The Seeing Man

I once knew a blind man with perfect vision.

He was late forties, a heavy-set.

He was bald and wore a full beard.

Drank scotch and smoked cigarettes.

His eyes looked like anyone else’s eyes.

He himself looked like any other man.

But this man was different.

He was always happy.

Always hopeful.

Always adventurous, charming, and compassionate.

I didn’t get it.

How could someone be so positive in a world of complete darkness?

How could someone experience beauty without sight?

And how could someone live without ever experiencing beauty?

Then it hit me.

Beauty itself is irrelevant.

Because beauty is nothing without meaning.

It’s then that I realized in everywhere I found beauty, I had lacked finding meaning.

Unlike myself, the blind man found meaning in everything.

He was able to truly experience beauty.

So I guess in the end I am the blind man.

And he is the seeing man.

The Very Drab

(previous stanza at: http://jimmyruddy.blogspot.com/)

"that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light. It was what I was born for - 

to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world."

(next stanza at: http://llewellynhumanities.blogspot.com/)

Tenacity and The Pick of Destiny

Tenacity - "the quality or fact of being very determined; determination."

    Before I learned about the word "tenacity" in humanities, I had only seen it used once before. This was in the movie Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. I never really understood the meaning of "tenacity" or "tenacious." I just assumed from the likes of the movie that it was a pointless name related to some crude humor. Although after learning about tenacity in humanities, I realized the name actually holds meaning. To be tenacious is to be determined. In Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, JB and KG started their journey as starving artists unable to pay rent and other living expenses. But in the end through relentless effort and ridiculous antics, they prevailed in a rock battle against Satan - an incredible achievement. This allowed me to understand why the group was named Tenacious D, because no matter what happened, they were constantly determined to be successful and achieve their goals. In my life, especially senior year, tenacity has been my main focus. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to do as best I possibly can in all of my classes. I figured it being senior year, I might as well end on a high note and truly test my abilities. Well finally first semester grades came around and I couldn't be more surprised - All A's! This was the first time in my entire life I have received a 4.0 GPA. I never expected to do so well. This achievement was the result of my tenacity this semester. As Leonard Brody put it best, "tenacity is about getting punched ten times in the stomach and getting back up for the eleventh." In the short clip we watched in class, He explained how tenacity is the key to success. It is the main factor that allows us to achieve our goals. Although based on my experience this semester, I'd like to alter that statement a bit. Tenacity is the main factor that allows us to exceed our goals.

Experience the World

    At the end of my junior year in high school, I was given the option to choose my senior year english course. I read down the list; "Rhetoric - This year-long course is appropriate for students interested in strengthening their writing skills in preparation for college." I enjoy creative writing and I don't think i'm half bad, but an entire class revolved around building technical skills does not sound like a fit for me. "World Literature - This year-long literature-based.." That was enough for me, the last thing I have an interest in is the study and analysis of classic literature. "Humanities - This year-long course focuses on how humankind expresses meaning in various forms. As students study philosophy, literature, film, painting, architecture, music and dance, they examine how creativity and imagination are used by a wide range of individuals to understand oneself and one's world." Whoa, How fascinating! Could it be that I have actually found a course that suits my interests? "Beyond analyzing and commenting on these diverse works, students also sharpen their own critical eye and voice by creating both written and visual text that reflect on a variety of their experiences." This class is perfect! I have to take it. I marked "Humanities" as my first choice and for the first in my life, I felt an intense sense of excitement to begin a class.

    On August 21st, 2013, I made my first steps into Mr. Glass' Humanities classroom. I was nervous, but eager to begin my journey. I remembered reading about the course, "students also sharpen their own critical eye and voice by creating both written and visual text that reflect on a variety of their experiences." This triggered my first concern. [Q.1] Will I be able to adjust comfortably to new expressive strategies? I knew from my past that I could describe my experiences through poetry and short stories, but never have I tried to express myself through "visual text." During the first week of class, Mr. Glass introduced us to our "mind books." He explained how we would use them in relatively every aspect of the class. From note-taking to assignments, these mind books would be our survival guides to humanities. 

In the following weeks, Mr. Glass assigned our first "self-guided mind book entry." This would be my first chance to try and express my thoughts and feelings through other mediums than words. [SCW.1] I decided to do my assignment on the stresses of college searching and chose to create a visual aid through drawings and pictures. This was the first time I ever put an honest effort towards drawing, as I knew it was one of my weakest skills. Four hours of frustration later, I was pleasantly surprised with what I had created. My drawing was impressive and worked extremely well to convey the feelings of stress and anxiety I was aiming to portray. This was my first breakthrough in humanities. From that point on my self-confidence improved, but that wasn't the only thing holding me back.

