to watch for enjoyment and some other points on the matter:
My NEW website Katelyn Richelle is coming along great!!! I'm uBeR eXciteD ! ! ! So far I pretty much have everything except the gallery :( (such a drag right?!?!?!?) Most pictures I had of some of my artwork are LONG gone b/c apparently only have the files got backed up--that i know of--from when my household got a new fam computer :/.........UNLESS they are on a cd somewhere in my parents' house :) BUT either way I have to start taking pics of all my artwork to get some stuff up there AND i still need to research PayPal and whoever(???) their competition is--which says a lot that i don't even know lol
i do like PayPal A LOT b/c they take the money out of the buyer's account and NOT the seller directly--which makes me feel better about the sale and have more trust about the whole process of putting in my personal info to buy something i.e. account #'s, card holder's address, gov't name lol, etc.
OMG I'm so excited!!! Me dad made a business investment in me, and for that I'm soooooo grateful and thankful b/c I can finally do what I've been waiting to do for A WHILE now!!!! =))
Soooo, as an artist, I have decided to go by Katelyn Richelle--catchy right??? Besides, I've yet to start marketing myself so the name at this point really doesn't matter. I already go by Kay Rich on my original (this) blog and now on Twitter/Youtube/Spoken Word and whatever else, so it only seems right I go by the names that Kay Rich is derived from as a studio artist.
But I will be giving updates about the sites, my experience fiddling with code, and what not on Twizzlerz.....so STAY TUNED :-))
Sooooo, who started this? Was this a movement? Or was it always meant to be funny? Did it start with a thought such as, "Why we gotta use the white side to give fives? Why the black side gotta be neglected??"?? hmmmm I was first intrigued by Queen Latifah's rendition, but when I googled searched "how to give five on the black hand side," a movie came up in the search results. Let's observe:
The creative processes of making art in and from nature have influenced my ethics. I now view nature as another way to connect with God. After all, He did take the time to create it, so I figure I at least owe Him getting outside more and appreciating it, as opposed to being even more severed from it through manmade technology. I believe that nature was designed for man to take care of and cultivate, not to be destroyed and further pushed aside. In western culture, people and nations that live directly in nature, as opposed buildings like we do, are thought of as “uncivilized.” Well, I think that western culture has the most ungodly people ever. I think this just from seeing people’s reactions from the state of the United States economy and watching the stock market comes near crashing yet again. Also, seeing in the headlines people practically “selling their souls” and having no sense of integrity all for money tells me that people in western society put their faith in money. If we were to be in a society of barter and trade, and lived very simply, none of that would be an issue.
In the Bible, the Garden of Eden was not ready until God created Adam and Eve to live there. Moreover, the servant of God who prepared the way for Jesus, John the Baptist, lived in the wilderness and ate locusts and honey. Most Buddhist monks go away to live in monasteries that are right in the middle of nature. In Buddhism, the world is in four parts: existentially, morally, cosmologically, and ontologically (http://fore.research.yale.edu/religion/index.html). Existentially, Buddhism teaches that all sentient beings share in suffering as well as its cause and cessation (James, p. 62). According to Buddhism, a person should alleviate suffering and develop empathy for all creatures (James, p. 79). Buddhists have the concepts of karma, rebirth, and Nirvana. Karma and rebirth is what connects all sentient beings and humans because it is the continuous cycle until they reach Nirvana. As evident through a story similar to the Garden of Eden in the Pali canon, Buddhists believe that the human environmental impact is a direct result or human morality, and therefore humans have the greatest responsibility in taking care of nature (http://fore.research.yale.edu/religion/index.html). Finally, Buddha is always portrayed in nature and under the tree of enlightenment, and today’s Buddhists point out that trees are always present in the major events of his life. This is the reason why many Buddhists create their religious institutions in remote areas in the forests. I believe that I am missing out on a lot of experiences from God just from being so out of touch with nature. Furthermore, I think that nature and every type of life has an intrinsic value (James, p. 83). If God took the time to create something, living or not, I think is has a purpose in and of itself, regardless if it can serve me, humans, or anything else. I think that something’s presence determines whether or not it is worth something, not what its capabilities of serving something else. If anything, I think everything is serving God, or otherwise He would have not created it.
