Ryan Smith Week 4 Analysis

I am responding to the theme of “discomfortable writing”

I used my past experiences in life to create a poem in the form of “discomfortable writing” where the layout may come across as confusing

I connected each life experience by one line that helped transition into the next, causing the reader to sometimes stop and think about what the current idea is

I chose to create a manifesto on making the most in life and just experiencing the world to hopefully get others to just get out and do things to make an interesting and exciting life for yourself

I learned about the process of “discomfortable writing” and how there really isn’t a process to it, it’s just what your mind comes up with

Ryan Smith Week 4 Response

Mid-January

Perfect weather for

Plunging into the ocean

An exhilarating experience

Because Why not?

Looks like a fully-functioning plane to me

I wonder what it would be like

To jump out of

Once-in-a-lifetime experience

Falling as it seems forever

Into the welcoming water below

Being on a cliff only a moment ago

The anxiety was unreal

This was at least a 90 degrees drop

Whiteface wasn’t only the name of the mountain

But I’ll go down it anyway

The half-pipe was no joke

For a beginner

This mountain proved to be tough

Rugged terrain and steep incline

It would leave us exhausted

5 kilometers of running

Long but well worth it in the end

A drive through the scenic highway

Nature at its finest moment

Showing all what the world is about

Making some great experiences

That is what we are here for

Josh Belmonte Week 4 Analysis

1. What themes or concerns in the presented reading are your responding to?

The theme of my writing is Adversity. Everyone faces adversity at some point in their life and it is very important to learn how to deal with it. 

      

2. What are the materials and processes you used to formulate your response? Why these? If several, which are you most concerned with?

A lot of the materials I used was morals and lessons I have learned from living everyday life. I used the reading, "A Manifesto for Discomfortable Writing" and I also looked up some manifestos for inspiration.

     

3. Why these materials and processes. What are their limitations? What do they allow?

These materials gave an example of how to write manifestos and influenced me to dig deep in my own morals and life lessons I have learned to put out into my own writing. 

4. What choices did you make? (For example, the tone of a piece of writing, or the lighting decisions for a photograph.) What led your decision-making about them?

I chose to make a more inspirational tone of writing because it helps myself with all the things I have on my plate at the moment as well as being relevant to many people's every day lives. 

5. What did you learn through this response? (You can address new knowledge or new questions you’ve gained regarding the class reading, the materials/processes you used, or both.)

I learned more about myself through this response. I learned to analyze my life better and keep myself aligned better than before. I used this assignment as a sense of advice for myself to get me through this semester. 

           

Josh Belmonte Week 4 Response

"Adversity"

1. The longer you live, the more mistakes you make. Nobody is perfect.

2. Learn from your mistakes and you will be a better person.

3. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you.

4. I have failed over and over and over again, and that is why I succeed.

5. Never quit, never quit, never quit. 

6. We don't develop courage by being content every day, we develop it by surviving the tough times and challenging adversity. 

7. When adversity hits, that's when you must remain the most calm. Take a deep breath, stay strong, stay grounded and keep pushing.

8. God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. 

9. Always remember, everything will be all good and fall into place in the end so don't worry too much. 

10. And once the storm has ended, you won't remember how you managed to survived, how you got through it, or if the storm is really over. But certainly when you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. And that is what this storm's all about. 

12. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. 

13. What you do in the dark will eventually come out into the light. 

14. Everyone loves a winner, but during those difficult times, those next to you will be the only ones there. 

15. Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go right. 

Olivia Clifford: Week 4 Analysis

What themes or concerns in the presented reading are your responding to?
Two of the readings were manifestos which listed a set of rules (for lack of a better word) to live by. I do not like using the word "rules" to describe what is listed in a manifesto, mostly because "rules" has a commanding connotation attached to it. When I think of rules, I imagine someone in power demanding people to live a certain way and, as history shows, rules aren't always good. My manifesto is not something someone forced me to do, it is something I choose to live by. 
One could argue, though, that since I use verses from the Bible in my manifesto, that I am abiding to the rules of my religion, therefore, being forced to do something. I would argue that, though. I do not consider myself to be a religious person. Religion is a system created by man. What I believe is having a relationship with the Lord and to aspire to be like Him. I choose to follow the Word of God because it deepens my relationship with the one who created me; not because I was told I have to do this, but because I willingly gave my life to Christ.