    Throughout my life, I have struggled with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and severe perfectionism. Although there are positives in always needing things to be "perfect," it does not promote a healthy lifestyle; and from personal experience, I know it can really drive a person crazy. This brought up my second concern in the class. [Q.2] Will my perfectionism control my progress in humanities? In many ways, my OCD and perfectionism run my life. They control what decisions I make, how I go about my everyday routines, and my thinking processes. This is exactly why I wanted to make sure at least in some ways, that I could overcome my perfectionism. Over the period of about a month, I had been drawing a large abstract picture in the cover of my mind book. Little did I know it would be this very picture that I would have my first victory over my perfectionism. It happened as I was constantly making mistakes. I would make one wrong pen movement and then have to shade in the area to alleviate the mistake. What happened was that I found myself making a lot of mistakes, and shading in a lot of areas. As I continued to draw, I noticed I could build off of my mistakes and create beautiful patterns from them. Once I realized that, it didn't matter what mistakes I made because I would build off of them and create something twice as unique. Once I finished, I named the piece "A Perfect Disaster" after the battle of a process it was to create it.

    After I had made those two personal victories, I was able to focus much more on our daily lessons and discussions. During this time, I learned a lot about major issues and questions. One in particular, was the question, [SCW.2] "Can art change the world?"

I wrote that art can be extremely influential and has the power to "change opinions, create awareness, and ultimately work to severely impact certain situations. But there are too many opinions in the world to change it as a whole." After our class discussion we watched a Ted Talk with a famous graffiti artist known as "JR." He explained through his experiences how art, in fact, does have the power to change the world. I was thoroughly impressed with his work and was fascinated to learn all about his mission to use art to make a global impact. This was one of many instances in humanities where one single question led to an entirely bigger idea. Another example was on the first day of school, when our class was asked "can creativity be learned or taught?" I wrote, [Qte. 1] "I believe creativity itself is not something that can be taught, rather it's something that can be broadened by experiences and exposure." We discussed the topic for a couple of days and read an interesting article about it called "The Creativity Crisis." After reading the article, I learned that creativity can be taught; and that it is actually a pressing issue that our school systems are not encouraging it enough. [Qte. 2] "It's too early to determine conclusively why U.S. creativity scores are declining. [one likely culprit] is the lack of creativity development in our schools. In effect, it's left to the luck of the draw who becomes creative: there's no concerted effort to nurture the creativity of all children" (Bronson and Merryman). After learning about this topic, I was so interested that my next two blog posts were written specifically about the issue.
    Besides learning about important issues and thought-provoking questions, humanities also taught me so many new ideas and theories that I found I could relate to my own life. For instance, in a recent blog post I wrote about how certain teachings of the philosopher Kierkegaard could have helped my father and I rebuild our relationship faster. [Qte. 3] "I truly wish I could have learned about Kierkegaard’s philosophy and ideas of 'subjective thinking' and 'human temperament' earlier. For it would have opened my eyes to a whole different way of thinking and possibly allowed my father and I to be much more accepting of one another early on." Learning about Kierkegaard's philosophy in humanities was extremely important because it allowed me to understand where my father and I wronged each other, and helped me realize what is truly important in our relationship. Outside of my personal life, I am able to relate concepts from humanities to other classes I am taking. [AC.1] For example, just as we were learning about how philosophers promote new ideas and share them with the public (most of the time not ending well), in radio, we were learning about how broadcasters share new information and ideas with the public through the airwaves. The airwaves, in a sense, represent word of mouth for the philosophers. Both broadcasters and philosophers share their opinions with the public, its just a matter of how that makes the difference. [AC. 2] Another class I feel I can relate humanities to is Spanish. This is because learning about philosophy has been just like learning a new language for me. In humanities, I am extremely interested in learning philosophy but am awful at grasping the concepts quickly. This is just like Spanish, I have always been highly interested in learning as many languages as I can, but it just so happens that I have an extremely hard time learning them. Luckily, our class discussions in humanities have helped me a lot in understanding the philosophical ideas we are focusing on.
    Many times, there will be multiple philosophical ideas on one broad topic. One of the most interesting topics I have learned about in humanities is understanding the world and how we experience it. A favorite quote of mine by Saint Bernard expresses the importance of our connection with the natural life around us. [AOL. 1] "You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters" (Bernard). I have always found this quote to be extremely fascinating and I think it relates very well with some of the ideas from the two stories we have read. In The Shadow Catcher, when Marianne Wiggins visits her "father" at the hospital, she takes a moment to explain how we perceive the world and why people "light out." [Qte. 4] "the world is only what I see. Maybe that is ultimately the reason anyone lights out. To learn how big the big world is" (Wiggins, 180). In Sophie's World, As Alberto Knox is teaching Hume to Sophie, he talks to her about understanding the world. [Qte. 5] "We are not born with a set of expectations as to what the world is like or how things in the world behave. The world is like it is, and it's something we get to know" (Gaarder, 273). I also learned about the world of senses. It directly relates to these quotes because they all reference experiencing the world. Which brings me to my final question, [Q. 3] How are we supposed to live our lives?
    In The Shadow Catcher, Marianne Wiggins describes how the Navajos lived for each other. [Qte. 6] "Safety was in numbers, the Navajo larger than the populations of the tribes around them, but safety came with ritual, as well, in knowing one was part of a cohering pattern, part of something greater than oneself" (Wiggins, 312). In Sophie's World, Alberto speaks of selfless living as well, [Qte. 7] "Acting responsibly is not a matter of strengthening our reason but of deepening our feelings for the welfare of others" (Gaarder, 276). After learning about how all of these different types of people live their lives, and how important it is to experience the world, I decided to come up with my own way of life. [AOL. 2] "Do not dwell on that you cannot control; love every moment, cherish every memory."

