Make-Up Blog #13: "Paintbrush"

I really enjoy art:

A miniature witch’s broom. Fine bristles stiff to the touch, smooth in a stroke- all tapered to an elegant tip. With a simple, slim wooden form, a paintbrush is capable of creating works so magnificent that countless people a year flock to museums for glimpses of man-made treasures. Indeed, a paintbrush in itself is worthy of its own exhibit.

My fingers itch for the tool when I see the blend of cool hues just after sunset. Or when frostbitten leaves fall in puddles around trees.  Just some swoops, some dabbles, and some slashes create an artist’s signature in paint. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but there is only one view, one vision. Paintings, on the other hand, are so easily pliable. With Seurat, his paintbrush served as a dotting tool- images created solely through vibrant dots of pigment. Kandinsky had no clear subject- everything was open to the viewer’s interpretation. A paintbrush, therefore, is vital in an artist’s dream world.

 As the muscles in my hand loosen with every stroke of paint, and as my eyes relish the fluffy blend of colors, the paintbrush is there to always ease my stress. When I hold the tool in my hand, I’m a balloon that has escaped a child’s sticky hands. I fly closer to my imagination until I disappear into it. In my mind, a pen is never necessary, for my paintbrush speaks all my unspoken words.  

Lasts.

Finally. The last blog of AP Literature…and probably in my life. I never really enjoyed blogs, but I definitely see the value in writing weekly to improve our analytical skills. For some reason, I had a really hard time sticking to the blog schedule this semester. If only we could just post a blog sometime during the week each week instead of the Thursday deadline. Who knew I’d feel so much dread from forgetting it was a Thursday.

As for AP Lit, the class has helped improve my reading comprehension. It’s scary to think that the amount of reading we do in this class pales to the amount in college. In-class essays were and still are a torture to do, but the constant writing will make me feel a little more at ease when I’m assigned a three page paper due the first week of college. Seriously, horror stories about college are starting to make it seem really intimidating. Oh well, I’ll have three months of summer vacation to ponder the intricacies of science to prepare myself for my endeavors in college. Or sleep. LOTS.

She Wore Only White: My Thoughts

Although this book by Dorthe Binkert was not as informative on how immigrants assimilated into America’s environment, I realized that the journey to America was just as important of a topic. Binkert chose to focus on a mysterious girl named Valentina who boards an America-bound ship as a stowaway. She does not have a single belonging on her, though her dress hints at her upper class background. Through the course of the trip to America, more of her life is revealed. She has a husband who cheats often and openly, and she lost her young child two years ago. The story line may be a bit melodramatic, but many immigrants during that time (early 1900s) had chosen to leave their home countries because of past sorrows they hoped to escape from.

At the end of the novel, however, there is a harsh truth. Not all immigrants were allowed entry into America, and Valentina was one of them. She had not bought a ticket, so as a stowaway she returned to Belgium. Even though her case was rare, others had their hopes crushed when eye infections or other illnesses forced them, and sometimes their other family members, to return to their home countries. Therefore, even though the plot was fictional, it was based on a true story, and revealed how immigration was not always a happy ending for everyone.   

Media and the Self-Esteem of Teenagers

So, as I was contemplating what I should write for this blog post, I decided to answer a question that I had for a Spanish presentation. (Sorry, I didn’t feel like writing 200+ words about rhythm and meter.) The question was on the effect of media on the self-esteem of teenagers. Growing up, teens often feel insecure about their image in comparison to others around them. As a result, their constant exposure to media serves as an unconscious guide to how they may present themselves.

Teenagers, especially girls, try to attain the standard of beauty seen in commercials or advertisements. However, with the growth of technology, most of the images of beauty are not natural – imperfections have been erased or covered with makeup, and features have been photoshopped to better match the current definition of beauty.

In fact, the standard of beauty has really changed over the years. At some time, there was an anorexia craze and everyone wanted to look stick-thin because it was “in”. Some older paintings have subjects of plumper women because that was the ideal image at the time. Even though the beauty standard has fluctuated in the past, there is immense pressure on teens at the moment with the heavy presence of social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter where “likes” and “retweets” seem to be of the upmost importance. This can definitely hinder teenagers from gaining confidence and a high self-esteem. 

“Defining Bullying Down”

This New York Times article tackles the issue of bullying as well as the boundaries of its definition. I agree with the article in saying that the word “bullying” is overused and used loosely to describe harassment and sometimes extreme cases of violence. However, there is an idea brought up in the article that I didn’t really agree with. The author of the article, Emily Bazelon, believes that:

“Crying wolf about bullying isn’t good for the children who play the victim, either. Those who hold onto that identity are less likely to recover from adversity. Bullying victims need sympathy; they also need help learning to be resilient.”

True, bullies tend to inflict harm onto others because they may hold insecurities and feel a need for hold power over others. On the other hand, this doesn’t mean the victim should stay idle and allow the bullying to occur because they sympathize with the bully. In any bullying situation, the victim should inform someone about the issue. Children don’t “play the victim” role – bullying is definitely not a game, nor is it for show. I feel like it would be easier for children to overcome adversity if they take action themselves and tell people with authority to take care of the matter.

Defining Family Relationships

“The Stories That Bind Us” is a New York Times article that focuses on the formula to a healthy, happy family. There are twenty questions that children answer to find a place on the “Do You Know” scale. The questions ask children facts about their family to grasp the cohesiveness of a child’s family. I found it interesting that there was a positive correlation between a child’s knowledge of their family’s stories and the bonds between members of a family.

Personally, I’d say my culture has kind of hindered a close family relationship. My parents have never really told me about their lives in China or how they even met. I’m a pretty curious person, so I like to ask my parents questions about their past experiences, but they see it as meddling. It’s weird to them that I would ask what their high schools were like or the story of how they met. My mom will open up from time to time and tell me bits and pieces of her life, but my dad will just tell me to go to my room and study (of course). So it does make sense that I would be closer to my mom than my dad.

At the same time, cultural standards push me to be filial, so there is somewhat of a family connection. This is probably why I don’t feel like the bonds in our family are frayed, although I do agree with the studies on family unity.

Poetry is an Art

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech.” –Simonides

I definitely view poetry as a form of art. When the word “art” is mentioned, usually paintings are the first thing to come to mind. However, with poetry, words are the medium. It captures the essence of the moment while giving room for multiple interpretations. I like how Simonides chose to describe speech as a gift. Talented poets are able to spin words into a new dimension, another person’s life, or the raw emotions of an individual.

“Poetry is an attempt to capture the essence of the chord struck in the poet by an instant of insight, in such a way that the same music will sound in the soul of the reader.” – Tia Azulay

“Colour is the key. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically. ” – Wassily Kandinsky

These two must have been thinking on the same wavelength. It’s interesting to see that the purpose of a poet or artist is to reach for the soul of the reader or viewer. In Azulay’s opinion, poetry can never replace the first instances of emotion, but only attempt to replicate past emotions. I slightly disagree with this view. If poetry is successful, then “music will sound” within the reader. If it’s only an “attempt” to capture the experience, then everyone can attempt to convey insight, but most will not strike the chord of the reader. This is why I can’t be a poet even if I wanted to be one – I can’t make music.