Fireside Chat Artist’s Statement

            The Fireside Chat was a pretty neat experience. When the assignment was given that we tell a story related to our beliefs and express it in an artistic sort of way, it got me thinking about what I could do. There were so many directions I could take in order to talk about one of my beliefs, however it was also rather complicated because I didn’t feel like I had many interesting personal stories to share. That is when I got the idea to come up with a story that did relate to something I believed in, however it would be somewhat fictional. My story refers to various experiences I had growing up when I wasn’t sure what was my true calling in life. I went through a number of phases where I thought I was meant to be a doctor, a fireman, a chef, and several more. When I felt I wasn’t supposed to be any of those things, it made me think about what I was going to be. There were times where I puzzled over and over again until I felt like I had been torn to pieces in utter confusion. It was the point of feeling completely lost and useless where I knew I was meant to be a filmmaker. I had finally received my answer after time and time of searching. So there are some differences between what really happened and the story about the piece of paper, but I do feel like it strongly relates to something I actually experienced.

Because this important event in my life took place during my childhood, and I feel like this is a challenge we all face throughout our youth, I decided structure my story in a way that resembled a children’s book. I wanted to images to appear like drawings that could have been done by a child and also for a majority of them to be in black and white. This decision represents the uncertainty the piece of paper feels as it attempts to become different things. Once it figures it all out at the end, the realization brings color and clarity to the world of the paper. The chapters are simply references to the chapters of its life. Every time the paper tries to be something else, a new chapter begins.

I would say my story relates to other forms of media as I look at the many children’s books that share profound and meaningful messages, but does so in a very simple way. They use pretty pictures and small words so that even youngsters can benefit from the stories. As I look back, I also see a connection between my story and the assigned readings from this past week, especially the story, “Observing the Ordinary.” The narrator talks about his mother and her longing to be something great, just like the piece of paper in my story. I also look at the photos of the people worshipping in various places, which help me consider our beliefs can originate from anything or anywhere.

Overall, I think the Fireside Chat was a very effective assignment for the whole class. I believe it gave everyone the opportunity to create something that was quite meaningful to them as well as the chance to express their individuality. It was pretty nerve-racking getting up in front of everybody and giving my presentation, however I feel like once I started telling my story out loud, it re-assured my beliefs even more. It was cool seeing everyone’s creations and allowing myself to ponder over each story. The chat helped me open my mind and learn to really respect other people’s beliefs.