The creative processes of making art in and from nature define my outlook on life and on art. I think that all life should be respected because it is, in fact, life. Some people are constantly concerned about the “quality” of life, but I think life itself is enough. With all the people and beings that are currently fighting for life, how can I not think there is something to be had in life itself if so many creatures are fighting just to live? I have more appreciation for at that has been created in and from nature as well.
Additionally, I believe that nature and the whole cosmos and universe is the original artwork created by God. So in essence, we as humans are borrowing what Our Creator has made to make our own artwork. I believe that my inner beauty, my soul’s expression, and my spirit’s mirror can be seen in my artwork. Art gives me the opportunity to have a connection with God: creativity. I believe I, a human, am a piece of art because God thought about how he wants my eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and the rest of features to look. When I create a piece of art I think about how do I want something to look, what emotion am I trying to convey, what style I want to use, and the reaction I want viewers to have to my artwork. I also think of the purpose for it. I believe that God has a purpose for me, and every artwork that I create is made purposefully. Therefore I believe art is anything that has some sort of higher level thinking, logic, or thought process behind it. I also think that God was the first sculptor because according to the Judeo-Christian Bible Adam was made from the clay in the earth. Depending on the artwork, I have felt connected to God while creating a work of art. I think that I would like to go out and nature, and create a persona piece of art for myself as opposed to using manmade materials while working inside of a studio. By the end of the course, this class not only revealed to me how removed I am from nature, but it also showed me where I want to be in terms of my relationship to nature.
It's Not Easy Being Green_Edited (for Colton Review) [somethin about the recession and there's not a lot of room bla bla bla lol]
By Kay Rich
It’s not easy BEING green.
All these PSA’s on TV talking
about going green, being green.
Think green thoughts. Do green things!
But how can a woman go green
when she’s STUCK in a 9-to-5 job,
working for the minimum wage
of the green-dead-presidents she’ll never really see?
If any green, she has the envy
of all those who have because she has—NOT.
Without the green of this nation,
all she is left with is this green earth,
BUT
how can she support the green earth
when all she does have the green for
is cheap things?
Is it her fault she is FORCED
to buy
green Jello, canned green beans, and green Koolaid
because those are more AFFORDABLE than
green melon, fresh green beans, and green tea?
Is it her fault she is FORCED
to buy food that makes
her green veins pump at a high-pressure rate?
Will she someday
look prematurely green
like those dead presidents she never even saw?
So as I check her out
during a shift on a job I need
to get these green-dead-presidents
to pay for my supposedly
“green textbooks,”
I count the green she hands me,
so my register will not be short,
so my company can stay in the
BLACK,
the only time you ever see black
associated with that kind of green.
Well, in fact,
my company has always truly been green…
Green was always easy for them; it was simple.
They bought green vegetables from green-greedy farmers
who used workers like the woman
who receives BELOW minimum green-dead-presidents’ wage
ALL because she has no green card.
So as she breaks her back picking
green lettuce, green cabbage, green turnips,
green beans, and green peppers,
she has to write letters
to her kids back home telling them,
“It’s not easy being GREEN!”
I MEAN,
when is the last time
our Homeland Security Advisory
has even spelled green?
The government officials
pursue rumors of weapons of mass destruction,
wear green berets and green fatigues
jump prematurely
into one war, now pulling out, going into another
all over green money, oil, and greed.
Now we are being told that nuclear power is green,
And the Department of Homeland Security
Shouting,
“IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN.”
(Originally a little longer and intended as spoken word)
well for one, it's NOT the same as the n-word, the n-word, along with it's meaning, has never changed, which is up for debate by rap artists who change the "er" to "a"
retarded has evolved from idiot, stupid, dumb, feeble, feeble-minded, etc
obama has used the word stupid and she did not slam him for it
that being said, it was still wrong for him to use the word "retarded" but it is NOT nor will it ever equate to the emotional response to the n-word
My sis' posed question:
so ifi call something retarded its the same thing as stupid...so the two are interchangeable...is that what you are saying?