What are the materials and processes you used to formulate your response? Why these? If several, which are you most concerned with?
To come up with my response, I went to my Bible and looked at the passages I have highlighted. I figured I have highlighted certain passages for a reason, they meant something important to me. I thought about some that stood out to me the most, the ones that I remember repeatedly going back to throughout the years. These are the passages I picked. Though there were more, I chose to narrow it down to ten in order to keep it a nice, even number. 

Why these materials and processes. What are their limitations? What do they allow?
Since my faith is very important to me and a large part of who I am, I knew that choosing Bible verses to include in my manifesto was the right way to go. This allowed me to really think about how I've changed as a person over the last few years. I went back to old journals I have where I would jot down whatever was on my mind. It made me realize that though I might not always feel like I'm growing, I have come a long way from who I used to be. This also allowed me to remember that I still have a long way to go from getting to who I want to be. I am happy with who I have grown to be, but I refuse to stay satisfied with where I am. A person never stops growing or learning, and I hope to continue doing both.
I feel maybe some limitations were ones that I placed myself, such as limiting it to ten points in my manifesto. I could have done more, but I chose not to simply because I like having things in a neat order. I'm not necessarily sure if this is a limitation, since it was a decision I made.

What choices did you make? (For example, the tone of a piece of writing, or the lighting decisions for a photograph.) What led your decision-making about them?
I chose to list my manifesto with Roman Numerals. This was partly because I didn't like how bullets looked on the page. One thing I dislike about bullet points is that you can't choose how big the circle is. I like things to be small and I feel the default bullet points are too big for my liking. I also opted not to use regular numbers because I like the aesthetic that Roman Numerals offer.
I chose to to use any contraction words after the Roman Numerals because I felt it gave it more of a formal look to it. I also chose not to end any of those sentences with a period because I didn't want them to come to an end, in a sense. These points are something I hope to always remember throughout my life and to not stop following them.
I aligned the Bible verse to the right of the page because I felt it was important to differentiate the guideline and the Bible verse. I aligned it to the right for aesthetic reasons, to kind of depict the guideline stemming out from the Bible verse.

What did you learn through this response? (You can address new knowledge or new questions you’ve gained regarding the class reading, the materials/processes you used, or both.)
This response really made me think about choosing my words wisely. Even in just describing my manifesto, I did my best to stray away from using the word "rules." I also picked my words carefully when describing my faith as a relationship rather than as a religion. I even looked up the definition of "manifesto." Even though I knew what it was, I wanted to be exactly sure what its denotation was. 
This response also made me realize the importance of aesthetic. I put a lot of thought into how I wanted this to look. I purposely chose things to be aligned to certain sides of the page and to italicize and bold certain things. I had originally wanted this to be in Times New Roman, also. When I was typing it up, that was the font, but when I published it, it changed to something different. I'm not exactly sure how that happened, but it did disappoint me.

Olivia Clifford: Week 4 Response

I Do not back down 

- What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

II Do not be scared 

- She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

Proverbs 31:25

III Live in the present 

- Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34

IV Do not dwell on the unknown 

- "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

V Remember you are loved 

- See, I have engraved you in the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Isaiah 49:16

VI Be different 

- Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test an approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 2:12

VII Be kind 

- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:23

VIII Do not underestimate your worth 

- Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest if all seeds on earth. Yet, when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade."

Mark 4:30-32

IX Love 

- This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:10

X Remember why you are here 

- Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6

Chris Purefoy Week 4: Response

Week 4 Analysis: Patricia Cortado

I chose to do my piece because I think that the secret way of life is to be vulnerable and sincere with everything that we do. I feel like doing what we are passionate about is what can guide us to where we are destined to go. But who is to say that there is a destination? With different complexities, being true to ourselves will help us keep grounded.

