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Ever since I was a young child, my mother put a paintbrush in my hand and encouraged my sister and I to express ourselves on paper using a variety of different art mediums and bold colors. While my mother introduced me to the world of visual art, my dad introduced me to music. He would surround me with musical instruments such as the piano and guitar, and we would have music playing in the house more often than not. I think my parent’s encouragement to immerse myself in the arts acted as the building blocks for my love for the arts, embedding in me the strong belief that self-expression through art is an invaluable skill and practice that can only serve you and increase your feeling of fulfillment and joy. When I began my high school career, I was formally introduced to theatre and acting, where I was thrilled to discover that I could blend all of my artistic talents into one art form. Kickstarting my career in theatre, I initially focused all of my energy into musical theatre and acting, going on auditions in my California Bay Area community, applying for theatre company internships, volunteering at local theatres, and taking all of the theatre courses my high school offered. Even after accomplishing all of this, I still wanted more, so I decided to continue my theatre education at NYU for my first year of college. Here is where it was ingrained in me how collaborative theatre actually is, which was something not really emphasized in my high school. I learned a lot about myself during that year, and I definitely had some challenges, however I was more motivated to be successful in the field than ever. Although I was extremely determined, I put almost too much pressure on myself, and began to feel insecure in my talents. Living in NYC is not an easy feat, and I had to learn how to advocate for myself and always show the best version of myself to fellow collaborators, peers, and strangers, despite my hesitancies and self-doubt. During my time there, I learned that I am very sensitive to personal criticism, and have a hard time not taking criticism as an attack on my abilities. I also realized that I am quite stubborn and tend to attach myself to the first idea I have, as I used to think my first concept is the best approach (in terms of technical theatre set design). Observing these tendencies really opened my eyes to my artistic challenges, showing me the things I need to work on moving forward in my collaborative endeavors. Living in NYC expanded my expectations of what theatre is and can be, there being so many new devised works and new plays being produced on a daily basis. There is still so much left for me to learn here at Winship, and I am so excited to continue building my holistic theatre knowledge with all my new friends and amazing professors!

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Collaboration has been a tricky area for me ever since I was a kid. (According to my parents) I am a very stubborn individual, but I am also an extrovert where I need company more often than not. I don’t always trust other people’s visions when I first encounter them as much as I do my own because I can’t peek into their minds and really understand their proposition (and this is why developing a shared vocabulary with your collaborators as research is so important!) However, I have learned through working on multiple productions during my first year at UT that collaboration is so incredibly conductive and generative. Creating a web of connections where we spit ball idea after idea is an electric experience, especially when you eventually step into the continuous creative flow that all artists crave for. Throughout my experiences working from fully fleshed out shows to small group projects, I realized that I rely heavily on a team that is equally as generative as I am. I noticed that for a lot of projects, I automatically revert to holding the team leader position, however I prefer not to be in that position ideally. I really enjoy a cohort where everyone involved is contributing equally in their own ways. This division of labor enables me (and I think others) to do their best work and for us to unanimously produce the best end product we can offer to our audience. Collaboration matters because it teaches flexibility, trust, open communication, and whereas other non-theatre fields don’t necessarily require those assets as much as theatre does. Working with others in a comfortable and enjoyable environment is an incredibly important skill that I think was undervalued for most of my life, and now I see the value in that skill, in and outside of theater.

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This is a short video of two visual artists I love who jointly create their painted characters through collaboration. To me this is a great example of how art can be elevated through working together and coming up with something that one wouldn't be able to generate on their own.

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The Art of Collaboration with KeFe | KQED Arts

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Click to learn more: https://wp.me/p4AWsA-d8 Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock are artists who focus on character design and development, creating a rotating cast of surreal cartoon figures inspired by visual culture, including fashion, skateboarding, Japanese regalia and folklore.

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My artistic process has morphed drastically just from my first year of my theatre education here at UT. As I have mentioned before, I used to approach theatre in a black and white mindset. In terms of acting, I thought an “authentic” moment during a performance had to feel “right” and deeply felt within me emotionally. However, during my first year of college and my experience in acting classes here at UT, I’ve learned that my initial approach to acting was skewed and was a flawed yet common interpretation of what “good” acting looked and felt like. In terms of design, more specifically scenic design, I used to come up with one idea that felt strong and stuck with it, instead of the more constructive process of revising, reworking, and reimagining. I didn’t realize how important research was in a design process, overlooking the process and focusing merely on the end product. Now, I have much appreciation for research, and have learned that your first idea is far from the best approach. I now develop ideas and inspiration primarily from Pinterest and other social media platforms. However, I also find inspiration for my scenic designs through already existing architecture, such as museum interiors, bustling cities, standing monuments, and more. I also get inspired by other art forms, including massive and small art installations and visual art. I also recently implemented the use of vocabulary into my artistic process. In Lisa’s Laratta’s theatre design class, we learned the importance of vocabulary in your research, and I loved the approach. I typically stuck with visual inspiration instead of research in the form of words, so this was a beneficial new skill for me. In terms of actually constructing my design, I try to discover what the mood or vibe of the piece is, and begin building my concept by imagining silhouettes and color palettes that speak to what I think is the essence of the piece. I then take a notebook and draw rough, quick sketches to start brainstorming shapes and concepts. At this point in my process, I usually have a few solid ideas that I know I want to be incorporated in the final design, and I think about what a cohesive world that these elements can live in could look like.

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Set Design Inspiration Pinboard - (Developing Ideas)

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Set Design Inspiration Pinboard - (Developing Ideas)

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This is a brief collage of different designs and installations that inspire me, that will hopefully help me in my design process/stage for future projects.