Your Artistry (Article)

They say that some people make art, whilst other individuals are art. That "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." [Cesar Cruz/Banksy]. "To restrict the artist is a crime. It is to murder germinating life." [Egon Schiele]. Someone told me the other day that its been a long time since I had written poetry, since I created a picture with soft pastels or paints or since I sat and wrote a piece of my own. So i thought that I might have a try this evening, instead of aimlessly brooding over things so much that will not matter tomorrow anyway.

My boyfriend, categorically, is an artist. The inability to see the world just as it is, comes alongside the passion and appreciation he has for everything art. To pick up a pen and see the universe differently to everybody else is his gift. Occasionally, with some help from mild narcotics, which he claims assists with the concentration of the soul and the mind when participating in art based activities, he creates unique and individually stunning pieces on a day to day basis without the need of force from others. The line in which he carries across every page makes no sense to those who can't see what he is seeing at the given time, but is visually appealing with every aspect of the phrase. What saddens him most is for others, who can't seem to grasp the beauty of the topic, to shun a piece that has been delicately crafted throughout a number of days without a second thought. Whether it's a simple cinematographic composition, an undemanding illustration that requires minimum effort but a great understanding or a life drawing that has been composed using every visual shape exposed, his passion never fluctuates but stands alone with a somewhat proud stance and screams picturesqueness without too much boastfulness to be off putting. 

The way a person see's art is obviously going to be undeniably different from the next. From stunning paintings of the medieval era, to Shakespearian plays and modern day poetry; Some people get some forms, some people don't. Others may rasp in the romance of a novel constructed over decades by authors unknown; some may savour the eloquence of a marble statue, 9 feet tall and all forms of genitalia included; some may feel moved by a modern piece, so unelaborate yet garnished without elaboration it may be a question of whether it should be there or not. Either way, everybody, whether they know it or not, can see art in one way or another. And not just literally. Because, your handwriting, the way you jot notes down, the china patterns you admire, it all shows your artistry. Everything is a self portrait and everything is a personal sketch book. 

Language and Power (Text analysis)

Q) With reference to text CC and relevant ideas from language study, explore how language is used to assert power.

The way language is used to assert power is shown heavily throughout the entirety of text CC- a transcript of a speech (presumably a phone call) between two females. In this Text, Fairclough’s strategy is shown persistently as there is a clear dominant [participant J] who dominates the speech by her assumed and suggested tone of voice and bold on record strategy, as well as the way she approaches [participant M] in terms of flouting conversational strategies such as greetings, which immediately suggests an unequal encounter as this can sometimes be deemed as ‘socially rude’. Additionally the way that [P-J] flouts [P-M]’s greeting; “Maureen (.) hold on a mo” can be seen as a face threatening act as [P-M]’s status is automatically lowered. Additionally, there is more than one use of competitive overlap lead by [P-J]. The use of these competitive interruptions are a clear way to assert power and bring the conversational power back to [P-J] when it seems to be getting more equal between the pair. These competitive overlaps are often followed with a suggested aggressive tone from [P-J], who is then answered to by [P-M] who uses suggested nervous unvoiced paused and ‘stuttered’ fillers in response to her other party. Not only this but [P-M] also uses repair to stop herself from saying something that [P-J] might see as face threatening for herself which may cause conflict. For example; [P-M]:”We can’t go (.) unless you ask that guy you know (.) do you (.) can you?” [P-J]: “I don’t know (.) he’s like really busy (…)” Although both the participants use regular unvoiced pauses, the reason for use is obviously different as it seems as if [P-M] is using an unintentional negative face strategy as [P-j] is continuously bold on record, therefore concluding that [P-J]’s unvoiced pauses are possibly only used to intimidate [P-M]. Whilst [P-M]’s unvoiced pauses are possibly used because she feels intimidated and so has to think about her response before it is said to avoid any possible conflict. Throughout the Text, there is only one circumstance where [P-M] has more power. This is shown where [P-J] is waiting to hear whether [P-M] has “got the tickets?” and although [P-M] responds in such a way where [P-J] still has all the conversational power, there could’ve been several ways in which she could’ve responded, which could have changed the way in which the conversation was lead altogether. 

