https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1952936985895109476
Here’s the picture that was used for the annotation –
I wasn’t good at making annotations at all – and since the car we built doesn’t have many details for me to explain (the car in the picture is prototype 2), I only had four annotations available for it ~ 🥹
Anyway, that will change once I figure out with the third prototype. 😊
Note: This portfolio is a personal reflection of the unit 3 project “Advocate for Us” from Art Lab. Artworks that are presented here are typically considered original.
I’m fond of explaining the process instead of just answering the questions – so apologies if my portfolio is not the one you have expected.
(Anyway, no one is going to read it so I’ll just answer in a casual way.)
Another project is done; it’s time to do another new portfolio to reflect on the project I’ve done for the past few weeks. 😁
The main topic of the project I made was mental health awareness—I always been so aware of global issues, especially stigmas about mental disorders, this was my primary and my final choice of creating the project.
(I was also a person who had suffered a lot of mental breakdowns and overwhelming episodes due to–well, I don’t want to say, this can be an expression from my personal experience. 😅)
To the first part of the reflection! ~
The Process in Creating Sketches
Before making the thumbnail sketch, I started exploring the effects of positive and negative space used in art – which later gave me the inspiration of a sketch related to mental health awareness –
Specifically, I thought about bipolar disorders.
According to research, bipolar disorders (also known as manic depression) are serious mental health conditions that cause manic and depressive episodes. They’re usually presented in art through a black-and-white person, with the white part usually referring to the manic episode and the black part referring to the depressive episode.
So my first sketch was like this –
That the left side of the person is experiencing the stigma from the people, with white refers to the people who are considered as normal, and the black part of the person basically means “mental darkness”.
But later, I decided to increase the effect between the positive and negative space – as the main technique use to increase contrast to emphasize the issue that is presented through the artwork, and I was thinking: what if the darkness refer to the mental disorders, as presented to the darkened areas, and the person on the outside is started to covered with black with a person in white inside, suffering from the darkness that keeps her grounded?
So, for the final sketch, I adjusted some of the parts of my first sketch – and it looked like this –
And here are the features I created in my artwork –
The left side is the white background as the reality, with three hands pointing at her (refer to the stigma), and the tears turning into the black dots are the “real feelings” that the person tries to express out but all of them turning back to her and creating a giant “ghost” and “devouring” her “soul” (this is actually one of the artistic expression in most of the paintings related to mental disorders).
From the right side (as the contrast and the mind of what is person thought), with the black background to create the scene of what the reality in a person with mental disorders (with the person’s curling position and the pills that turns from her tears), is also a powerful way to evoke emotions and empathy from the audience.
…
Here’s a fun note about some of the details in my artwork, about the reason why there are little black dots flowing –
Those little black dots in the artwork are referred to the darkness, which I was inspired and used as a reference from a game called “The Kreator”.
This game is all about journey, which in this case, I can refer to as “a journey to live with mental disorders”, with the missing light dots that turning into the darkness refer to the people, especially relationships, do not understand and causing stigmas happening to increase harm to the person mentally. The giant one could be refers to public stigmas as it gathered together – to become a fatal weapon to the yellow light on the journey (person with disorders).
(I didn’t put this thought to my artwork, unfortunately.)
And just like what’s seen in my draft, as the darkness takes over (the person’s mental condition continues to deteriorate), then it will be similar like this –
Alright, enough for side-tracking – let’s get to the second part.
The Curving Process
In just the first lesson of curving, I already had a problem with my artwork.
After the holiday, when I was supposed to start curving out my work, I didn’t realize my artwork had broken a piece at the edge until one of my classmates reminded me. But I didn’t panic like other people.
(Hold on, I was side-tracking again…)
Alright, so –
One of the challenges I experienced was carving to smaller areas due to the complexity of my artwork and the sizes of the tool (even I used the smallest carving knife to carve, it was still a difficult work to do – and patience was crucial to reduce mistakes, but time won’t give me a choice).
There was once I almost cut my left finger when carving the smaller areas of the painting, and the knife was close to my left hand (just to keep the linoleum in place and prevent moving).
(I thought I cut my finger because it hurt really bad, but it was because I was holding the knife in my hands for a long period of time, which caused some soreness on my fingers.)
