Progress Report

For my research website so far I have done a very small amount of work. First off, I have had my website created since last semester. I have to edit and organize it. As far as the work goes, I have not done much either. So far I have reviewed some resources and have yet to annotate them. I have about 13 resources and am still in the process of rigorously looking them over. I have found many useful resources in the library at the main campus and also some great legitimate sources online. The more credible sources that I have found online are funded websites, whether through private organizations or charities. Many of the sources I have gathered include museums or actual artists websites which were created in memory of the deceased artists, some of the artists are still living though. The websites which I have looked over so far have gave me some useful information as well as leading me to other information which I was unaware of. I am thinking that I will have revised through all of my original websites mid week and will have begun typing some of my thoughts which I gathered from the process. Annotation of the sources should be an easy thing to do, what I am concerned about is the time. This assignment is very time consuming and having five other classes is not helping. After doing three essays and having more time to review websites I feel drained and want to not do this assignment, but what keeps me going is the topic I have chosen. Choosing art as my topic really has given me the drive to continue in my process of completing the assignment because it is something that I relate to and am interested in. So far I have learned some crazy stuff about the effects which art has on people and their perceptions. Very interesting so far and hope that I can stay on focus.

Considering a Topic

My project will specifically be focusing on the affects which art and artists have had on the perception people have of the American Dream. My reason for choosing this topic is because I myself am an artist. I think it will be a very interesting topic because art surrounds us. Art is a very influential part of one’s life, whether it is cultural or just plain old art, it allows us to interpret our thoughts so others can see what we see.

Some of the sources which I already have utilized are my instructors. I think instructors carry a load of knowledge and are prepared to share it with others no matter where they are, so I decided to speak with my art instructor for some great examples of artists and/or artwork which have to deal with the American Dream. I will also be using the web a lot. The web has access to so much information, but I will make sure that the place in which I look for information are filled with credible sources. As an artist I already have prior knowledge to the materials and medium which are used in the works of art that I will potentially seek and decode, as well as some artist whom I know were involved in the topic of the American dream. Four sources that will prove useful to me are going to be the internet, library, instructors, and my own artistic background and knowledge in arts.

I plan to validate this information with the use of all the sources. For example, if I am trying to explain what medium is used in the work of art, I would use the internet to find sources which explain and back up what I already explained; basically all my sources will help each other out. I will use credible sources to the best of my ability to make my research be valid and people can see that the information is correct and not fake. I will try and stay unbiased, but having an artist background I think there will be some biased towards the works of art I choose to show because I have my own preferences in art; but I will just choose a wide variety of arts which display a portion of everyone’s taste and not just mine.

Some areas of concern that I have for this journey is that if I can stay dedicated. This is a really big assignment and I am afraid that I won’t finish it, but I will do my best, and feel that I can do it, just have to remain focused. The only trouble I see ahead would be staying on track and finding the credible sources. I am definitely not excited to start this project, but I feel that once I begin the process and do well I will be more excited to see the end of this project; I cannot wait until it is over!

Introduction to the Research Paper

The focus of my project will be the affects of which art has on the perception of the American dream. When someone is asked what the American dream is, usually the response is something visual. I really want to look further into where peoples’ visuals originate from, and if artists have played a role in this perception which they have built. How has arts influenced the perception people have of the American dream? The benefits that I see with my choice is that there are many artists of whom have portrayed the American dream in their works; whether it be from abstract, pop-art, or even contemporary art. Not only does the style of art which artists use a variety in this topic, but also the medium; painting, photography, printmaking. There are a lot of benefits from this question; I really do not see any challenges in this process but having to choose from all of the amazing works which each artist has created. The last big research paper I had was for this same class, and it did not go so well. I did not get to complete my project, which I thought would have turned out well, so here I am now, taking on the same project that I plan on completing. From the researcher standpoint, what I hope to learn from this project are the stories behind the works of art which each artist created. What influenced them to produce art in this specific topic? What are their perceptions of the American dream? From a student standpoint, what I hope to learn is how to be a better researcher. I want to improve my current skills and develop new methods of producing a legitimate research. I also want to learn how to stay focused and motivated in something so big like this, because I know a project like this takes a huge amount of dedication. My next three steps will be to prepare, research, and review. I will first prepare by outlining major points which I want to address through this process. After I collect the main points of my project, I will proceed to the research where I will gather information to support the points which I will be addressing. After doing research I will review things to make sure they are in order and if there was anything I missed. Once these three steps are completed I will begin the writing process and hope for the best!

Putting it all Together

In writing my paper I had no real process, since my paper was already written before this assignment was every brought up. Basically what I did was take my paper, which I wrote last semester, and revised it, read it over, looked for more sources, and did the changes which I thought were necessary. It was actually more difficult to do this time than when I first did it, because I had no clue what I was trying to say in some areas, since I had forgotten, but overall I thought the paper was a great starting point and just adjusted some things. I noticed that my writing process has changed a lot since the earlier assignments this semester, and from some of the assignments which I did last semester. I am beginning to get the hang of quoting, based on my prior knowledge and from the They Say I Say read. It has helped me to use quotes efficiently and not just cut and paste the quotes and not explain them. Some of the templates helped in setting up some points which I was trying to convey. I definitely think from the earlier paper this semester and this one; there has been some major improvement due to the They Say I Say read, and also from just my knowledge. The process was not as easy as I thought it were to be, having it written already I think made it more difficult. I did enjoy reading over it many times trying to understand what I was trying to say then, and what I wanted to say now, it was a very interesting process to say the least.

BlindSpot

Book Review

Scratch Beginnings was a great read. I personally think it was worth the time reading. It was definitely worth the time to read because you get to learn about the challenges which people in poverty face. Although Adam wasn’t technically in poverty, he portrayed the part well, but the people whom he lived with at the shelter had some outstanding circumstances. After reading about Adam’s experience what I was able to take away was that it is as if many people are beginning to become more inappreciative. Given the circumstances he was in, he did not whine and give up; he went on and continued to pursue his goals. His ambitious attitude furthered him in his journey to overcome poverty. I felt connected to Adam because of this. His positive outlook on things made sense and I believe even helped him accomplish his goal. He says in the book, “a day off would keep me a day away from attaining my goal.” (Shepard 18) Determination is a huge part of one’s success, and as Adam showed in his book, that is where I feel I connected with the author. This book was an eye opener and anyone who reads it would say the same.

Living the American Dream

I believe that I am not living the American dream. I have yet to achieve many of my goals, but I guess you could say that I am working my way towards attaingin the American dream. I believe that education is a very important part of achieveing ones dreams. I am currently going to school to get a masters degree in architecture. I guess my education is a part of the American dream which I see working in my life at the moment. I also would say that my family is another part of the American dream which I see working in my life right now. I have a family who is behind me one hundred percent and supports me with everything I choose to do. Another aspect I see is also my friends. My friends also support me and help me when I need it. I guess after writing all of this I am living the American dream. The American dream just does not happen overnight, it takes time, and I would say I am in the developmental stages of the American Dream. I am just beginning and am building the foundation to my overall structure of what my American dream is. Having this education behind me will open up more options for me in the future. With my education I can start a career and begin to raise money. After acquiring a large sum of money and have a stable job I can look for a significant other to start a family with. Once I have a family and career I think I would be living the American dream. Until then I would have to say that I am living the American dream, but am still early on and slowly building my way up towards living and achieveing the American dream to its fullest extent.