Grouping Task continued

The second set of groupings contain texts C and E. These two texts are both strong inclusions of dominant participants effecting non-fluency features and informal colloquial language in the text including the regularly used voiced/unvoiced pauses and simple conjunctions. To begin with, I looked at text C- a transcript of a magazine interview between two well-known celebrities. I explored the way in which each individual asked and answered questions in an informal structure; meaning there was seemingly no set structure. However it is clear that [person 2] was possibly the more dominant participant within the conversation as they not only began the interview but also answered the asked questions with the least hesitation and the least amount of fillers, which may mean that [person 2] was more prepared and therefore more confident in asking and answering questions directed at [person 1]. As well as this, [person 2] answered these questions in a polite positive face. This clearly follows Fairclough’s unequal encounters strategy and this strategy continues throughout. In terms of voiced and unvoiced pauses, fillers and colloquial use of language, the usage is regular throughout between both participants. But surprisingly is shown more in [person 1] who is ostensibly the interviewee. For example: Person 2: “Which number do I have then?” Person 1: “(laughs) well erm….” This use of the above non-fluency features may suggest that there is a dominant participant within the two individuals or it may suggest/define an age group in to which each participant falls. Therefore affecting their overall use of language and informal colloquialisms. As both celebrities share the same profession, it is less likely that this would affect the spoken language. However the length of time that each individual has been in the given industry is different, which may cause [person 1] to feel inferior to [person 2]. Which in turn, would affect the language used.  This is also shown heavily throughout text E- a transcript of a speech between two females. However, the use of language is significantly more competitive and shows a heavier use of dominant/non dominant strategy in comparison to Text C. Nevertheless, as shown in Text C, Fairclough’s strategy is definite again as there is a clear dominant [participant J] who leads the speech by her assumed and suggested tone of voice and the way she approaches [participant M]. Additionally, there is more than one use of competitive overlap lead by [P-J], which were not in Text C. These competitive overlaps are often followed with a suggested aggressive tone from [P-J], who is then answered to by [P-M] who uses suggested nervous unvoiced paused and ‘stuttered’ fillers in response to her other party. For example; [P-M]:”We can’t go (.) unless you ask that guy you know (.) do you (.) can you?” [P-J]: “I don’t know (.) he’s like really busy (…)” Although both the participants use regular unvoiced pauses, the reason for use is obviously different as it seems as if [P-M] is using an unintentional negative face strategy as [P-j] is continuously bold on record, therefore concluding that [P-J]’s unvoiced pauses are possibly only used to intimidate [P-M]. Whilst [P-M]’s unvoiced pauses are possibly used because she feels intimidated and so has to think about her response before it is said to avoid any possible conflict.

PRACTICE GROUPING TASK (from 3 texts extracted from previous lessons)

Texts A, B and D are all strong inclusions in the first group of persuasive language techniques I am going to explore. Text A is packaging for ‘Matchmakers’ by Quality Street; (a popular UK chocolate brand). The overall appearance of the text that is used on the packaging is immediately eye catching, which would instantaneously make potential buyers more persuaded to pick up the product than if the typography (and packaging) was not audacious or colourful. The linguistics used in this text includes informal adjectives to describe the product such as; “YUMMY” and “DELICIOUS” rather than the possible alternative of simply describing the product for what it is; [Honey comb flavour chocolate]. The use of these adjectives clearly accommodates to the consumers for this product which could possibly be anyone who is younger or perhaps has younger children as all the language included are commonly used adjectives and are easily readable. This is also shown in its mention of social networking opportunities for the audience to ‘Like on Facebook’, which is socially deemed as a younger and more modern thing to do. Additionally, the persistent use of capitalising the most ‘important’ persuasive language, allows the target buyers to be subconsciously persuaded to believe that the product is indefinitely all of the adjectives mentioned above. Both the language and the typography where it is used easily persuades the audience to buy the product because it is bold, informal and perceives itself as an “approachable and friendly” product for a large audience by using a certain type of tonal language choice over the entirety of the packaging. Text B is another packaging for a food brand ‘Jaffa Cakes’ by Mcvitie’s. This packaging uses a similar technique to Text A, in terms of bold typography and informal adjectives such as; “CRACKELY CHOCOLATE” and “THE SMASHING ORANGEY BIT” to perceive itself as a friendly and approachable product and to persuade the consumers to want to buy it for these mentioned traits. However, B uses a significantly less daring technique in the way it uses font. But this may be because the use of the word “ORIGINAL” persuades the audience to buy the product because it is a ‘classical’ and ‘original’ product in itself and a product that everyone knows about already. It may also be because the brand may be accommodating to a wider audience than text A. Therefore the typography needn’t be too brash or too big. As well as Text A, Text B includes a social networking option but instead uses a more communal phrase; “Join us at fb/jaffacakes.”  This may persuade the audience to actually ‘join them’ on a network because of its social and communal meaning which allows for the target audience to then again be wider by accommodating to more individuals, all of which have different interests. My last Text, Text D is a transcript (of a speech), which seemingly took place inside of a local newsagents between two people; the customer and the employee. In terms of persuasive language, person B (the employee) has to be able to persuade person A (the customer) to want to return and buy more produce. This is clearly shown throughout the transcript as person B is persistently friendly and uses persistent informal language to attempt to form a type of ‘acquaintance bond’ between both of them. It is especially noticeable when B says’ “I’m not getting much right today [laughs]” as this is of a significantly more relaxed tone than there would be if there was only silence or a demand from ether person. Additionally, person B is mostly using self-deprecating language to subconsciously make the person A feel more superior which could possible persuade him to return as they may feel like they’re getting good customer service as person B wants to meet their every need.