So I decided to change my mind while carving in only three lessons – for the smaller areas that I planned to carve – like the medication and pills I printed, I decided to cut the outline to make it much easier – that also meant that those pills are considered as black, which we can refer that the persons’s “mental darkness” increases as she takes the medication.
(This could also refer to the side effects from the medication, I guess? And I think this changing in contrast can also refer to the person sinking deeper as she’s taking more, and the tears flowing from her eyes are turning into the “dark dots”.)
The Final printout
After I spent three lessons and one EL session just to complete carving, I finally finished the artwork on time and avoided the SCR session on that day (wait, why am I saying that?!) 🥲
My first few printing processes were not quite smooth as I had expected, and since my linoleum had cut a small piece – that still had a visible impact on my artwork, since that piece was connected to one of the hands, that I needed to paint the missing part manually in almost every print.
Also, I wasn’t fond of using ink, which I rather used too much or too little for the prints (and even worse, my clothes also splashed with black ink in the first lesson for printing, which it took me a long time to clean those before taking them to the washing machine).
But still, after uncountable failed attempts in printing the artwork, I printed my first perfect print, which was the second print, that I thought was the most well-presented with detailed areas.
I also did two colored prints (blue and red) after I learned how to control the amount of ink used in each print in order to create a high-quality printing result (to be honest, I only did twice for blue and once for red).
And here’s the printing result in blue ink –
Overall, this project was another journey for me to explore the major global issues, in my project, about mental health, in another perspective by using artistic expressions (like in this project, by using the linoleum printing.
And guess what? This experience is also a wake-up call for me to raise awareness in mental health and fight the stigmas that prevent the people from seeking help.
This portfolio is a full reflection on five of the major TTGs (with the five tasks related to the TTGs) from the Eagle Apprenticeship program, and it might have some personal opinion on certain topics.
The tasks that I’m going to use for each of the TTGs are:
– Creative learner: Bake-off
– Critical Thinker: Wordplay
– Resilence: Mindfulness and meditation
– Skillful communicator: Reading with 3rd graders
– Effective collaborator: Volunteer for PTC
Anyway, let’s get started! ~
Creative Learner: Bake-off
I didn’t expect myself to use our family’s recipe as part of the apprenticeship program, but thinking that I could add 60 points for creative learners, I finally decided to document this baking process again.
The baking process was also unexpected—because of my father’s attempt to make the cake that he watched from the video, he decided to bake one for our lunch and afternoon tea (yes, we often have afternoon teas during the weekend).
I started by listing the recipe on the video that my dad shared with me, and, with some inspiration from the internet but also aware of my dad’s health condition, I adjusted the amount of sugar (or sugary foods) and added some of the ingredients to replace the recipe (for example, instead of having sugary dried fruit on the top from the original recipe, I used peanut kernels as my dad’s favorite food). It took about half an hour for me to adjust and add the ingredients due to limited resources at home, but I think it was worth it—it was all about managing my dad’s health but also allowed him to have desserts, and that was also considered critical thinking as well.
When I was making the pie, I was also cautious about how many ingredients I poured into the mix and how much time for them to mix in order to increase the chance of success (because it was my first attempt). I also need to think critically about the temperature and the time for the cake to be baked in the air fryer, which I often sit beside, adjusting the time and temperature, or maybe check if the pie has changed its color from pale yellow to a surface full of gold (which means the pie was almost done).
And… I made it, only for the first time, when the pie was out from the plate, and the taste was greater that I had expected. 🥰
So, what I really learned from this experience was probably about “try everything”—because we never expected to bake a pie from just a single video, but my dad’s determination to do it was a lesson to me that “everything would be possible as long as you do it, and action is better than words.”
Critical Thinker: Wordplay
I was the only person who started late in the critical thinker tasks, and I remembered it was just a week ago when I was rushing to get all of the tasks done. Still, I managed to finish the TTGs with three tasks that both earned 30 points, and one of them was wordplay.
Living in a world with only 20 words was an interesting challenge, and I decided to take this as an opportunity to improve my critical thinking skills. I started to think about all of the words and phrases that I often use to form sentences.
Then, I listed them out on a piece of paper—it was about 30–40 words, clearly showing that it exceeded the range. So, I started to do a comparison between the words to see which of them are used more frequently.
It took about an hour for me to finalize the words that I used for the 20-word word and create some examples for each of the words, as well as some simple conversations with only 20 words. I also “created” some combining phrases, like “some” and “thing,” that can be combined to “something” (I asked my teacher if I could do that, and my teacher was impressed since she had never seen I could mix the words into a useful word).