PS: i'm not done with my analysis. brb

Week 4 Response: Patricia Cortado

Bakit hindi mo sabihin sa akin kung saan masakit?

Bakit lagi na lang ganito yung pakiramdam ko

Kapag natatakot ako na matalo?

Hindi naman laro-laro ito eh.

Paano na lang ang lahat nang pinaglalaban ko?

Sila.

Ikaw.

Ako.

Wala.

Sila. Lagi nalang para sa kanila.

Hindi naman nila ako kilala.

Tapos, kapag akala nila na kilala nila ako,

Bigla nalang aatras tapos mawawala,

nang walang paalam.

Ano yun?

Bakit lagi ko sila inuuna?

Ikaw. Ikaw, hindi ko matapos ito.

4:23 a.m. - 09/23/16.

Ako.

Lagi nalang mabait sa mga taong ito.

Laging nakangiti,

Laging may ginagawa-

Ginagawa sa lahat para sa sarili.

Parang magka-twins sila.

Conjoined. Magkasama. 

Ako.

Laging pinaglalaban ang pag-ibig sa sarili.

Pero, sino humihiga sa kama nya na walang kasama

Kung hindi yung mga mahal nya

Na wala sa kama nya ngayon?

Ang lalim ng pinagdaanan ko.

Ewan ko kung makakarating parin ako

Sa destinasyon ko kasi lagi akong may dalang gamit.

Pagkatapos na silang lahat, nandito parin ako.

Pero sino bang nagsabi na ganito dapat ito?

Ano ba?

Sabi ko sayo, kung ginagawa mo galing sa puso mo, 

magiging ayos ang lahat.

----

Why did not you tell me where it hurts?
Why always just this feeling I
When I am afraid to lose?
Not game-playing it too.
What about all fighting for me?
Them.
You.
I.
None.

Them. Always just for them.
They do not know me.
Then, when they thought they knew me,
Then suddenly withdraw disappear,
without permission.
What's that?
Why do I put them?

You. You, I can not finish it.
4:23 a.m. - 09.23.16.

I.
I always nice to these people.
Always smiling,
Always doing-with
Doing everything for herself.
Seems they have a twins.
Conjoined. Together.
I.
Always fighting for self-esteem.
But, who lay in bed with her without
If I loved her
Not in her bed now?

The depth that I have.
I do not know if I'll still
Destinations I'm always carrying with.

After all, I'm still here.

But who said it looks like it should?
What?

I told you, if you do from the heart,
everything will be okay.

Richard Dare: Week 4 Analysis

The themes and concerns represented in my response happens to have been done through a manifesto of sorts, taking a personally unique form that has been inspired by the other manifestos presented to me. The materials and processes used to formulate my response include mostly information and viewpoints from my own life and standard of living. The prompt asked me to display personal qualities and mantras that I might go by, so I displayed them here in a list like manifesto with a title and personality. I chose this process in abidance with the prompt. The form seemed pretty open ended in terms of what could be displayed- especially in comparison to the Afro-Futurism manifesto- though as I stated, I felt tied to the prompt to make it mostly genuine and only moderately satirical. The tone was straight, though there are some tenets to the manifesto that make it appear more contemplative and deep- though that is how I am. I decided to use numbers instead of bullets in order to solidify the statement’s value as they are not just some faceless bullet point. I learned that I have many distinct mottos in which I live by though didn’t in fact get to mention each and every one of them, yet this prompt has got me contemplating much more about myself and my creative lifestyle.

Mahdiyyah Karriem Week #4 Analysis

Mahdiyyah Karriem 

Same Me, Different Me Analysis 

The theme that I adopted from the reading was to make a statement and then explain it. In “A Manifesto fro Discomfortable Writing,” Antena made a generalized statement about discomfortable writing and then explained and delved deeper for more understanding and I liked that. The process I used to formulate my response was to first list the things I wanted to talk about and then gave a general statement and explanation. I used this process because writing comes easier to me when I plan the topics put beforehand. One limitation that I faced was that I found was that the topics didn't always connect to one another so my manifesto abruptly jumped so I hope the message is clearly conveyed. Although it is choppy, it allows the reader to get a glimpse of a few of the things that I want to enhance about myself. One choice that I made was to start off each topic with “I always believed that…”. I did this to unify my manifesto because all of the topics are so different. I also chose to add a saying at the end of each topic to sum up my beliefs and wants. These are the sayings that I’m going to use to remind myself what to do when times are hard or I find myself giving up. Through making this response, I learned that I like the person who I have become and want to stay the same (same me), but I also find that I can enhance certain qualities to become better, (different me). 