                   

The Stuff of Dreams (English CourseWork 2015)

THE STUFF OF DREAMS

“You were like a dream,

I wish I hadn’t slept through.
Within it I fell deeper,
Than your heart would care to let you”- Lang Leav

 

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exhaled, every hill and mountain shall be low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it.” These are the notoriously celebrated words spoken with full justice only by Martin Luther King JR; The American pastor, activist, humanitarian, leader of the African-American civil rights movement and a dreamer. Everyone’s dreams are individual to their own mind and it’s how you interpret them that matters.

 

With so much of our time devoted to dreaming, it is not surprising that speakers, writers, scientists, philosophers, doctors and poets, have all endlessly applied themselves to the vast exploration of this fascinating, yet also undeniably dark side of human existence.

 

Scientifically speaking, dreams are a series of chemically induced images, emotions, ideas and perceptions that occur involuntarily in the unconscious mind during sleep. The purpose and content of dreaming has never been definitively understood, though they have been a subject of psychological and scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest at the time of discovery and discussion of dreams and dreaming throughout history. They have been described as “The royal road to the unconscious” by Sigmund Freud, a doctor in the nineteen hundreds. “The royal road” supposedly being a metaphor, used by doctors of the imaginative sort, for the journey of exhilarating twists and electrifying turns that reveal unconscious thoughts, feelings and perceptions of reality you never knew you possessed. This may not be an occurring fact when you wake from a dream that involves you participating in sporting events, stark naked with your ex-lover. However, the interpretations of these kinds of dreams are a specialist interest for psychoanalysts who believe that all dreams have a hidden meaning. Some may say that your previous partner being over exposed with you means that you can see right through them and their intentions. It may also foretell an unconscious longing for an illicit love affair or some scandalous thoughts. But, this is not scientifically proven. Dream analysis is only a personal interpretation based on gathered facts and statistics of a wide audience.

 

If dreams are the ‘Royal Road to the Unconscious’ then the route that we’re taking when we dream may not always be deemed as positive. When we dream we may be met by the deadliest highways of horrendous twists and turns leaving us heavily sweating and struggling to breathe. Or, they may be mysterious, bewildering and more often then you may assume: eye opening.

 

The history of dreaming dates back to the BC era, when ancient Greeks and The Egyptians were the leading force in teaching and education of subjects that nobody had explored before. The Egyptians analysed the main meaning behind dreams and the Greeks interpreted these theories into their own culture. Aristotle famously wrote: “A person awakes from sleep when digestion is complete”. - This is evidently not true, however many of us wake from sleep or dreaming when the worst possible scenario is about to occur. Psychoanalysts believe this is an unconscious decision made by our brain or our ‘Super Ego’ to stop us damaging our other unconscious processes. In other words; our brain stops us from dreaming any further if the mental images we’re creating would do damage to us emotionally or physically.

 

Despite the possibility of our mind emotionally damaging us through the form of mental images, some people enjoy dreaming so much that they participate in taking an extremely potent, illegal hallucinogenic drug called Dimethyltryptamine (otherwise known as DMT). This drug is an isolated and synthetic form of the similar chemical formed in our brains when we dream. It allows the individual to continue dreaming throughout the day without their brain waking up with unconscious decision.

