I find the forced introspection prompted by the college application process fascinating. Learning about oneself is a lifelong journey, but, at the ripe old age of 17, we are told it is time to have it figured out. We are told we must know ourselves well enough by now to wrap all of the odds and ends and weird sticking out bits of us into a neat little package to be shipped off to somebody who could take one look and toss us in the nearest wastebasket.
Thankfully, my Freestyle classes managed to reframe this process for me. As I wrote my Common App essay in English, designed my mandala in Digital Media, and produced my “Reflections” video in Film, my distaste for the process faded away. Instead of feeling like I needed to work to figure out who I was, I took comfort in knowing that everything I needed was already there. Right as my hands touched the keyboard or Wacom pen or camera, who I was would come pouring out. It was instinctive and obvious and surprising all at once.
My essence objects — things (big or small) that represent a part of who I am — are as follows:
- Spirited Away DVD
- my rings
- black high top Converse
- cookie fortunes
- ambiguous silly band
- paper mache girl on a swing
- little ceramic cottage
- It’s a Small World blanket
- nail polish
- my journals
- my first pair of glasses
- my Airpods
- Edna (my car hehe)
- bao ze
- The Penderwicks, Farmer Boy
- orange blossom perfume
- jasmine tea
- Winged Victory of Samothrace statue
- Hamilton t-shirt
- Columbia pullover
Nearly all of my essence objects recall experiences or people. They come with stories. That is what my work from this unit reflects: the importance of the little things in helping us understand the big ones.