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Throughout this process, I feel that exploring my personal value of seeking connection and collaboration has grown greatly. Working with my various groups, trying new artistic methods, and generally exploring elements of art and collaboration I haven’t before has been very enlightening. Take devising, for example. I was convinced that I wouldn’t enjoy devising, because I am a very linearly-oriented worker. However, working through the different methods and creating art quickly without having the chance to doubt my ideas allowed me to explore low-stakes creation in a way that I hadn’t before. I felt connected to those I was working with, and rather than stressing out about the final product, I was able to let go, develop ideas, and try new methods of creation. I was particularly pleased with the final project in devising, which I was surprised with, since we basically incorporated every idea we had with only minor alterations. As a group, we were able to connect with one another on our mutual ideas (i.e. creating ideas within the same parameter), and focus on connecting those ideas rather than worry about the quality of the outcome, which allowed us to connect as artists rather than having a more informal coworker-type relationship.

Perhaps the most gratifying experiences of collaboration I have had thus far was our final project in this class. While I still had reservations about the outcome, since I’m still trying to kick the idea that a project is going to be easier if I just do it alone, I was so pleased with how it came out. Maybe the most satisfying aspect of the process was the fact that we were all passionate about the finished product and invested with it turning out good. We spent our class time, as well as outside rehearsal time, effectively, and we each had the chance to create aspects of the piece we enjoyed, and overall, it was an awesome cooperative process because we all had open minds and were passionate.

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I feel my aesthetics have undergone changes in the duration of this class. Originally, I marked down that I enjoyed symbolism and visual beauty. While this class did allow for exploring aesthetics in the design module, most of the modules were focused on creating a piece from scratch without focusing on the bigger visual and technical elements. However, I have expanded my ideas of what is encapsulated by the word “aesthetics”. Both in devising and dance, I explored a territory that I had not taken into consideration before; using solely the body to create beautiful scenes. In those two sections, I expanded my idea of aesthetics by exploring this concept through creating ideas and learning with others about creating sculptural forms with performers separated my definition of aesthetics from the traditional elements of costuming, lights, and scenic design. I feel more empowered as an artist to further explore my idea of “aesthetically pleasing” by branching out from traditional technical elements and my own interests in visual beauty. In addition to that, I also feel more inclined to find particular things I find visually interesting because of the expanded view I have gained from these modules.

I feel that my aesthetics have also evolved past simple ideas of interesting-looking technical elements and beautiful paintings. I find myself more and more drawn to unrefined and visually challenging art, in the sense that I am more interested now in art that makes one go “is this even good?”. For instance, in my photography, I want to emphasize an idea of romanticizing mundane life, so I take pictures of what’s in the world immediately surrounding me, whether that be someone’s car, interesting angles of buildings, or an animal I see on my walk. While some may deem this unimportant, that type of art means a lot to me, and aesthetically has become more appealing, because it is very real and true to who I am and the phase of life I’m in. I’m likely drawn to it because moving out on my own has forced me to be both more observant and more self-motivated in finding my own way around the world, and I think that experience is impactful.

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I have not always been someone who is very good at branching out into styles of art that I am unfamiliar with or don’t enjoy. I feel that the way that this class is structured has given me the opportunity to explore many different aspects of creating original work, as well as giving me the vocabulary and tools in order to create in a more purposeful way. For instance, in the playwriting section, I had the chance to use a skill I already have developed and enjoy (writing) and use it in a new way when we did writing exercises, as well as creating both a monologue and dialogue, which I had never tried before. In that module, I learned new exercises and skills to create a scene on my own, which, without the explicit opportunity in class, I may not have tried on my own. In addition to this, we were given the space to workshop and change our ideas, which made me more confident in my writing because I felt that I was given the space to mess up and not be penalized. Since we also had the chance to combine our ideas, I felt like I was able to take a skill I typically did on my own with minimal outside input, and apply it to a more realistic scenario for theatre. In this field, more likely than not I am going to be in situations where I have to try new things, and in the process, bring my ideas and have them subjected to necessary alteration because of inevitable collaboration. In addition to collaborating, I feel like I have grown as an artist because I have been given the chance (or rather, I’ve been required for a grade) to try different art styles and work with individuals I wouldn’t gravitate toward naturally. This aspect of PCP has made me someone who is more interested in exploring artistic ventures, as well as lowering the stakes in my head, which allows me to feel more excited and less nervous about trying something new.

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I am a visual artist, costume designer, photographer, and theatre practitioner. Recently, I’ve been involved both with UT-affiliated shows as well as student shows put up in and around Winship. Right now, I’m currently working on costuming for a student show called Squid Kid.

Throughout my experience in the Performance as Collaborative Practice class, as well as moving more towards creating professional theatre, I have been able to more clearly define my artistic voice. In the past, I’ve made a habit of putting myself in small, labeled boxes like “painter” or “stage manager” because I found what I was good at and stuck with it until I was great. I’ve always done this; I was very young when I started drawing, and found that I was just good enough at it to garner praise, which motivated me to pursue it as my main focus. However, I’ve been finding that labelling myself and not branching out feels restricting. Throughout the different modules within PCP, as well as exploring a more vibrant art scene in Austin, I’ve found myself drawn to practices I hadn’t been interested in before. I’ve taken up photography, ventured into new mediums I have never tried, and redefined what “theatre” means for myself.

While I have ventured away from viewing theatre and art in a more traditional way, I still find myself drawn to some artistic practices more than others. I continue to not love dancing and movement for myself, which has carried throughout my many years of dance lessons my mom forced me to go to, but have found myself enjoying it more as a director or audience member. I continue to love costume design, and I’ve known I loved it for years. My perspectives continue to change, though. In the past, I haven’t enjoyed photography in the way that I do now, primarily because I have only recently been finding inspiring photographers like Rachel Karls and Natalie Perez. Now I’m invested in photography to the point where I want to pursue it as a side gig and I gain a lot of artistic satisfaction from it.

Overall, my first two semesters in college (as well as in Austin) have made me grow enormously as an artist. Despite the fact that, in the past, I have been someone who tends to hyper-specialize in what I’m good at, I have found myself wanting to enjoy art in a more diversified and personal way. I’m excited and hopeful for my artistic future.
https://instagram.com/natperezphoto?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://instagram.com/raykphotos?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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The video included is that of my group’s FOPP for this class. This is maybe the most collaborating I have ever done on an individual piece.

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Pictured is some work for the playwrighting section of this class. Looking at this, you can see me picking up a new skill in real time!

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This is a collage of all the things I have found inspiring recently, as well as some of my own art that has come out of that inspiration.