What was their name again...?

Memory has always been one of my downfalls throughout my academic life. The more I try to remember, the more I seem to forget. Once this process kicks in, I begin to worry about forgetting important information, or not being knowledgeable enough in my field of choice. 

It is a concern of mine during this MA course, and my desired career path, as I need to be knowledgeable and effective at retaining information in order to be the best event/exhibition organiser I can possibly be.

Knowing the Art Sector inside out is essential to succeeding; be this, history, events, exhibitions, emerging practitioners, current affairs/debates/discussions and so on. I research and gather new information regarding these topics constantly, it is just remembering what I have discovered, which is the problem.

I am determined to overcome this obstacle by finding effective ways to retain information. The Memory Gym is a great tool I have fallen across in the quest to exercise my brain to success. People who are struggling with the same problem as me will find this site a great start into new ways of thinking and strengthening the sections of brain which are weaker.

According to an article I read called, The Dominant Side Of Your Brain, you use one hemisphere of your brain more frequently than the other, and utilising the weaker side can improve your memory, as well as other brain functions. I took the 'Right Brain vs Left Brain test to see which side I depend on more, and how I can improve the opposite side to strengthen my ability to remember. The Art Institute of Vancouver claim that 'Creative' people use their right-side more than their left-side. My test results came back stating that I use my right-side of the brain 1% more than the left-side; making me a creative person. The key message they portray when referring to a 'creative' person is that... "Being creative or artistic doesn’t mean you know how to draw or play an instrument. Being creative is a way of thinking, a way of viewing the world." 

My results were:

"You are more right-brained than left-brained. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the "whole" picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the "whole" picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist."

Although I know that the results aren't etched in stone and 100% accurate, I think the above description fits me quite well and gives me the determination to carry on pushing myself to do well in my chosen Creative sector.

One way of remembering that I have found quite effective up until now, is writing lists or jotting notes everywhere. If I have written a list of things to do, or a list of bullet points to remember, I tend not to forget. Even without looking at what the list says, I remember what I have written down. Just the act of writing it on to a piece of paper and ensuring the information cannot be forgotten enables me to recall what has been noted. There are still many times where I have to refer to the list to kick start my memory. I would be lost without bullet points and lists. I believe that they are the key to my memory not causing me problems throughout my MA; as long as I keep them organised and coherent.

It has always been known that fish is a great source of memory improvement due to high Omega 3, and banana's for their potassium. My personal favourite is dark chocolate, it has antioxidants in that prevent brain cell death. My aim is to try and eat a balance of these foods to aid my memory improvement, whilst carrying out small brain training exercises each day. I hope that the hard work I put into this, will have a great impact on my academic and working life and really make a difference in my success throughout this course and the many years to come beyond.

I'll soon be remembering EVERYTHING...

The Journey So Far...

Where do you begin? At the beginning I suppose…

I’ve never attempted to write a blog before, so all of this is completely new to me. In fact, introducing myself in more detail than just telling people what my name is seems to be quite a challenge. Welcome to the next two years of my academic life…

I’ll introduce myself as Lem. I am a recent BA (Hons) graduate in Photography, completing my 3 years within Staffordshire University. Before this stage in my education, I went to Birmingham City University to do a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design. After this was completed, I realised that it wasn’t the university for me, so I ended up at Staffs. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. During my time at BCU, I stumbled across Photography. It wasn’t a subject I had considered studying. In fact, I wasn’t even aware that you could study it. Throughout the year, I gained more of an interest, and upon gaining my diploma, I decided that it was the right path to take and to leave my paintbrush behind.

An MA in Creative Futures wasn’t my first option. After I graduated, it was a MA in Design Management that caught my eye, and it was this postgraduate course that I enrolled on. After talking to the module leader and discussing the path I was considering taking, he pointed me in the direction of a new MA that was being set up, which would be a lot more ideal, beneficial, and practical! This was at this point I transferred and began looking forward to a new outlook on my academic progress.

The main thing that has attracted me to this MA, was the fact I am able to carry on being creative, generate new ideas, put them into practice with help and encouragement from people around me, and develop the skillset I already have, as well as gain many new skills along the way. Another major factor is that I can get the advice and support I need on setting up a business if I so wish. Self-employment is a pathway I have considered, and hopefully, taking this MA will help me to decide if it is the right decision. I know that I will change my mind a number of times in regards to what direction my career takes; but I am embracing this and looking forward to developing my knowledge, and considering opportunities I never thought about prior to engaging on this course and with the people I meet along the way.

Education has been my life so far, never stopping to take a gap year or to push myself in to the fast-paced world. As a result of this, knowledge gained in industry/art sector, is where I am lacking and can’t bring my working experience to the course. I believe this has become a weakness of mine because I constantly compare my achievements with other individuals and knock my own confidence and self-belief. Throughout the next few years, I am determined to rid myself of any negativity surrounding my abilities and exchange it for positive thoughts only; proving to myself that anything is possible, regardless of what stage you’re at in life or what your previous achievements are. Determination, positive attitudes, and hard work are vital.

Internally within the university, I have played an active role in getting involved with what there has been to offer; the biggest achievement being my contribution to a photography exhibition in London displaying a selection of images from my final year degree project. A selection of students off the BA course got the opportunity to display their work at the Association of Photographer's Gallery.

© Emily Chapman 2011

Prior to this, a exhibition organised in my 2nd year of the BA, resulted in the university's Leek Road Venue, purchasing my photographs and using them as door covers for their union venue.

© Emily Chapman 2011

Studying Photography in depth for 3 years, made me realise that my interests lie more with the final images than the act of 'creating' them. The technical aspect has never been my strong point. My focus is to view images and use them to get messages across and to help people in the process. This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the taking of photographs, there isn't a feeling much better than standing back and looking at your framed final piece of artwork. You feel a sense of achievement after the hard work that went in to the initial idea, the picture making, editing, printing, framing, and exhibiting. There will never be a moment that I am without a camera and I'll always continue to photograph, regardless of the path I choose to take.

I have always tried to link in my interests and hobbies with what I would link my final career path to be. I believe that in order to enjoy and be fully happy with the direction you are taking, you need to be involved with what you love. Having a job that ties in with my passions in life, is my main aim. Countless number of career paths have been considered, including; opening a gallery/tea shop, designing a travelling exhibition out of the back of a converted VW Campervan and exploring the world, as well as, working as an events organiser/photographer for the National Geographic. No matter what path I take, working for charities along the way will always be a big part of who I am. If I see a chance to help for the better, I will.

Baking/Cooking is a big passion of mine and takes up more time than it should. Exploring new flavours and creating exciting dishes gives me the chance to relax and remind me that life is interesting. This love develops further in to travel and culture. I find different cultures fascinating and it would be truely amazing to visit many different places and experience the contrasts between each; the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, the quality of life. exhibitions and documentaries would be developed out of my travels to show people the diversity of what the world has to offer and bring to light issues that countries need to share.

Through the university, I have joined up with ChildReach International, who work with 'local communities in the developing world to help improve children's access to healthcare, education, and child rights and protection.' On this journey, I will be cycling 16 days across India to raise money for the wonderful cause. Along the way, I will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience and achieve all the things I have always wanted to do. Hopefully, this will be the start of a series of events I do to help others less fortunate than me. Not only will I be contributing to a better quality of life for children, I will be gaining vital skills and knowledge I need to succeed in life and the confidence needed to achieve this.

© ChildReach International

Watch this space...