Overview The Look At Me Now project was to create a poster/object that represents ourselves currently using literary devices. For each literary device there had to be a paragraph that represents a special memory/person that has direct correlation to us or how that memory/person shaped ourselves.
The Writing Process It took a very long time for me to understand the prompt. It was strange for me to write paragraphs without stringing them together or creating some sort of structure. Of course, we all have memories that have shaped us into who we are today but picking a single moment that made you who you are is a very difficult thing to do. Below is my very first draft. I wrote it more like a story because I wanted to get some ideas started for what I could write about for the theme, setting, flashback, protagonist, etc. Eventually, I was able to write detailed stories about my life. (At the very bottom of this page will have photos of my final product, as well as a link to my final Look At Me Now writing piece). After I wrote my first piece it was critiqued by my peers and even I got to critique others on word choice, punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc. It gave me a good example of what I think is beautiful work is and how I can achieve that standard. I liked critiquing others as well because it was cool seeing how much their stories have progressed. They're more interesting and they flow more. Overall, it was cool seeing how my critique was reflected in the way they changed their paragraphs.
The Building Process The building process was the hardest part for me, personally, because I knew I didn't want to use a poster. I wanted something more interactive. My first idea was to create a story cube that folded and created different pictures depending on how it was folded. My mom helped me a lot with this process because she was coming up with a lot of ideas. We found two boxes that had shelves shaped like an X in the middle of both of them. We ended up adhering them together and reinforcing them with a panel on the back, then spray painted the entire thing black. I call it my "Memory Bank" because inside of each section are photos that remind me of those times that I wrote about. It's like a bank/safe of all of my favorite memories. For example: In my setting I wrote about living in Arizona, so in the "Setting" section of my Memory Bank were photos of me from when I lived in Arizona. I added some lights because I think lights make everything more inviting and friendly! I'm very proud of my final product. The only thing is, I don't have spaces inside the bank for the literary devices: conflict and antagonist but that was because I didn't know what photos I could've added in those places. However, I did add the paragraphs (conflict and antagonist) to the sides of the bank. (Photos at the bottom of this page).
Reflection Overall, I liked this project a lot. At the end, we held an exhibition at the Barnes & Noble fair which I attended. I enjoyed seeing people from different grades and hearing about their lives. I was able to my project and connect with everyone watching me a little bit more as well as get to know everyone who presented. I will admit that the writing was my favorite part because it made me think the most. I never really realized that I was making memories when I was just having fun. I didn't know those parts in my life would make a difference in me. I guess it's hard to understand that jumping on a trampoline until dark would impact me somehow when I was so young. I liked reminiscing on the days that have made me a better and stronger person. I tend to forget how far I've come, mentally and physically. I think it's easy to look over that special kind of progression because you see yourself everyday, you see yourself and only think about how you're the same as you were yesterday. This project taught me that people change everyday in different ways and it's so hard to believe that we don't even realize or see it. I've gained a new respect and love for my brilliant childhood, it was so full of wonder and good people who've made me the brilliant and curious person I am today.