Mahdiyyah Karriem Week #4 Response

Mahdiyyah Karriem 

Same Me, Different Me 

I always believed that I was a leader because that is what I was told. I constantly heard it from teachers and family members so I always tried to live up to the quality that they said I had. Now that I look back, I want to fully embrace being a leader and start something of my own or run for a position in a club or organization. Leaders do, followers react. 

I always believed that I was outgoing. I was never a loner and I always spoke to all kinds of people but I want to do more. I’ve never been the type of person to go out of my way to speak to strangers and things of that nature but I want to start. There are so many interesting people out there and I want to start to open up more. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.*

I always believed that I was healthy until I realized that I wasn’t. I’ve come a long way in changing how I eat because I come from a family that has a history of diabetes and hypertension and I refuse to be another one added to the list. I want to go further and be more conscious in what I put in my body and maybe even start a work out routine. The greatest wealth is health.**

I always believed that I was bold. I always said what I needed to say to who I needed to say it to and always kept my feelings transparent. I want to take this boldness and translate it to actions. I was heavily involved in activities in high school and I feel like my freshman year of collage didn't have the same involvement. If my friends really didn't want to go to a meeting and asked me to hang out with them, I would choose them over getting involved. Because of this, I want to take my boldness and attend meetings and things like that even if my friends don't want to go. Freedom lies in being bold.***

I always believed that I was studious. I always got excellent grades and not to be arrogant or anything like that but, the work just came naturally so I didn't have to put that much effort into it. I realized by not giving my all, I developed bad study habits that definitely gave different results in college than they did in high school. I want to study more and actually try my best. I definitely want to improve the bad habits that I spent years creating. The hard work will surely pay off. 

I always believed that I had a positive outlook on life. I always tried to see the best in people and in situations. Although this is true, I feel like I let certain situations bring me down and I tend to over think everything. I want to live more freely and to not let certain things affect me as much because it becomes way too stressful and I have more important things to worry about. Sometimes you just have to let that shit go. 

*Neale Donald Walsh 

**Virgil 

***Robert Frost 

Richard Dare: Week 4 Response

A Manifesto for Life and Doing Everything that You do:

1. Be confident and proud with each and every piece as it matters and promises growth; any accomplishment is remarkable in it’s own way
2. Life is long, but bodies are frail. Take care of yourself both mentally and physically
3. Take care of others and know they deserve happiness too
4. You need not overreaction about seemingly irritating experiences; know where your happy place is and chill there
5. Aspire to think about anything and everything; opening your mind will allow you to feel comfortable in almost every situation and give you residence in your world
6. Everyone is trying to survive- just like you. Unfortunately there are other people in this world who believe the solution to their survival is putting others into graves. You be careful and cool at all times
7. Love is the most powerful force ever to arise from mankind’s mind. It brings us together in times of need though it can wedge us apart during the passion of war
8. Humans are complicated so good luck understanding every one of them; sometimes you must pick your friends wisely. Remember: a computer can be a better friend than certain humans
9. Get out there and do what you can before you can’t; if you don’t seize the right initiatives, someone else will take them from you and you may never see that opportunity again
10. Art is a form of creation, an expression of one’s dream. In a way, you are god to your own work, such power must be utilized diligently in order to inspire the weak and lost to strive towards strength and achieve similar aspirations upon reading your work
11. Sometimes art reveals itself as a mirror held up to the creator’s life, other times- it is not that way. Respect people’s work for the way that it is and contemplate deeply on themes that may appear reflective or transparent
12. You are in control of your thoughts. If you think you suck, you will suck. If you think you rock, you are one step closer to true greatness
13. Don’t get lost in yourself or in others. You are one with the universe- which happens to be a large place. Losing sight of where you are can set you on a grand path toward the rediscovery of yourself and existence, which you may help you achieve full enlightenment- though you must be prepared
14. Speak loudly and take action, it is the only way to rid of the systems that are there to oppress you
15. You are not a machine. You are a living organism with complex parts and capabilities that are as infinite as your mind's’ imagination
16. Don’t break your back on something you don’t love. If it’s true that you only get one life, mine as well feel content during it, right?

