Blog #4 Calligramme

Calligramme

     For this assignment, I created my very own Calligram. A calligram is an image created by words related to that image. For our calligram we wrote a letter to ourself in 20 years from now. I decided that I would write to myself about how scared I am of the future and the unknown of it all. As for the image, it was really difficult to decide what to draw. I tried to go with some of the things I said in my letter like filling my life with good things and using a jar to represent it. Or a clock to represent that passage of time and growing up that is a big theme in my letter. In the end, I decided to go with a more complicated image of a man holding two signs to show indecision. The image being complicated represents the complexity of life as a whole that I discuss in the letter. The person holding the two signs showing indecision, represents the concept of not being able to decide how to go about my life because of the uncertainty of it. 

     In order to create the image, I used the pen tool mostly on Illustrator to Draw the outline of the image. I had to do it shape by shape and separating the body from other parts of the body so the words did not get jumbled. When I first tried to do it as a whole body instead of broken up pieces, the image was so messed up. First I filled in the head with the beginning of my letter and followed all the way down to have the letter end at the feet. This follows the usual way of writing which I figured was easier especially since I used my entire letter. Lastly, I used the merging command where I merge the shape and text with teacher and it configures on its own in to the shape. 

     I really enjoyed this project. I admit that I found myself struggling a lot with it but the final project turned out great and it was fun to pick out the colors of the text so they can match the image more. I think if I were to ever redo this project I might either make the human more big and proper looking or pick an entire different image so the text can be seen more. Overall though, I think my project came out great! 



Here is the letter that I wrote to my future self.... 

Dear Natalie (age 41),


     I hope everything is worth it in the future. I am scared and anxious for what my life will be like after graduation and I begin finding my career. I am scared that I won't be successful or stuck in a job that I don’t like. I want to make a lot of money so I can feel comfortable, but I also want to do what makes me happy. What if there is no career that I can be both in? What if I end up in jobs like my parents? Where I’m only working there for the money and benefits? It's also insane to me that these types of jobs I can’t balance with my college time unless it's an unpaid internship. The future seems so big and far away but every day I notice how much closer it is; which is 10 times scarier. 


     There are times where I wish I could just float through life, but I don’t think the planner in me would be able to function. I wish there was a way to know everything in life. Down to the minute. What will happen today and what will happen next month. That way I can plan my life around these things. I could plan my vacation or be even more prepared for the future. I can see that everything will be alright and that my worries will be for nothing. 


     There are things that I have options for that I don’t even know my choice for because of the uncertainty of life. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the world turns on its head and the good decision, I made becomes a horrible choice. What if my life domino effects into something horrible? I have a plan for my career but there are if’s, ands, and buts, of everything that scares me. I think that’s why, even now, I don’t make decisions. I don’t skip class because I'm scared of the consequences, I pick up so many shifts because I'm scared that if I don't, I won’t have enough money. I don’t go places or meet people because something could happen to me, and I could not know how to fix it. 


     I know I can’t know everything or even be prepared for everything. I know I should live life to the fullest, but I don’t want it to be filled with bad things. I have my friends, family, and others that I can reach out to for support in those bad times. I just hope that those times are scarce so I can have only the good times to fill my life with. I hope you live like that now. I hope we are happy where we are in life 20 years from now. 


Natalie (age 21) 



Here are the images/sketches I used as both inspiration and in my final project....


Here is the final project....





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