Introduction
The class Self, Society, and the Cosmos is intended help the student view the subjects of Self, Society, and the Cosmos in a whole new light. That means to begin one must examine who they are. I am a stagehand, that is the best way to describe me. I spend all of my time in theater and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, I am a male, a Jew, a liberal, an American, but my actions and my work speaks for me. If you want to know who I am go look at the shows I have done. That is who I am and how I view the world. I want that aspect to be represented in the shrine project due for class. I am a lighting technician therefore I want the project to represent that.
Starting Points
For this class I wrote about how I became who I think I am. I wrote about how I think I'm an alright guy, a decent citizen. That's a lie, I'll be honest I don't think I'm an alright guy. I'm not saying I go out in the world with an intention to hurt people, my motives in life are innocent but oh boy, do I make some stupid mistakes. When I really think about myself I realize that I make a ton of mistakes, I'm socially awkward, I had a seizure for some unexplained reason, and I am on Anti-depressant/anxiety and ADHD pills. How did I end like this? I have no clue. Genetics? Maybe. My upbringing? Probably not I was raised in a pretty good home. Did some crazy thing happen to me? Yeah it's called life. I just don't know anymore. c'est la vie.
What I learned
What I learned from the readings and viewings and discussions is strange. I now know to look at things through a different lens. There are four lenses called WOK's (Ways Of Knowing) Spiritual, Aesthetic, Intellectual, and Scientific. Looking at things through different lenses in the academic arena is brand new to me. I have learned to apply that to theater as well. When I apply that to the course material I see the world from a different angle.
Conclusion
As my first real reflection on the class so far I realize that this course is designed to help me see myself and the world. As an artist I must learn how to see. This class intended to do that. In this class I will take my self-image of a stagehand and look through it under different lenses and hopefully that will change what I think of myself.
