I try to think of what time is and all I can think is...''time is time was.'' Warhol

Working on the 'Creative Skills' module has got me thinking about what I have achieved this year...which if I think back is quite abit.
1. becoming Web 2.0 friendly or not (the negatives first) i.e. social networking, that is facebook, which I can proudly say I am no longer part of. I say this simply because Im not interested in other peoples buisness, or do I want them to know my personal activity...enough said. I also looked at twitter another waste of time a 140 something characters to put your voice across, where do people find the time..? I have 50 followers, why? where did they come from?? I haven't said anything, just joined up (that reminds me I must come off that too)!!. Ok so I have presented the negatives first thats because Im saving the best till last and that is blogging..!! yes dear 'blogger' friend you have motivated to write again, to express my thoughts in a quick, organised and clear manner which I cant do if writing in pen? writing a blog has also allowed me to ramble privately what ever comes to mind, reflect, problem-solve, post up new findings / research and develop...(until DDP is complete this is how I wish it to stay). who would want to read my blog anyway?

2. using a mac! which I have started to use lately on reqular bases, why was I ever frightened, seems crazy? anyway the reason being is working with film, which when I think about it im not sure how it came about...just had this sudden urge to make film.( will have to look back previous postings) As a result of this urge, Ive learnt how to create film, download onto imovie and edit (30.11.2011). Editing is going to be the hard bit, that is, knowing exactly what to cut. My theory is to edit every 2nd or 3rd frame and then from there assess and work on again...get it down to 8/10 mins (some films are an hr long) and speed up, the car jouney Im considering reversing the film so that I now following the car that was behind me, it will be like driving looking through the rear view mirror...not sure this make sense but i know what I am thinking about here. something that I have consider is that the films Ive made need to shorter, easier then to edit down. However the project I have in mind will not require editing, I want them to run, to think about what could happen..i discussed this in last posting..what i have thought about now is to set up 2 cameras one where there is nothing going on the other where there is, Im going on this theory of metaphysics, of time and space and that 'nothing' in context (is) relevant to someone/something, somewhere, sometime, somehow...I like this idea of watching 'nothing' in the hope that something will happen, and at the end of watching it was it relief that nothing happened or disappointing because it would have been good to have something to look forward too??? ummm.......

Im currently reading Andy Warhol: the philosophy of Andy Warhol..its great! really enjoying his writings, amusing too. I need this book at the moment, funny how things come into your life when you least expect them too. Serendipity i guess. furthermore this book only came about because my colleague had mentioned Warhol's 8 hr film of the Empire state building, which got me thinking about he's reasons for creating film..this book does illustrate this briefly in chapter called 'work', but it refers to his reflections on himself, which I can relate to and what encourages me to think about my own practice. Ive just thought that I need to list films made so far...November 2011. Letter box (1hr) car journey (1hr 20) cat flap (20 mins) radiant map (5-10mins) student films (1hr) 

3. writing a paper. (difficult at times) Im not sure Im a writer in the academic sense its gaining that experience, writing papers are all about presenting structure and being able to write in a particular way and importantly to demonstrate new knowledge..I like to write freely which means not having to worry that Im not doing it correctly... this attitude wont get me anywhere so I shall keep on with..the plus is I definatly think I have developed my writing skills over the past year. I like words, I wish blog you had a thesaurus??

Moving on..
This posting started as a reflection of what I have achieved this year...I needed to do that, not sure why but its there now and will no doubt contribute somewhere later on. As result of writing it down this years achievements, it has presented futher considerations to the outcome of pursuing such activities. For the purpose of the module I now want to think about the radiant map. I want to get it clear in my head what it is i want to discuss and how..illustrated below are areas I have had to consider when defining 'problem space' within my learning contract.. 

elements required to form  new knowledge



Development of radiant map

As applied in a game I have used cards to write down reflections, actions and evaulations created from links that is threads of thought, my ideas created using letra set onto acetate to move around the board. By means of raising the acetate I realised that the words formed shadows on the board, this interested me and what made me think about Plato's, The Allegory of the Cave, extract taken from Wikipedia:

In the dialogue, Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall do not make up reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners...To consider the shadows created from my process of thoughts could be likened to universal concepts advancing to new knowledge.

The Allegory is related to Plato's Theory of Forms, according to which the "Forms" (or "Ideas"), and not the material world of change known to us through sensation, possess the highest and most fundamental kind of reality. Only knowledge of the Forms constitutes real knowledge. In addition, the Allegory of the Cave is an attempt to explain the philosopher's place in society: to attempt to enlighten the "prisoners".