Acting, Splattering, and Inspirations

Today in STAC we continued with our weekly acting classes. Last week, I blogged about how I "just wanted to be right" and how "not getting the right answer frustrates me." Today I learned something that changed all of that. In acting, most of the time, there is never a right or wrong answer. When Luke said that, it made me realize that everything that I got worked up over last week, was really for nothing. Wanting to be right. Well, what is right? To me, right is doing the right thing. To me the right thing is being truthful and honest. And by doing something that is morally correct even if it isn't the "cool" thing to do. Is that what "right" is to someone else? Not necessarily. To someone else, right could be a completely different thing. So really, in acting, when you're picturing real life experiences or real things (like we've been learning to do), the right answer is what is right to you.

We did a ton of exercises today, and I was catching myself off guard a lot. In one exercise, we had to picture that we were holding our phones, and a cold glass of water. Then we had pretend to set it down on the floor. After all of that was finished, Luke told us to start walking again, and I almost bent down and picked up my "glass of water" before I left. That was really interesting to me.

I started to feel a lot more this class. Last class, I was too hung up on other things. This class, I felt everything Luke was telling us to feel. I felt the gravel we had to "walk on." I felt the cold glass of water in my hand. I felt that string pulling me in the right direction. When Luke told us to picture something that made you angry, I honestly felt straight up angry. Everything became real today, and I was so happy that it did. Seeing and feeling everything probably means that I'm on the right track to becoming a better actress, and I cannot wait to see where these classes will take me.

Yesterday in STAC we finished up our Dada pieces. Last week I blogged about how I wanted to "take my work and make it more Dada then it already is," and I really think I did that successfully.

I started the period with this, and no idea what to do next.

After a spontaneous thought, this came about. And I love it!

After I was finally finished splattering my work in the back parking lot, Mr. Ganes told me that my next Dada project, should be something different. He said "If music is freedom, then what is not freedom?" This took a ton of thought. I decided to just start with the colors and background and see where it took me. This is what it looked like when I first started:

Soon enough, it turned into this:

I love the way this came out. The wave pattern coming out of the corners symbolizes the secrets slowly unfurling into empty space. Did I intend it to be that way? No, I just needed a place holder. But as I started to analyze it, that's exactly what I saw.

Art was really awesome for me these past two weeks. I've come a long way in just two classes. I came into STAC believing that I was not someone who was good at art. And I'm coming out of this week realizing that I can do art. And if I try really hard, I can do a pretty good job.

Lastly, this week I was inspired. By my little sister, Mary. Before I continue, let me just say that no matter how many times she makes me want to pull my hair out, Mary is a wonderful girl with a heart of gold, and I know for a fact that she is going to grow up and do amazing things.

Today, she came home from school, and told us all about how she decided to spend recess today playing with a student from the STRIDE program (special education program in her school). She went on, saying that she was put in the school "golden book" (a "good deed" book) and how she played with this little kid, not because she wanted to be in the golden book, but because she knew it would be a nice thing to do.

Now, all I need to say is, can't we all learn something from her? In society today, some people are so twisted. It is no doubt that to some people, all society values is fame and money. Where is everyones compassion sometimes? Where are people's morals sometimes? Doing the right thing voluntarily, because you know in your heart that it's the right thing to do or the nice thing to do, is something that society has lost over the years.

But when Mary told me that she played with this STRIDE kid, just because she knew in her heart, that it was a nice thing to do, I saw she was one person, changing the world. She was making a difference. I'm sure, that she inspired other kids on the playground this afternoon to do the right thing. And those kids might just grow up and change society one day. One person makes a difference. Today, my sister made a difference. Not just on the playground, but to me too.

She inspired me. Granted, I always try and do the right thing, but still, what she said meant a lot. And I reflected on it all night long. I want to take what she did and spread it. I want to inspire others with her story today. And I'm starting with this blog.

Spread.