 

I’m almost certain, that the majority of individuals would prefer not to actively participate in dreaming more than the given norm. And the past child in us all has had more than their fair share of obscure and temporarily mentally damaging dreams to last us an entire life time. I don’t dream, not the way I used to. Which I suppose is a part of getting older, isn’t it? Eventually, we’re all expected to linger aimlessly in retirement homes, singing old songs and staring as our televisions scream a white noise crackle. I used to think this was to do with the ticking biological clock, but I now realise it’s to do with our minds. As I look for dreams, I find myself dreaming less and less. But this dreaming, does it really have a meaning or is it just a desperate cling-on to escapism? There you are, trapped in a job you might hate, a tiny town with surrounding walls or perhaps, it’s the unemployment that stifles? The fact is, maybe you just don’t fit? So you make your own work unconsciously. You may daydream of the job you desire or dream about new fears, an appreciated unaccustomed effort, an added something extra- whether you do this asleep or awake- it is now part of your personality- and the dream you open and walk towards takes you apart from your greyish life- into a coloured one. It is, at the moment, a fantasy, but dreaming keeps your mind alive.

 

Sadly, dreams are often passed off as a simple one night occurrence or an unreachable aspiration, never to be seen again unless the wandering, sluggish mind accidently bumps into its old friend on a cold lonely night- the reoccurring dream. And what do you need more on a cold lonely night than to relive terrible memories that you swore you’d never revisit… But, one of the best ways to fully appreciate the strange fluidity of this unconscious state of mind is to remember the beautiful rarity of this hallucinogenic cinema of imagery that parades around your thoughts throughout the night. Picking up on things that your eyes had seen in the daytime but had passed off as something that needn’t be stored in the already crowded brain.  When you wake from a dream it’s easy to forget the unnatural bombardment of thoughts that travel through your head. Forgetting how easy it is for your brain to turn a park bench into a fully-fledged sleigh as you ride through the night in a land you’ve never been before. Dreaming truly is the land of the bizarre.

 

'City life and lessons' PRACTICE ARTICLE EXTRACT

I 'grew up' in the rolling red bricks of England. The busy streets were never a place i was allowed to play unless it was either snowing, where no cars dared to venture, or a sweltering hot afternoon where all the sensible individuals had retreated into the cool shade of their homes. Not me. I much preferred making myself dizzy by swinging around the washing line pole until the sheer heat of the metal burned my hands and left me with 'boyish' blisters- an ever occurring phrase that regularly swung round the washing pole of my life for the good part of eleven years. Of course when you're this age, hardly anything is boring and everything that is supposed to make no sense, never matters. Because when you're this age what would you worry about more; The fact that the economy is crumbling or whether you could fit in seeing three of your friends all in one day?

The day we moved from the terrace house in the busy streets of Bristol to a quiet home on the outskirts of North Somerset, I had just turned eight. My little sister was a new born and my younger brother was around five. He cried horrendously when we left the house for the last time. Forever the attention seeker he would cry at anything-not so much anymore but he always finds a way to get some kind of attention nevertheless. I, however bragged to my friends about the "huge" new house we were moving into and how the garden was "one-hundred feet with a swing and loads of trees". Moving to the countryside wasn't a big deal for me at this time. I wasn't a bored child, I was simply unoccupied from time to time. Before i could fully imagine the endless possibility of the city and what it beholds in its grey hands, from the people i would meet in my teenage years to all the situations I would face later on, the countryside was open and an endless opportunity. My dad and I had a patch of garden that we tended to sporadically. A muddy patch of ground, set aside from my parents' adult garden and all just for me and dad. I have no recollection of tending to my muddy patch I was ever so proud of. It probably survived through a stroke of Somerset luck or, more likely, the unseen hand of my dad.

When i reached the ever so tender age of fifteen, my teenage years piled on fast and thick. I was still only a young adult but the need to escape the countryside was growing. By the time I had reached sixteen (almost reaching seventeen) and had left school I was gagging to escape the green grasp of the country. My mind was begging me to leave the quiet, the uneventful blanket of rolling hills and grazing cattle that seemed to be suffocating me. I chose a college that was as far away as acceptable and back in the bustling city that held me so tenderly as a child. Here is where i encountered my very first taste of life as a whole. With this new found freedom I learnt more lessons than I could count on my two hands. All the people encountered, all the relationships, all the dates, all the places I visited, taught me something. They allowed me to grasp reality faster than I believe i would've staying in the comfort of my parents' humble abode. Which brings me onto my first lesson that was an essential part of my development as a person: "If your dreams are bigger than the town you live in, you've got to get out of there" (-Brian Fallon)

