Introduction

The portfolio project asks us to reflect on our past two years at Freestyle and how we've grown, both as artists and as people. I chose to feature my documentary and my innovator projects. You can read more about these projects and my time at Freestyle on this website!
Documentary

The Documentary unit was by far the largest project of my junior year! For this project, we were asked to select a location to feature along with a researchable topic that related to our location. This project was my first exposure to Adobe InDesign. I created a book about ICC Milpitas. The text of the book was from a research paper I completed in English. I learned a lot about writing research papers in my English class. I think this was the first real research paper I had ever written.

For this project, Mr. Greco wanted us to blend facts with story telling to make our work engaging for readers. I definitely struggled with this. I'm proud of my work but I realize this piece is more informational and doesn't have as many of the personal anecdotes that allow readers to truly engage and connect with the writing. A huge part of that was because I didn't ask the right questions while interviewing. If you don't have the stories to begin with, it's hard to weave them into your writing.

This project was important to me because I was able to write about a place that was meaningful to me and a lot of other people. My cultural heritage has always been a huge part of my identity so I wanted to document a place that communicated that. I thought the Indian Community Center was a perfect place to do this. There are people from all over India here. You have children who were born abroad who may first learn about their heritage at ICC. There are people who grew up in India and moved here for their children. People who are comfortable straddling their two homelands, people who are struggling to hold on to one, people who'd be happier letting go, and everyone in between. I was also able to learn a lot about writing, interviewing, and communicating information to people in an interesting way.

You can see my documentary book below.

Innovator

The Innovator Project allowed us to create our own project. For my innovator project, I decided to produce an issue of an e-zine about South Asians in media. My research paper focused on portrayals of the Indian diaspora in both Bollywood and Hollywood and my magazine featured a lot of South Asian artists. This project was a continuation of a personal project I started in January of 2015. Having full creative control was something I’d never had in a school project before. Being able to experience that was something I’ll value for the rest of my life. I liked that I was able to choose a topic I was interested in and research it in a way that I wanted to explore it. I was then able to present what I’d learned in a format that I liked. It was absolutely exhilarating to have this much freedom and I think I’ve learned a lot in multiple ways, not just academically.

I think with this project, I was able to find a little more of my voice. It was easier since I didn't have to incorporate interviews into this particular paper (though it was present in other parts of the magazine). I really liked my subject matter, too. I love media, especially Bollywood and it was interesting for me to be able to analyze an industry I love so much. This paper was definitely an analytical one and on a very specific topic so while I feel it's entertaining, I'm afraid only a very small and very specific audience would share this sentiment. I'm still struggling to make my writing accessible and I'm not sure how important that should be -- should my work be relevant and engaging for everyone or is it okay for it to cater to a niche audience?

The Innovator Project was a massive project. Three months, full creative control, and an incredible amount of freedom. DGM has also been incredibly important for me. This magazine provided me with a creative outlet and gave me a sense of belonging. It combines my love for writing and producing art with my interest in identity politics and expressing and honoring my cultural heritage. The magazine has given me the confidence that I can make a positive change in the world. As the magazine reaches new heights, I hope to really turn this into a political project, one that will bring more South Asians to the mainstream. Being an outsider in my suburban neighborhood as well as the bustling homes of my Indian relatives has given me the drive to create a space for other marginalized girls. Next fall, as I head off to college, I will be starting a new chapter of my life. As I continue my studies, I plan to nurture my interests in the intersection of art and politics and help celebrate diversity and inclusion. With hard work, humility, and an open mind, I’m sure this dream, too, will come to life.

You can see my magazine below.

Reflection
My two years at Freestyle have been incredible. I have grown so much as an artist and as a writer. Without Freestyle I never would have had the confidence to start my magazine and I probably would not have pursued my interests in such a meaningful way. Over the past two years, Freestyle has challenged me academically and artistically and pushed me in ways that a traditional school experience wouldn't have been able to. I have grown so much over these past two years and for that, I'll always be grateful.