While Writing this "Paper"...
Writing is an art and I'm beginning to believe research might as well be considered one too.
I am so greatly thankful that my professor allowed me to create a website instead of writing a standard paper. As I was digging through sources and was typing about 1 word per minute (sometimes more when I had bursts of inspiration) trying to articulate my thoughts, it became so much more bearable and so much more personal to see my thoughts come together in what I considered an art project. I can't say I completely enjoyed sitting at the library for 5 hours at a time feeling quite lost at times, but it was motivating to think of this project, this website, as exploring a topic more deeply for myself. This project is my artwork in exploring many other pieces of artwork.
I also have to say that I definitely have not mastered the art of writing papers - and probably not website writing either, but I do appreciate the means of expression words allow me to have.
My moment of epiphany came around 7pm on Thursday when reading J. Michael Cole's analysis on the Sunflower Student Movement. I instantly felt this connection between the song and the movement at last. While I had written about the historical content of the music and could sense why the song was more than just "catchy", understanding the context behind the movement and the message of the students helped to complete my thoughts.
It literally was a full circle experience. I began with being interested in the song itself, and through the hours of learning and burying myself in the movement itself (or what felt like that at times), I've returned back to the song with a deeper admiration and understanding for just why the song is as simply radical as it is.
I am so greatly thankful that my professor allowed me to create a website instead of writing a standard paper. As I was digging through sources and was typing about 1 word per minute (sometimes more when I had bursts of inspiration) trying to articulate my thoughts, it became so much more bearable and so much more personal to see my thoughts come together in what I considered an art project. I can't say I completely enjoyed sitting at the library for 5 hours at a time feeling quite lost at times, but it was motivating to think of this project, this website, as exploring a topic more deeply for myself. This project is my artwork in exploring many other pieces of artwork.
I also have to say that I definitely have not mastered the art of writing papers - and probably not website writing either, but I do appreciate the means of expression words allow me to have.
My moment of epiphany came around 7pm on Thursday when reading J. Michael Cole's analysis on the Sunflower Student Movement. I instantly felt this connection between the song and the movement at last. While I had written about the historical content of the music and could sense why the song was more than just "catchy", understanding the context behind the movement and the message of the students helped to complete my thoughts.
It literally was a full circle experience. I began with being interested in the song itself, and through the hours of learning and burying myself in the movement itself (or what felt like that at times), I've returned back to the song with a deeper admiration and understanding for just why the song is as simply radical as it is.