My response:
pretty much, the bible says ur not supposed to call anyone stupid or a fool anyway b/c there are power in words, so just don't insult anybody/anything
FEEL FREE TO COMMENT AND TELL ME WHAT U THINK!!!!! :-))
As I was growing up, my maternal grandparents’ farm was still fairly active. I remember my Grandpa Joe had cattle, chickens, partridges, and pigs. They had—and still have—all types of crops, trees, vines, and bushes to grow various vegetables and fruits. He also had hunting dogs he would take with him whenever he and his friends or sons would go hunting. He would not be very happy when I tried to make pets out of his hunting dogs. I would also get up way before the crack of dawn to fishing with my grandpa. He taught me how to bait my hook and cast the line. Thanks to my grandparents, I was always spoiled with fresh food. To this day I hate canned vegetables and fruits. I also remember these random cats that used to wonder around his mother’s yard—while she was still living. I would love to visit my grandparents’ home because I was free to roam around the yard and go down the dirt road with my sister and cousins. We would also play with my grandma’s best friend’s grandkids, and most of the time all we would be doing was roam around outside. The natural world was just this infinite playground in which I could play. There was no scenario or no game that we could not make up—anything was possible! At home, my sister and I were allowed to play outside with our neighbors until the street lights came on. My neighborhood has a trail and we would always ride our bikes down the dirt path to the creek and skip rocks. My parents always taught my sister and I to be environmentally conscious. I remember the one time I decided to litter a gum wrapper because I thought it was so small, but my dad scolded me and said being wrong starts out small and then it escalates. My mom and dad always taught my sister and I that we need to be good stewards of the earth and take care of the land we have.
My Grandma and Mom’s Views of Nature and Land:
Grandma Marie’s Views of Nature & Land:
Me: How do you view the land in terms of property?
Grandma Marie: It’s nice to own property, but there are a lot of people who put too much emphasis on the property and not on the family. Belief in being well rounded and even thought on whatever comes in life. It’s like a menu of making a good meal, it takes more than one thing to make a good life. You have to be smart enough to separate good from the bad.
Me: What are your attitudes towards the land, did you have respect for it?
Grandma Marie: Of course you respect the land. I enjoy farming. You are free, you don’t have a supervisor standing over you. You work at your own pace. I love farming. That’s why I enjoy gardening so much. My body can’t keep up like it used to, but I love gardening. Gardening is like farming. You like all those good tomatoes and ears of corn.
Me: Do you feel you have an attachment to the land?
Grandma Marie: I have an attachment to the land because this is where we live and I love country. I wouldn’t mind living a little closer to town, but I love the open land. I feel free living like we live.
Me: Were you taught any religious values about nature?
Grandma Marie: We were taught the value of the church and the respect of the church, but nothing specifically to nature.
Mommy’s Views of Nature & Land:
Me: What are your views of land in terms of property?
Mommy: I basically think if you can afford it or inherit it belongs to you.
Me: What were your attitudes towards the land? I know you grew up farming, so did you view as just a job or did you respect it as well?
Mommy: I considered farming to be a job where you had to work the land. You had to get up early and the whole process of farming. However I respect the land because I have access to it. We had parts to run around and space to stretch out.
Me: Oh, I forgot to ask Grandma a question. How did grandma and grandpa view animals?
Mommy: They named the animals. They were property, but they were also important to the whole process of farming.
Me: How do you view animals?
Mommy: To me they are a part of the farm.
Me: Were you taught any religious values about nature?
Mommy: They did, but it never came out in a sermon. Cultural values, I was taught, I grew up with people who really valued land. Their ideology was if you didn’t have any property and land you didn’t have anything. For a while blacks weren’t allowed to own land. Only a handful had some during slavery. I grew up with two generations removed from slavery that put great pride in their land.
Me: Do you feel you have an attachment to the land?
Mommy: I have an attachment where I grew up at, and I think you understand that…it’s just the fact that I recognize the heritage of my great grandfather and great grandmother’s sacrificing and keeping up with the land. I would like to see it productive and not just sit there, but, yeah, I do have an attachment to the land. Sometimes I think the attachment to the land comes with your attachment to memories.