Works Cited

Wiggins, Marianne. The Shadow Catcher. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Print.

Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. Print.

Bronson, Po, and Ashley Merryman. "The Creativity Crisis." Newsweek [New York] 1 July 2010: 1-5. Print.

A Stubborn Father and his "Angsty" Teenage Son

Throughout my life, my relationship with my father has taken many twists and turns. During my childhood him and I were very close, although as I entered my teenage years things changed drastically. We would constantly argue and could never end a conversation on a positive note. I strongly believe this was due to our religious differences. From my childhood, many memories I have with my father are of going to church services and helping out around the building. As I grew older, I became much more independent and took control of my own beliefs. I chose to no longer attend church (except for major holidays) as I began to question God and Christianity. This upset my father and created an incessant drive in him to make me view otherwise. As an “angsty teenager,” obviously nothing could upset me more than persistent nagging from an authority figure; so our relationship was at a standstill.

Although, as I matured through my teenage years, we were able to alleviate the tension through short discussions about each of our beliefs. Even though we were never able to agree with one another, we were able to understand what each of us held as our personal truth. It was our own beliefs (or truths) that we agreed should be respected. In a perfect world, it wouldn’t have taken us years to come to this conclusion. Nonetheless I am grateful we were able to, as many people who argue about religion don’t.

From the story Sophie’s World, I learned about the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and his beliefs on “subjective truths.” This idea truly made an impact for me in regards to my relationship with my father. Kierkegaard expressed the importance of truth being “subjective.” “By this he did not mean that it doesn’t matter what we think or believe. He meant that the really important truths are personal. Only these truths are ‘true for me.’” (Gaarder, 376). Although my father and I settled our differences before I was exposed to Kierkegaards beliefs, I strongly believe that if I had learned about subjective truths earlier, our differences would have been settled much sooner. “Because what matters is not whether Christianity is true, but whether it is true for you.” (Gaarder, 377). I also believe understanding the idea of subjective truths is beneficial to society, as it is a much more open way of thinking that allows everyone to carry their own beliefs and accept those of others.

Along with Kierkegaard’s idea of subjective truths, I also learned about his beliefs towards human temperament. In our society, controversies control pop culture and our specific view’s on these controversies directly affect the progression of our society. Basically, our views of what is right and what is wrong play extremely important roles in governing the laws of our culture.

In Sophie’s World, Gaarder expresses Kierkegaard’s view on morals and how we should view what is right and what is wrong. “The important thing is not what you may think is precisely right or wrong. What matters is that you choose to have an opinion at all on what is right or wrong.” (Gaarder, 380). When considering Kierkegaard’s belief, we can break down our own stubborn values and instead be open and supportive of each and everyone’s own belief. This allows a much more accepting environment for it does not deny anybody of their own truths.

This directly relates to my father and I. Rather than hearing one another out and accepting that we each have our own beliefs, we criticized each other and let it affect our relationship. This was an issue that should have been resolved years before it actually was. I truly wish I could have learned about Kierkegaard’s philosophy and ideas of “subjective thinking” and “human temperament” earlier. For it would have opened my eyes to a whole different way of thinking and possibly allowed my father and I to be much more accepting of one another early on. I am extremely grateful for learning the philosophy of Kierkegaard, as I plan to use what I have learned to better myself as an accepting human being, and hopefully in the future as a father of my own “angsty teenager.”

Define Art...

Google Search: Art - Google Images - Results: "Street Art," "Paintings Art Famous," "The Word Art," "Famous Art," "Art Supplies," "Abstract Art." How can one word produce such a variety of results? This only further complicates my quest to define Art. Of course, I could always cheat and look up Merriam Webster's definition: "something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings." Okay, I must say I don't completely agree with that. I believe art in many ways, can be ugly. It can define or represent something ugly, or aesthetically look ugly to the audience. It also does not, necessarily, have to come from skill. Anyone can create any type of art. Such as the above work created by a two-year-old child.

