A Journey Through Stories: Mythology and Folklore

Hands typing by Studio GOOD Berlin. Web source: Wikimedia Commons.  This week I chose to explore the Writer's Write website for my lab. It was really fun to explore through the different articles, searching for writing advice. 75 Words that Describe Smells- A Resource For Writers I started with this article simply because I was intrigued by the title. The article starts out with a brief discussion about how descriptive language involving smells can add to writing. This made me think about some of the different books I have read over time. Some characters are described as having a specific smell. Other smells are associated with place, like all of the magnificent food in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Even though I've never actually been to these places or met these people, descriptive writing has allowed me to have strong memories of them for many years. I've never thought about how smells can be incorporated into writing, so this is something I can keep in mind...

Brain from the Twemoji Project. Web source: Wikimedia Commons.  A New Theory of Human Intelligence This video was a TED Talk by Scott Barry Kaufman. He began his talk by challenging the audience to think more broadly about intelligence, in a way that accounts for a person's full being. Kaufman showed examples of two school children and their behavior and success, as defined by the adults in their lives (parents, teachers, etc.). What was surprising about this demonstration was that he actually talking about the same child even though the characteristics of each student were drastically different. One was described as overactive and attention deficit while the other was described as engaged and successful in a school setting. This plays into the idea of what Kaufman explains as the "Twice-Exceptional Child," which is a child who has various strengths, but also struggles with other things that might hold them back. Kaufman spoke a lot about schools making sur...

Kanye West gif about creativity. Web source: Giphy.  This week I opted to do a lab where I watched videos about writing and the creative process. I wrote my thoughts on my favorite video below. The Power of Creative Restraints In this video Brandon Rodriguez talked about creative restraints, and how they can actually be helpful and freeing in the creative process. I thought that this topic was especially relatable and interesting. There have been many times when I have been assigned papers or projects where I could write about, read, or test anything that I want. This was something that I ran into most often in high school. While at first glance the idea of no boundaries, guidelines or constraints sounds like the optimal environment for creativity. Without any parameters, it is nearly impossible for me to come up with a creative idea, let alone execute it. One idea that Brandon Rodriguez expressed is: constraints are the foundation of creativity. I thought that this ...

Hogwarts 10 by ahigett. Web source: Creative Commons.  This week I decided to complete one of the story lab options instead of writing a story. I've recorded some of my notes below on each of the two videos. The Danger of a Single Story Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie presented this talked about the power of storytelling. I was really excited to listen to this because I have previously read Adichie's book, We Should All Be Feminists , and even presented on it for one of my classes. In her talk, she discusses how growing up, she only had access to a single story. It was about white people, foreigners and talking about the weather. Being African, this alienated Adichie from relating to the characters that she read about. Because of this, when she first began writing, she didn't know how to write about characters that were like her. She continued by explaining other single stories that she had heard throughout her life. In a single thought, this talk explains that in ...

Athena appearing to Odysseus to reveal the Island of Ithaca. Oil painting from the 18th century by Giuseppe Bottani. Web source: Wikimedia Commons.  This week I decided to work on a story lab instead of retelling a story from one of my readings. For this project, I watched a series of Crash Course videos on world mythology. I really enjoy using this type of video to learn more about encompassing subjects, like mythology because it helps break these big ideas down into smaller, more digestible concepts.  What is a Myth? Crash Course World Mythology #1 I thought that comparing mythology to a Slurpee was a really great (and funny) way of explaining how many different subjects contribute to mythology. Just during the first few weeks of this class, I have read stories that could be incorporated in my gender studies, history, or international studies classes. Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12 This lesson focused on how myths are studied. Th...