My Current Attitudes Toward the Natural Environment:
I love to be outside when it is warm outside. During the summer, I associate being outside with social festivities such as cookouts or looking at fireworks for the 4th of July. Most of the time when I am outside it is because of a family/friends cookout or a church picnic. My home church as well as my grandma’s church has always had outdoor picnics just as a social activity for its members. In addition to eating, there are always other activities to do, whether it was some sort of sport or just a general outside activity. My family reunions always have some sort of outdoor cookout incorporated into it. I have a lot of good memories with being outside. I agree with my mom that my attachment to land is mainly through my memories.
Even now, the outdoors to me is very open to a wide range of things. Recently, since I have been older, my grandpa and uncle will let me practice shooting targets with them. In Raleigh, I would have to go find a shooting range, but I was able to shoot right out on my grandpa’s land. As far as animals, I feel like I have a fascination with them. I don’t know what this will say about me as a person, but every time either I or my cousins finds a snake, I enjoy yelling out snake and us pursuing it to kill it. I just like the rush of it. Sometimes the stuff I grab won’t even be a traditional weapon, but it could be a shovel and I will go after it. Most of the time, I’m too slow to catch the snake, so I have never really killed a snake. The only time I killed an animal is when I accidentally ran over a squirrel.
I think the environment is really cool because there are so many different processes and systems that happen within nature. Right now, my appreciation towards nature is mostly for the aesthetic appeal—or for things that are not of typical beauty—things that can catch my attention. I try to make sure I do “my part” and recycle—and whatever else I can—as my parents have taught me. I cannot afford to shop environmentally though. I do have concern for the disparate proportions of minorities and poor people in the United States who live in areas with higher concentrations of pollution. At this point in my life, I don’t know what I can do to help this problem beyond writing senators and congressmen.
Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real
There's something inside me
That pulls beneath the surface
Consuming, confusing
This lack of self control I fear
Is never ending, controlling
I can't seem to find myself again
My walls are closing in
(Without a sense of confidence)
(I'm convinced that there's)
(Just too much pressure to take)
I've felt this way before so insecure
Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real
Discomfort, endlessly has pulled
Itself upon me distracting, reacting
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection
It's haunting how I can't seem
To find myself again
My walls are closing in
(Without a sense of confidence)
(I'm convinced that there's)
(Just too much pressure to take)
I've felt this way before so insecure
Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real
Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing, confusing what is real
There's something inside me
That pulls beneath the surface
Consuming
(Confusing what is real)
This lack of self control I fear
Is never ending, controlling
(Confusing what is real)
I am really feeling this song right now! I know the past should not matter--and it especially doesn't matter to God--but I feel like it is constantly in my face...reminding me of the person I used to be, who I never wanted to be, and I have this seemingly irrational fear of becoming the person I worked so hard at to change from...Plus I feel like I am dealing with too much pressure from everyone to succeed. It's not even that I have this fear of failure, I just hate the thought of disappointing people. People may try to mask it, but when you've disappointed someone, you can still see it in their eyes. I suppose I am still trying to figure myself out in this journey called life--and perhaps I will never understand myself, and that's okay, too because you never truly know what type of person you are until you are put to the flame up under some type of pressure.
Art is my nurturer. I have never received anything more beautiful. I use art as a language. When I am unable to explain certain emotions or feelings with words, I sketch my heart out. When I am going through something difficult, my artwork allows me to find the strength that is within me to get though. Art gives me the comfort in knowing it is okay to feel what I feel. I believe art reminds everyone that we are only human. Some sort of connection is there to be made between the viewer and the artwork for the simple reason that only humans are able to create art and not animals.
Art is my first love. I have never been with anything more beautiful. Art has always been there, is always here, and will always be thus creating a sense of stability. For better or for worse, it’s not going anywhere. From angry to pleased or ugliness to beauty, art is able to tug and bring out any of my emotions.
Art is my first-born. I have never seen anything more beautiful. It is my passion. My inner beauty, my soul’s expression, and my spirit’s mirror are seen in my artwork. Art gives me the opportunity to have a connection with God: creativity. I believe I, a human, am a piece of art because God thought about how he wants my eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and the rest of features to look. When I create a piece of art I think about how do I want something to look, what emotion am I trying to convey, what style I want to use, and the reaction I want viewers to have to my artwork. I also think of the purpose for it. I believe that God has a purpose for me, and every artwork that I create is made purposefully. Therefore I believe art is anything that has some sort of higher level thinking, logic, or thought process behind it.
