MODULE REFLECTION

LAST THOUGHTS

So guys, the time has come. This is will be my final post on this blog. It’s been quite a journey with a lot of self-discovery and memorable experiences along the way. Like I said in a previous post (Forced Connection-II), this module has possibly impacted me the most as I genuinely enjoyed the assignments and yearned to express myself. Creative thinking in my opinion is the core module in our syllabus as we apply everything we learn in every other module.

Most importantly, it allowed me to be my crazy self, surrounded by people who supported me rather than those who put me down. Artists or free thinkers often find themselves in a negative environment where creativity isn't always appreciated. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that. 

In fact, I found the courage to socialise and be confident in my approach through the introductory exercises. I used to be extremely inward and introverted when I first got here, but now creative thinking has helped me meet some amazing and charismatic people who I know I will cherish forever. Beside the module in itself, my lecturer, Ms. Ho Hui May has been a key component of my positive experience. She has been supportive and approachable throughout the term and she delivers an unbiased judgement when solving a problem. I feel extremely grateful for everything Ms. Ho has taught me this term. I will definitely carry on what I've learnt in this module for my future (and I'm not just saying that).  

Ciao for now my friends.

Thank you,

Samyuktha Chandar 

FORCED CONNECTION-III

OBJECTS AND EMOTIONS

This week's task was to select an object and illustrate it to convey a set of 12 emotions- Compassionate,dull, happy, sad, cowardly, brave, greedy, gracious, lazy, hardworking, creative and unimaginative. The object I chose was a clock. 

This assignment was quite intriguing as it helped us unleash our 'goofy' side and let us realise the way we perceive certain emotions and feelings. My approach to this exercise was to use the hands of the clock as a mouth or to use them as actual hands. All in all, this was a fun and upbeat assignment that helped me escape all the stress of assessment week which seems to come ever closer. This assignment happens to be our last, so it definitely holds a special place in my memory. 

                

Thank you,

Samyuktha Chandar

FORCED CONNECTION-II

FUN WITH FLOSS

The assignment given to us was to come up with different ways to make flossing fun.

I'll admit that I NEVER floss because I'm lazy (stop judging me), so this exercise had me a bit stuck. We sat in groups and discussed the topic at hand. The group consisted of Pauline, Rita, Xiaolin and Sayidah. We were a little slow with the flow of ideas but as we started embracing the topic more, we got better.

We incorporated quite a few methods, some possible, others not so much. We had fun working on this project as we got to stretch our imagination beyond the realms of reality and play with infinite possibilities. That's really why I love creative thinking. 

I've learnt to never be content with limitations and rules as they only hinder our imagination. This module as a whole has let me open up and explore my mind which is something I never really had an opportunity to do. And for that I'm thankful.

Thank you,

Samyuktha Chandar

FORCED CONNECTION-I

CHEFS FOR A DAY

This week's assignment was all about experimentation. We were given a set of foods that we all eat on a regular basis and we were asked to create a few dishes by mixing two or more of them together. There were absolutely no rules when it came to creating our delectable (haha not really) masterpiece. 

We got to work mixing and matching, trying to come up with the craziest and most outrageous combinations. I personally tried to come up with the grossest dishes ever. 

It was quite nasty.. I created the following dishes:

Bao filled with egg and masala chicken (sounds pretty good actually)

Broccoli and bell pepper flavoured lays (oh god..)

Bacon and stake with ice cream (hmm doesn't sound ALL that bad)

Ice cream with chilli and tomato ketchup in it (am I pushing it?)

And finally Cappucino with mashed potato melted in it 

Of course we had to illustrate all our ideas so everyone's creations looked colourful and crazy! 

I had so much fun working on this project as it let us run away with our imagination and enjoy boundless freedom creatively. We were also told not to disregard any dish as who know? It may become a delicacy in the future. 

Then we were asked to think about any weird dish that we enjoy. I have a really good one for this- Yoghurt and bacon. Yeah i know it sounds super weird but it tastes so amazing. Give it a chance and tell me I'm wrong.