The beginning of college for me was overwhelming. I struggled intensely with the work load that my previous teachers had not prepared me for prior to starting. I tried my very hardest to juggle both my social life as well as my education, this, I just about managed with but only by the tightest schedule I've ever encountered. Looking back on it now I made such rash decisions about what came first, which was almost always my social life. Regrettably, this left me with a reputation as someone who didn't always hand in the perfect essay homework, that arrived late because I'd stayed up late the night before and as the one who always left things to the last minute. However, don't get me wrong, I always tried my hardest in class and in the time I'd freed up for study. My teachers never saw the hardest I ever worked because I was never one to raise my hand in class. But i listened intently to every single detail that was ever written, spoken or discussed. I picked up on all the little improvements that were needed to achieve the highest grades and I made sure that i never fell behind in class work. But homework has always been my pitfall. Unfortunately, this is what you're judged on.  At the end of my two years, a personal statement was required to each of your subject teachers. I remember very clearly what i wrote to all my AS and A-level teachers. Lesson number two, a statement that quoted Tiger Woods and one that I'd been trying to get across to them throughout the entirety of my stay; "I'm trying as hard as I can, and sometimes things don't go your way and that's the way things go."

THE STUFF OF DREAMS (FIRST DRAFT)

Dreams are a series of images, emotions, ideas and perceptions that occur involuntarily in the unconscious mind during sleep. The purpose and content of dreaming has never been definitively understood, though they have been a subject of psychological and scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest at the time of discovery and discussion of dreams and dreaming throughout history. They have been described as ‘the royal road to the unconscious by Sigmund Freud, a doctor in the nineteen hundreds. This may not be an occurring fact when you wake from a dream that involves you participating in sporting events, stark naked with your ex-lover. However, the interpretations of these kinds of dreams are a specialist interest for psychoanalysts who believe that all dreams have a hidden meaning. Some may say that your previous partner being over exposed with you means that you can see right through them and their intentions. It may also foretell an illicit love affair or some scandalous activity. But, this is not scientifically proven. Dream analysis is only a personal interpretation based on gathered facts and statistics of a wide audience. Everyone’s dreams are individual to their own mind and it’s how you interpret them that matters. You may never think about the dream again.

If dreams are the ‘Royal Road to the Unconscious’ then the route that we’re taking when we dream may be the deadliest highway of horrendous twists and turns leaving us heavily sweating and struggling to breathe. Or, they may be mysterious, bewildering and more often then you may assume: eye opening.

The history of dreaming dates back to the BC era, when ancient Greeks and The Egyptians were the leading force in teaching and education of subjects that nobody had explored before. The Egyptians analysed the main meaning behind dreams and the Greeks interpreted these theories into their own culture. Aristotle famously wrote: “A person awakes from sleep when digestion is complete”. - This is evidently not true, however many of us wake from sleep or dreaming when the worst possible scenario is about to occur. Psychoanalysts believe this is an unconscious decision made by our brain or our ‘Super Ego’ to stop us damaging our other unconscious processes. In other words; our brain stops us from dreaming any further if the mental images we’re creating would do damage to us emotionally or physically.

Despite the possibility of our mind emotionally damaging us through the form of mental images, some people enjoy dreaming so much that they participate in taking an extremely potent, illegal hallucinogenic drug called Dimethyltryptamine (Dime-Thigh-l-tripe-tamine). This drug is an isolated and synthetic form of the similar chemical formed in our brains when we dream. It allows the individual to continue dreaming throughout the day without their brain waking up with unconscious decision.

 Personally, the thought of dreaming more than the norm is not something I would like to actively participate in. I’ve had more than my fair share of obscure and temporarily mentally damaging dreams to last me an entire life time. Dreams are often passed off as a simple one night occurrence. Never to be seen again unless the wandering, sluggish mind accidently bumps into its old friend on a cold lonely night- the reoccurring dream, and what do you need more on a cold lonely night than to relive terrible memories that you swore you’d never revisit… But, one of the best ways to fully appreciate the strange fluidity of this unconscious state of mind is to remember the beautiful rarity of this hallucinogenic cinema of imagery that parades around your thoughts throughout the night. Picking up on things that your eyes had seen in the daytime but had passed off as something that needn’t be stored in the already crowded brain.  When you wake from a dream it’s easy to forget the unnatural bombardment of thoughts that travel through your head. Forgetting how easy it is for your brain to turn a park bench into a fully-fledged sleigh as you ride through the night in a land you’ve never been before. Dreaming truly is the land of the bizarre.