But I will not deny that art can be beautiful and come from skill. Art is all of these things because art has no true definition. The definition is as original and variant as every mind on this planet. Art is defined by both the creator and the audience. In my personal opinion, Art is any creation of human process or the process itself. Among common art such as writing, painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, film, dance and music, I believe things like speaking your mind and giving birth are examples of art.

In my opinion, art is the most diverse and universal form of expression. It can trigger an emotional response and connect with anyone without the use of words. Art is its own language, as it creates a bridge of human understanding.

Creativity: Society's Destruction & Our Self-Development

    "I believe creativity itself is not something that can be taught, rather it's something that can be broadened by experiences and exposure." That was my response to an in-class discussion the first day of school. The question was "Can creativity be learned or taught?" I thought about the phrase, "teaching creativity." How bizarre it sounded. We know if someone wants to learn how to play guitar, they take lessons from a guitar instructor. If they want to learn how to do better in a certain subject, they hire a tutor. But what if someone wants to learn how to increase their creativity? Do they see a creativity instructor? Probably not. All the same, two troubling questions remain: Why have we become so detached from our creativity? and What are the ways we can self-develop our creative process?

    According to Linda Naiman, "creativity skills can be learned. Not from sitting in a lecture, but by learning and applying creative thinking processes." She expresses this through her view of "Whole-Brain Thinking; right-brain imagination, artistry, and intuition, plus left-brain logic and planning." Naiman not only explains what is needed in order to develop our creativity, but provides methods on how to develop it. She uses diagrams, data, and factual evidence to describe the development of creativity and how she believes our educational institutions are counter-productive to this creative process.

.

 
    Like Naiman, Newsweek publishers Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman put our educational systems to blame. "Overwhelmed by curriculum standards, American teachers warn there’s no room in the day for a creativity class...The argument that we can’t teach creativity because kids already have too much to learn is a false trade-off." In their article, they protest that creative learning does not have to take away class time, rather it can be implemented within traditional teaching strategies. They also express the importance of children's creativity versus their overall IQ, and just like Naiman, use "whole-brain thinking" as a technique to develop creativity. They compare convergent and divergent thinking, then relate them to explain how they work together with both sides of the brain.
 
    Along with what seems to be a unified decision that traditional teaching methods are useless towards developing creativity, August Turk believes that there are some key factors in our thinking processes that can help as well. He describes how we need to get passed the idea of "making a fool out of ourselves" as it only adds restrictive boundaries on the capabilities of our creativity. One thing I found extremely interesting, was Turk's explanation behind frustration and it's benefits. “Make friends with frustration; if you are not occasionally frustrated, even angered, by a teacher or learning environment that seems bent on nothing more than highlighting your limitations, you are probably wasting your time.” This helped expose how all of our creative capabilities are self-governed, relying on our own efforts to push ourselves past simple things such as frustration in order to see improvement. As Turk puts it best, “Creativity requires treating the impossible as possible.”

   Although, not all of our creative development is subjective to the way we use our brain; sometimes, its why. In his article, Stefan Mumaw takes a different approach in understanding how to increase our creativity. But before answering "why," he first addresses "what." He criticizes our predisposition to creativity and invalidates the common misconception of its direct relation to being artistic. "We have resolved ourselves to the belief that since we are not artistic, we are not creative and therefore shouldn't engage in creative activity. It has become truth because no one has had reason to challenge the origin. If they did, they'd find that their primary definition of creativity is flawed." Mumaw then focuses on the importance of intention when understanding creativity. "Creativity cannot be present without a problem to solve...It is the problem that defines creativity, not the art." He goes on to express how once someone has found this problem, it is the originality of their solution where creativity takes part.

   In class, we talked about a famous photojournalist, Dan Eldon. He was a strong-minded activist who gave his life for his art. His objective was to use this art to expose that which the rest of the world didn't see. To Eldon, art and creativity defined his lifestyle, it was an ongoing experience. As he was exposed to new situations, he developed his craft and creativity. This is crucial in understanding the variety of ways in which our creativity can grow. As most sources focus solely on internal change, rather than external exposure. Yes, it is important to first analyze the way we use our brain; but we must also understand that without influence, we are blind to what creative possibilities can be made. Dan Eldon's journals are a perfect example. They include pictures, drawings, and collages all from his travels and based upon his experiences there. In a sense, they were a visual timeline of his life.

    Creativity lives within all of us. It may not be as prominent in one person over another, but regardless it is still a trait everyone has the ability to harness and develop. The way in which someone develops their creativity is different for everybody. For some, it may be a matter of changing perspective; while for others it may be influence from a personal experience. Whatever the case may be, understand that creativity can be one of the hardest things to develop. But once it is engaged, it will never stop growing, nor will it ever leave us.