Student Posts

I couldn’t help but look for a picture of a beach because I am currently dreaming of…a vacation! I am planning a trip to Tobago with my family, the first weekend in March, because I soon will not be able to go on a plane due to my pregnancy. I think a bit of a respite would be nice before the big day.

I couldn’t find a true picture of a Tobago beach but the water is at least similar in color. Honestly, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if it wasn’t for the caption. Initially, I thought typical Caribbean music would have paired nicely with this but it was too cliche. Instead, I decided to focus on another aspect of this picture which was the lush vegetation surrounding the beach. Where there are trees you’re bound to hear birds and this audio was quite relaxing to hear while looking at the serene turquoise water.

The movement of the sea is unpredictable and can be calm and serene. This photo paired with this audio presents a sense of peace and tranquility that can sometimes be the deep blue world. Viewing this image with the paired sound, one can imagine the jellyfish floating up, down, and sideways in its mercurial buoyancy. Together they represent life both literally and figuratively, in the way that life often is rather unpredictable. Jellyfish seem to have it figured out by working within the currents and going with the flow in grace.

One thing, I will always tell people is, I have an Analytical mind. Flat out. It’s honestly an issue because sometimes I overthink the simplest things.

Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so.

Is it a good thing? Maybe sometimes.

The picture above reminds me of one of my favorite nights hanging out with my best friends walking in the city of Chicago at night talking and thinking about the world together, listening to the sounds, the music, seeing the arts, and life in the windy city. Similar with the song, life is about having fun man and it also feels like a great representation about how I think about things. Sometimes you just gotta turn your perspective of the world around or realize you got to think about things in a different light or way. Night/Evening, is one of my favorite times and honestly a reason I call myself a “Thinking Night Owl”. I feel like I can learn so much more and have those random “I’m gonna Wikipedia this just cause I thought of it moment…”. I think back to that night previously mentioned all the time because I felt like I learned a thing or two about life from the people of Chicago, my closest friends, and myself. I’ll always remember that night of just wanting to talk about different subjects like politics, world geography, the human mind, how we perceive the world, and how to make the next day better.

I was drawn to this picture through my initial search for optical illusions. I felt, and it was once popular social media discourse, that this image had a sound. To elaborate, you could look at this image and a sound would pop up in your head. That sound can most closely be compared to the sound attached above alas the sound of fuzz.

The ritual of preparing my morning coffee and sitting outside, wherever I may be, is, according to me, a mark of a great day. The smell of coffee that fills up the entire room stimulates my senses and signals my brain to seize the day. What drew me to this image was the reminder that whether I had a huge test one day or I was on vacation somewhere, I would always prepare my cup of coffee and find a quiet spot outside to indulge in my small luxury. The way the hot liquid hits my throat on a particularly cold day would only warm my soul inside out. I would listen intently to the life around me, especially the birds, squirrels, roosters, and even leaves, as they flapped, crowed, and rustled. It was a ritual we shared in the morning as we all prepared for whatever the day had in store for us.

I think pairing the image with the sound of the birds chirping in the morning invokes nostalgia for crisp mornings and the small luxuries we indulge in. For a small while, time stops. There is nothing better than to work out problems in your head and address bottled thoughts with piping hot coffee and a little time alone in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The image and audio I chose to present are enhance and are reflective of what I desire most right now during this extremely hectic time of year: Contentment.

To me contentment is a set of clean paintbrushes, a blank canvas, paint, and the free time to just paint – no interruptions, no outside stress, no thoughts of bills or kindergarten registration or housing market or recession… the list goes on and on.

The paintbrushes are symbolic of not only the literal act of painting, but the possibilities ahead. The unknown of a blank canvas and potential it holds. It’s a reminder to find the creativity in the unknown, that no matter what mess life throws at me, I can adjust and strive to turn it into a work of art.

I came across the image I wanted quickly. At first, I searched “Painter”, but I thought the pictures of actual people painting took away from the symbolism and made it more literal. I instead chose just a picture of the paintbrushes to allow viewers to imagine their own potential art instead of having an image of someone else’s art in front of them. 

The song took a little longer to find. I searched words like “Potential” and “Happy”. “Potential” produced songs that were a little too moody, while “Happy” was too bouncy. I wanted something more neutral and peaceful. I think this song is not only beautiful but evokes the emotion of contentment.