Thank you,

Samyuktha Chandar

ANALOGICAL THINKING-II

THE BOTTLE OF OXYGEN

This week's assignment was to design a poster to advertise a bottle of oxygen by Coca Cola. The group consisted of Pauline, Rita, Xiaolin and me. We started out by making a personal analogy of oxygen which basically means that we tried to visualise oxygen's point of view and evaluate it's use.
We put down words like life-giving, essential and pure.
Then we had to choose our demographic, the price range, the design and the general vibe of the poster.
Our group decided to target the elderly consumers and make the product expensive. The reason being that oxygen is essential for survival and many elderly individuals need help breathing, so they will be willing to pay any amount of money if it means that they can breathe with ease. This decision was strictly from a business point of view focusing on the profits for the company (Coca Cola).
As for the design of the bottle, we made it look like the earth as our planet depends on oxygen to support life (as well as the atmosphere but yeah). We decided to name it as well- insuffler la vie which means 'breathe life' in French. There are depressions on the sides of the bottle that make it easy to grip. The bottle is made of glass and has an outlet at the top in the form of a capillary tube that can be attached to any IV instantly.  Its a fool-proof design that's simplistic and elegant. We believe that this will appeal to our demographic of choice.
The slogan for the campaign is 'Revitalise Your Life'. In keeping with the theme, we went for subtle and light colours.

All in all this assignment was a very educational experience as we realised that there is a lot that goes into advertising a certain product. There are a lot of aspects of it that need to be taken into careful consideration in order to draw the consumers in and convince them that the product is worth investing in. To conclude, this project taught me a lot about consumerism and creative advertising.

Thank You, 

Samyuktha Chandar

ANALOGICAL THINKING-II

SYMBOLIC SELF PORTRAIT

This assignment was definitely on my list of favourites because it involved depicting ourselves using symbols and objects that best describe our personality and interests.

I got right to work as i already knew what i was going to incorporate into the portrait- Music, ballet, swimming, coffee, art and dogs.

I have this mad love for 70's rock-be it psychedelic or hard rock so I simply HAD to incorporate the Rolling Stones logo as well as the album art for Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon'. It was convenient that the RS logo was a pair of lips so it fit right on my face. The famous dispersion of white light through the prism(FLOYD) made up my eye balls. An upside down Starbucks Venti mocha gave me a nose and two little puppies made my eyebrows. My cheekbones were accentuated by a paint brush and a pen as I love to paint and write. My neck was made up of musical notes. The most prominent part of the picture is most probably my hair. One side of it is made up of water with swimming equipment floating in it (swim suits, caps, goggles, flippers etc) and the other side is made up of my pointe shoes that I use in ballet. The shoes make up the roots of my hair and the laces make up the body.

Overall I think my portrait conveys everything one might need to know about me in terms of my passion, my hobbies and my taste. This exercise was very creatively stimulating and made us really think about how we could project ourselves in the simplest way possible.

Thank You,

Samyuktha Chandar

EXPLORING PAREIDOLIA

Pareidolia is formally defined as a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus(often an image or a sound) being perceived as significant.
This week we decided to focus on finding faces in our environment. We were instructed to walk around the school grounds and try to take pictures of as many faces as we see.

It was definitely a very interesting assignment and I thought that the presentation of our pictures was the best part as all of us got to understand how our fellow classmates perceive things around them. Every group had a unique way of spotting faces. This task definitely tested our creativity because everyone was trying to think outside the box and really put their powers of perception to the test.

It's funny because I never really thought about the concept of pareidolia too much before I was informed about it. It was something that i would automatically do as it is a human instinct but I didn't pay any attention to it. It's amazing how many faces you see when you really want to. That is why the human brain amazes me so much. There are so many creative avenues we don't bother venturing down. But once we do, there's no turning back. Your mind is open to a whole new world.

Pareidolia definitely enhanced my perception of my surroundings.

yawning

The exasperated locker

The monster

starstruck

The horrified locker

Camera reacting to a scandal it witnessed

Cheshire cat of jewellery

Shouting

Thank You,
Samyuktha Chandar