In the last blog, I posted an Instagram story for my followers to ask me any questions they wanted answered in my blog. This week will be the same thing, but instead of my followers, these questions will be from Kean students directly!
What’s your opinion on social media's impact?
Social media has a negative or positive impact depending on what it’s impacting. I think it affects people's self-esteem in an overall negative way. I made an Instagram page when I was eleven years old like most of us did at a young age. It has much power to influence what we do, say, and wear. The most popular photography app at that time was Retrica. I saw everyone, including older people, use that app's filter. I wanted to be cool so I did the same thing. I used every filter and collage feature that was trending. What I didn’t realize, was that in time, I wouldn’t feel as pretty or cool if I didn’t use them or make a cool effect. I started dressing and posting exactly like my crush's girlfriend because I was able to see her on social media. Beauty standards are the most advertised on social media and it’s toxic that it’s always changing because everyone is so uniquely beautiful in their own way. Social media is also the fastest way to compare yourself. You go on Instagram to see what everyone else is doing and it looks so much better than whatever you’re doing. Everyone looks like they’re doing way more than you and you start to tear yourself apart. In that sense, social media is the worst.
I also think we’re lucky to have social media. We’re the first generation that’s able to get famous or promote your business/work by posting it. I hear my mom say all the time, “Back in my day, in order to get famous, you had to go out in the streets and try selling people your stuff. There was a great emphasis on networking and kissing ass. Now you can just post it and make millions.” She’s pretty right about that. I’ve seen so many people on TikTok have their videos go viral and now they’re successful influencers. It’s also a good way to be caught up on the news if your TV isn’t your thing. But there’s a lot of false information, so take everything in moderation. It’s a good tool to use if you feel alone in your struggles. You can go on these apps and find thousands of people talking about exactly what you’re going through.
Social media has its ups and downs and it’s not going anywhere. It’s best to use it mindfully and TAKE BREAKS!
Do you actually enjoy school? If so, why?
I find this question funny because a good friend of mine who thinks I'm a school lover asked this. I really like school but I wouldn’t say I “love it”, it is a school at the end of the day. I like the structure it gives me on a weekly basis. I feel like I can honestly answer this question because I’ve experienced it all. I took a semester off just to have a break from school right after high school to figure out what I really wanted. If I went to college I wanted to be passionate about it. During the semester off I worked full time to support myself to pursue my creative adventures. It was from there I decided I did want to go to school while also being creative on the side. There was a point where I wasn’t working at all or in school so I also got to see that side of life. It was from there I discovered my other passions and got excited to start college. I don’t care if I’m a semester behind, I really needed that experience to like school. I think if I went without the break I would’ve been lost and half-assed all my assignments. What’s the point in paying for something you’re not sure about? So, yes, I do like school. More than I did my whole adolescence.
Any tips on posting your creative work on social media?
Just post it. I know it’s hard but the more you think about it the more you actually won’t do it. Whenever you give yourself too much time to think, your thinking becomes endless because possibilities are endless. Thinking hard on something could be beneficial but most of the time, in cases like this, it doesn’t lead to anything productive. Thinking is not action. There’s a study done on this called task/anxiety paralysis procrastination, https://www.sitwithkelly.com/blog/overcoming-task-paralysis if you want to read more on it. You just have to like something of yours enough to want others to see it.
Ask yourself, “Would I post this if I knew only I’d see it? Would I show this to a loved one?” If the answer to those is yes, post it. Someone will always have something to say but that’s not your problem. Chances are, at least one person will relate and that one person is enough! Appreciate your art enough for others.
How do you write poetry?
There really is no certain way to write poetry. For me, it starts with an idea or a sentence. The idea can literally be a word or a concept like beauty, heartbreak, grief, etc. It depends on what I’m feeling at that moment but it comes to me at the most random times. If I’m trying to write a whole piece from that idea, I’ll pull out my journal and just write. I write whatever comes to mind without judgment until I feel like my point is made or I’ve just come to a stop. I edit everything later. If it’s something that stops abruptly but I really want to finish, I think about what would fit into the poem. What kind of words, creative images, structures, and punctuation, would add to the piece? If I notice I’m thinking too hard and for too long, I’ll stop and come back to it when I get more ideas. I trust that I’ll get inspired and that something will come up when the time is right. To sum it up, I just write whatever pops up and continue on when I can. Hope this helps in some way.
How do you gain and maximize resources at school?
Stay tuned for my next blog :).
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