This task gives me a chance to improve my weakened critical thinking skills and, most importantly, my language skills—because I’m still a language learner.
Resilence: Mindfulness and Meditation
(This reflection was copied and rewrote from the task)
For the past few months, I often had problems with time management and efficiency in learning, and I’m also struggling to manage my stress, which piles up rapidly and, without realizing it, presses me silently with a hand.
I downloaded and searched various apps and websites for mindfulness and meditation, and one of the apps I downloaded is “Smiling Mind.” It is an app available from the app store without in-app purchase, which is friendly for people who don’t want to spend their money and enjoy the free sessions and exercises, including me because it is sorry to spend my parents’ money.
My first exercise from the app was “Take Five Mindful Breaths,” which is the one I often has when I am stressed, and I can use it either online or offline.
During the five-day tryout, I chose some exercises and made reminders to myself to do the exercise no matter how busy I was—being busy is not an excuse; instead, I found that taking approximately 5-10 minutes of breaks with this exercise can really improve my efficiency in finishing my homework without hours of searching the internet or panicking.
The app also reminded me to get to bed early or start a new day with some exercise (such as “Starry Nights” for bedtime and “Rise and Shine” for morning), and combined with other mental health apps, I managed to release some piles of stress out of my back in just a week.
As for the “real” reflection, the app’s continuous reminder and the voiceover from each of exercise remind me to take a break to calm my mind, and everything is connected—when I’m feeling less stressed, my efficiency can be improved; even if it doesn’t for the first few days, that’s okay as well.
And, of course, I’m still using it even though the five-day tryouts have passed.
Skillful communicator: Reading with 3rd graders
This task was a hidden task, since the task never appeared on the task wall unless you volunteered for certain school events that are considered part of the task with the teacher’s approval. Well, this was one of them.
I found that I couldn’t communicate well with my classmates who are in the same grade or above (any people in 9th grade or above), which is quite strange—it is because I’m too naive and act like a child.
So, I decided to make friends with younger people, and this task provided me an opportunity to socialize for a short time again.
I was assigned to three elementary school students in 3rd grade whose Chinese is their native language when we arrived at the MS library. They first introduced themselves as Mia, Lucas, and Evelyn, and, of course, I introduced myself as Olivia and my Chinese name.
I was in a mix of anxiety and excitement when I picked a book and read it to those adorable ES students. As I read, I also took some chances to ask them questions to test their knowledge, such as a keyword’s definition or the literary device used in the context. And Mia showed her talent by reciting a long ancient Chinese poetry, and I have to admire that she is a “master.”
This event provided me with opportunities to make friends with younger children. I’m already a high school student now, but just as my teacher had said, “Being childish is normal, even when you’re at the age of maturity.”
(And I do like hanging out with younger kids, of course! 😘)
Effective collaborator: An Ambassador for PTC
I didn’t expect that a simple thing as being a volunteer of the fall PTC (Parent-Teacher-Conference) last year could be a hidden task of the apprenticeship program, which was approved by the teacher (she told me this could be used in both TTGs, which were skillful communicator and effective collaborator).
Isabella and I were the ambassadors of the PTC between 10 am and 12 pm – when very few parents were around the school. Still, a lot of parents asked us after I put the card with my handwriting “Student Help” on the desk in front of the A building, to prove that we were the volunteers, not the kids that were hanging around the school (but we still suggested that we should have the shirts that prove that we are the ambassadors, just like in Link Crew).
We were quite busy taking the parents to the rooms of the school or showing them the directions (because the designs of the high school buildings were really complicated, and it took two months to know all the directions).
(But before the school building became crowded with parents, Isabella and I were just sitting at the desk and chilling, or maybe watching some Snapchat videos because we were so bored. 😑)
This “hidden task” was a challenge for me to socialize two months after joining the school’s community and overcome anxiety, the same as the task I did in the skilled communicator TTG. 😘
“Overall, these tasks from the five TTGs were all teaching or recapping important lessons or providing opportunities for me to challenge myself.”
(Special task of the apprenticeship program approved by teachers)
“It was my first time volunteering as an ambassador of the PTC, two months after transition to the new school – I was with Isabella during our duty between 10am and 12pm, when we guide the parents who were lost (I completely understood that was common in high school since there are two major buildings).”
