I decided to start this project with an exercise:
- What is a cause?
- What is a cause?
- What is an effect?
- Create 10 cause and effect chains. Take note of how each relationship carries over into the next.
I stared at the barren page in my sketchbook for 10 minutes, and the only words staring back at me were "cause and effect." Honestly, I had never really considered what a cause actually implies. Obviously a cause can create an effect. Then again, how does a cause create an effect? I continued to stare. Clearly I only had one option, and hunger seemed like a good effect to start with; you have to start somewhere, right?
Here was my thought process:
- What causes hunger? Food being scarce.
- Well, why is food scarce? Crops suffered this year.
- When do crops suffer? When the weather is not cooperating.
- The weather depends on the atmosphere and jet streams.
- Chemical imbalances in the atmosphere cause the climate to change.
- What causes the imbalances? Over-use of products (transportation, aerosol, genetically modified _____, methane, etc.)
- Who uses the products? People are wanting more and more.
- What is causing the people's greed? Goods are easier to acquire.
- How do people acquire? With money.
- In order to earn money, people over-extend themselves with work.
- Etc.
Obviously, cause and effect is a LOT bigger than I could have anticipated. Now what? I decided to start a bit smaller with points of interest: hunger/food, global warming, water, endangered species, volcanic eruptions. Wow, these points are a little depressing to think about. Maybe I should think more along the lines of eye color, or silverware, or even baking cookies. Although these thoughts are beneficial, maybe it's too early in my process to settle on just one.
What am I looking to give my audience? What is the take home message? Undoubtedly, my work will embody educational, inspirational, and motivational moments. It is also important for the overall experience to relate back to the viewer. For instance, I never really think about the Great Barrier Reef on a daily basis. However, I am certain that even the little decisions I make on the day to day directly effect it. My books are not meant to lecture. Rather, I want to empower my audience, and help them to understand that the decisions they make every day cause positive and negative effects somewhere in the world. That is a powerful concept for anyone to consider.
Here was my thought process:
- What causes hunger? Food being scarce.
- Well, why is food scarce? Crops suffered this year.
- When do crops suffer? When the weather is not cooperating.
- The weather depends on the atmosphere and jet streams.
- Chemical imbalances in the atmosphere cause the climate to change.
- What causes the imbalances? Over-use of products (transportation, aerosol, genetically modified _____, methane, etc.)
- Who uses the products? People are wanting more and more.
- What is causing the people's greed? Goods are easier to acquire.
- How do people acquire? With money.
- In order to earn money, people over-extend themselves with work.
- Etc.
Obviously, cause and effect is a LOT bigger than I could have anticipated. Now what? I decided to start a bit smaller with points of interest: hunger/food, global warming, water, endangered species, volcanic eruptions. Wow, these points are a little depressing to think about. Maybe I should think more along the lines of eye color, or silverware, or even baking cookies. Although these thoughts are beneficial, maybe it's too early in my process to settle on just one.
What am I looking to give my audience? What is the take home message? Undoubtedly, my work will embody educational, inspirational, and motivational moments. It is also important for the overall experience to relate back to the viewer. For instance, I never really think about the Great Barrier Reef on a daily basis. However, I am certain that even the little decisions I make on the day to day directly effect it. My books are not meant to lecture. Rather, I want to empower my audience, and help them to understand that the decisions they make every day cause positive and negative effects somewhere in the world. That is a powerful concept for anyone to consider.
No comments:
Post a Comment