Eloise is seen awaiting the download of a piece of music or video. Even though the download doesn’t succeed, she simply says, “It’s not working”, while simultaneously shrugging off her shoulder. The shrug and the radiant smile that follow render her optimistic nature that doesn’t fail to show even in the face of obstacles.
Undismayed, she walks from the laptop to the whiteboard for next segment. She picks up a marker and with big, clear and slanted strokes, she writes out the word, “NEVER”, in capital letters. As she emphasizes the word, “NEVER”, I anticipate that she’d point out a common mistake or impart some valuable advice. She does exactly that. Her finished work says, “NEVER be content to merely sit and watch”. She also pauses between the words, “be content” and “sit”, which help to effectively deliver her message. It is almost as if she is speaking to us, making sure that her intention sinks in our minds. Even though it is her self-portrait, she directs a universal message to the audience of not simply waiting for the performer to take lead, but to become an integral part of the performance by adding their own distinct thoughts. This message may apply elsewhere in life as well; Eloise tries to teach us the importance of active engagement and thinking instead of mere following. At his point, I, and probably other members of the audience, am thinking if she wants us to take part in her performance.
Next, she walks over to the nearby table on her left, with the same genial smile. As she picks up the orange Jenga box, she actually speaks to the audience and asks them to help her play the game, including myself, the video recorder. This definitely marks her amiable personality, displaying the “people-person” she is. Instead of being nervous to perform in front of the audience, as most of us were, she exhibits such courage and confidence as to invite the audience to engage in the main part of her performance. Thus, the audience becomes an important constituent of her performance. Her consideration of the audience’s involvement in her performance presents her sociable as well as generous nature.
-Faryal
Please try to repost so the video appears. Send an email if you are confused or need extra assistance. You’ll need to re-upload the entire video. thanks.
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Oops! My self-portrait, not my post. Got it!
Try exporting from iPhoto before uploading the video. The steps are as follows.
1) Open iPhoto
2) File
>Export
>File Export, Kind: original
Then save to desktop under a different filename and try to follow the instructions for posting again.
This is my short response to my own self-portrait:
Faryal practically read my mind at every turn. What she anticipated is what I did almost immediately, and even more surprising is that she identified the personality traits behind the actions, the traits that I myself don;t often recognize. I did indeed want to include others in my performance; the basis of and inspiration for my self-portrait was the philosophy of ubuntu, which in essence states that “people are people through other people.” I would not be who I am without the influence of others, and I wanted my elf-portrait to include not only myself but as many people as possible. I decided to include the game Jenga partly to make the performance fun and partly to reflect my belief that cooperation is one of the keys to success, that though we may each lead individual lives and remove blocks in different ways, with different attitudes and degrees of risk, we are all working towards the same end. My self-portrait is not only a reflection of who I am but also a representation of how I see the world.