We were pretty busy so we didn’t have time to take some photos, but we did have selfies, but I’m not going to post them on my portfolio due to privacy, so I’ll just upload a picture I made on GL2 to replace that.
It was also an opportunity for me to practice my communication and collaboration skills. And I’ll definitely volunteer as an ambassador for this year’s PTC as well! 🥰”
“And we did have Chagee together after finishing our duty ~ 🧋”
(Task from the apprenticeship program)
“It took about an hour for me to decide the most important resources to the least important resources since there were a lot of things I have to decide—and I even made some of them at the same ranking (for example, I ranked both the jackknife and the hunting knife at the same place, which I remembered was the 4th, because they were both knives).
I also have a question—another rhetorical question—why is chewing gum part of the resources? Which I rarely tried and I definitely rated it as the least important.”
(Task from the apprenticeship program)
It took about an hour for me to decide on the first 20 words (my first draft was about 30-40 words) for the wordplay since I’m not good at communicating with someone with only a few words in a sentence.
Anyway, one question – probably a rhetorical question, I wonder if sign language is possible in that imaginary world… I mean, you can only speak those words, right? But the sign is just for hand movement, not vocal movement. 🥲
(Task from the Eagle Apprenticeship program)
Note: The recipe of the pie in this portfolio is based on personal experience and several “experiments.” Some of the ingredients are optional.
Before I make a reflection, let me just share the ingredients and the direction from my secret recipe of how to make the oatmeal apple pie – 🥧
And here comes the reflection –
I wasn’t expecting that I would make an apple pie with oatmeal in the first place – it was my parents’ idea first when they watched a video of using oatmeal as the ingredient. But after my father decided to try it out, I decided to take this as an opportunity to make my first “secret” recipe for baking.
After the attempt was successful, my parents and I finally decided to bring our air fryer “back to life” – since we hadn’t used the fryer for a year now. 🥰🍰
(Task from the Eagle Apprenticeship program)
P2 is the original cover of the book.
As one of my favorite self-books for learning self-love with plenty of illustrations in most chapters (checklists) and easy to understand, I decided to make the cover again of this book that I finally “decided to live as me.” 🥰
(Task from Eagle Apprenticeship program)
Note: This instructional guide is mainly for iOS users. For Android or other users (if not using iOS), check if the app exists on the application store.
If you ever want to be active but don’t want to spend your time in the gym, well, you’re not the only person—I was, to be honest—and that’s why I decided to make an instructional guide on playing “sports” online!
Active Arcade is a health app that uses games as an encouragement for users to stay active while having fun. According to the App Store, it is placed in 8th place among the “Top Free iPad Apps” in the “Health & Fitness” category.
The use of Augmented Reality (AR) allows the players to use their natural body as the main controller of the games, with advanced AI technology to detect body motions. Currently, it is free without any of the in-app purchases.
Without any side-tracking content, let’s start the tutorial! ~
Download the application
Search the application “Active Arcade” on the App Store.
Note: Please be mindful that the size of the app is approximately 1 GB – so check the remaining storage and clear out some space from your iPhone/iPad storage if your remaining storage is low or you’re using a device with only 32-64 GB like mine. You can find this in the system settings.
When you open the app for the first time, a setup overview may pop out as a tutorial on how to set up your device for the game. You can watch it again the overview by clicking the app logo on the top left of the menu. Now, let’s talk about how to set up for games that only requires a small space.
As you enter the menu, you might see there are 14 games in total. You can click the i icon at the bottom right to see the space requirement and their intensity.
There are three categories of intensity in these games –
You may also notice the people icon on the right top in some of the games. which means that the games can be played with a partner.
In this portfolio, I’m going to show how to set up your device in a small space, which is the minimum requirement for most of the games.
So, let’s get started! 😊
Set up a game
I’m going to use “Whack A Mole” as an example to start the game.
Here’s a picture of me playing the game from the highlight (for privacy, I made a paper mask for myself) –
And that’s it; you made it! Enjoy the game ~ 🥰
(Task from Eagle Apprenticeship program)
I was supposed to do the reading with little ones from elementary school on that Wednesday to get the 30-point task done. However, we went to the ES library late, and the teacher decided for us to take a walk around the track.
Three things I can see –
Three things I can hear –
Three things I can feel –
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