Raymond Lee-Hamlin: Week 4 Analysis

What themes or

concerns in the presented reading are your responding to?

 

Some concerns I went over were the problems with people of color being killed by police in American today and getting no justice or peace.

What are the materials and processes you used to formulate your response? Why these? If several, which

are you most concerned with?

 

I used the format of the Manifesto for Discomfortable Writing.  I tried to emulate how this writer made a bullet point format and executed multiple ideas whilst having underlying tones.

Why these materials and processes. What are their limitations? What do they allow? 

 

I used these materials because it made the most sense to me to put all of my ideas into a bullet form and make sure that my ideas were clear and concise. Some limitations it may have is that they aren't as well portrayed as how the writers of Discomfortable Writing did it. It allows for people to see the true nature of what I am trying to say and not have to think too hard about it. 

What choices did you make? (For example, the tone of a piece of writing, or the lighting decisions for a

photograph.) What led your decision making about them? 

 

I chose to make my piece subtle but also stern and forceful.  I want people to see how many people of color see this issue and that it is scary and that something needs to be done, almost like a call to action. I chose to make it this way because this is how I believe the problem could be best portrayed.

 

 What did you learn through this response? (You can address new knowledge or

new questions you’ve gained regarding the class reading, the materials/processes you used, or both.

I learned that writing a Manifesto is sort of tricky but it was interesting making one that was sort of different with various beliefs that I had.

Georgeanne Casper: Week 4 Analysis

1.) What themes or concerns are you addressing in your response?
2.) What materials & processes did you use? Why?
3.) What did this limit/allow? Why?
4.) Choices? Why?
5.) What did you learn?

     I decided to try and write my own manifesto as my response. The themes I wanted to address are stigma against mental disorders, in this case, specifically anxiety and depression however, my piece, I believe, can go hand and hand with other disorders as well.
    As I am quite new to creative writing, the materials/processes I used were simply my experience, and looking at examples of modern day manifestos online as well as the assigned reading. I tried my best to incorporate an "outline" from each piece and pictures/posters I had seen online. I used these materials because I figured since my experience correlates 100% with the subject I chose, it would be easier to get my point across as well as voicing out what "needs to be heard."
    This unfortunately did limit my perspective because it did come from an insiders perspective of anxiety and depression. I tried my best to recall all the stigma I had heard, or all the suggestions I had been given from friends in their hopes to understand me or "cure" me of my disorders.
    The choices I made were to make more of a picture/poster rather than a straight forward writing. I did so because what really caught my eye during my research online were the inspirational posters. I loved the layout itself and wanted to create my own. I knew that creating a "poster" would allow my brain to expand beyond text fonts, sizes, colors, and added pictures. I added a picture of a colorful brain rather than a scientific drawing because that is my way of looking at a disorder, as something that you can create and mold into something beautiful, rather than let it consume you.
    I learned through this assignment how to go out of my comfort zone and really expand my new found interest in writing beyond just text. Although I had less of a poetic approach, I did learn new formats for my creative writing.

Raymond Lee-Hamlin: Week 4 Response

A Manifesto for Fear of One's Life in America

• It is fear for one's life walking down the road as someone of color
• It's having constant paranoia that people are out to get you
•  Seeing your own people die everyday because an officer or pedestrian was "afraid for their life" 
• It's hearing that line a thousand times and thinking it comes off as a load of bullshit everytime
• Having loved ones tell you to be safe and always be cautious of what you do in public
• Its not being able to breathe, walk, run, drive and have your hands up without being murdered in the streets
• Loving life is what these people wanted and they get their lives stripped from them because an officer was scared
• Leaving for work or school day to day thinking maybe I'll get killed today for just being me, nothing more nothing less
• Constant state of paranoia that all cops are bad when that may not necessarily be the case
• POC in need of help and all people can say is Alllivesmatter the most instead of the help that black lives so desperately need
• You cannot be argumentative, stubborn, erratic, have rebuttals to anything or just do something they don't like, cause if you do, that could mean death and justification for it.
• Its having others criticize your death because you "weren't complying" 
• Justification for killing American citizens who have lived here their whole lives or had their whole lives ahead of them
• Its asking for help from your local government and legislation and still not being heard.  Just wanting equality and justice for the wrongs that police seem to do almost everyday now
• lastly, it is fear for my life, my family's life and my future one as well if this senseless killing does not end or change

Georgeanne Casper: Week 4 Response

[You are NOT your
  MENTAL DISORDER]
You need to calm down.
You need to take deeeeeeeep breaths.
It's all in your head. It's all in your head. It's all in your head. It's all.....
You need help. You need help. You need help.
You need medication.
You need a doctor. 


Do you know what "I need?"
I need to be me.
I need to go at my pace.
I need to do what works FOR ME.
I need to be heard. I need to be heard. I need to be heard!
I need to be understood....
                    
                                      We need to stop the stigma.

James Cavallaro Week 4 Analysis

·       What themes or concerns in the presented reading are your responding to?

      The themes and concerns that I am responding to is that of the importance of your time in the life and never settling until you find what your purpose of being put on this planet for. I do strongly feel each of us has a reason for existing and that there I something amazing waiting for each of us, its just whether or not you are going to challenge your self every day so that anywhere and everywhere you go you are presenting the best version of yourself to the world.

·       What are the materials and processes you used to formulate your response? Why these? If several, which are you most concerned with?

      A lot of what I use to formulate this response was from my own knowledge and the from the philosophy’s that I use to live my every day life. They’re things I keep in the back of my head so when I do experience doubt or difficulty that I think back to these phases and it gives me sense of hope for the future no matter what the circumstances.  

·       Why these materials and processes. What are their limitations? What do they allow?

My own limitations for this assignment was picking the exact lines and phases that I wanted to be present, and ones that stood out as most important. Also once I got all my ideas down I went though the process of making sure they were exactly what I wanted to say and where in the manifesto.

·       What choices did you make? (For example, the tone of a piece of writing, or the lighting decisions for a photograph.) What led your decision-making about them?

This assignment stood out to me this week especially because of what happen this past week to a very good friend of mine. As I sat down to write this there is nothing else I could think about was him and how much I had missed him already and it had only been a few days. So as I sat down to write this assignment a lot of the phases I included was for him. So intelligent, bright, passionate individual, but when your beliefs of life being to had and getting to difficult starts to mask the   

·       What did you learn through this response? (You can address new knowledge or new questions you’ve gained regarding the class reading, the materials/processes you used, or both.)

            What I learned though writing this response was more about myself then anything else. After I was done brain storming ideas and putting together thoughts I began organizing them into a list that had more of a flow and consistency to it. Then after reading it two or three times it dawned on me that what I was writing on the paper before me was MY beliefs, ones that have been shaped me over the last few years but also beliefs and ideas that will continue to have outlasting impacts on where my life is headed

James Cavallaro Week 4 Response

“Discipline and Consistency “

Thoughts become things.

Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up

Before anyone else can believe it, you have to believe it

You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them

It’s arrogant to believe that the next seconds of life belong to you

Start Living as if today is your last day on this planet

Do your best to use every day as a vehicle to birth your talents into the world

The pain I feel today will be the strength I feel tomorrow

Look Up, Get Up, but don’t ever give up

You Give what you give, what you don’t give is lost forever, this day will never come again

My soul is not contained within the limits of my body; my body is contained within the limitlessness of my soul

Time is a precious commodity it’s the one thing you can’t buy or buy back