Who Am I? by Meagan Wachtel https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d Made with the strength to succeed en-us 2018-12-05 14:15:36 UTC 2025-12-24 16:16:07 UTC hello@padlet.com Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger wachtelm https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311363908 During my Sophomore year of High School, I was probably at one of my darkest places emotionally. I am someone who is typically vibrant, motivated, and happy. However,I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and there was a depression that came with it. In my American Lit class we began to read The Catcher in the Rye. Long before this I stopped reading for pleasure and found myself not caring for the books we read in class. Yet I gave this book a chance and found myself confiding in the protagonist Holden Caulfield. At a time where my thoughts were so clouded, jaded, and cynical, Holden reflected my mind perfectly. He was the personification of what I described as my insanity. In what others would describe as immature and entitled, I saw sensitivity and intelligence. I saw myself in his observant and poetic nature, alongside his judgmental and defeatist attitude. I am proud to say that I am far from this perspective, but this book helped me to understand myself and stood as a right of passage in a fight against my disorders. I found myself in Holden, and found a voice that understood my pain.]]> 2018-12-05 14:20:53 UTC https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311363908 Film: Call Me by Your Name by Luca Guadagnino wachtelm https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311367307 Call Me by Your Name is a beautiful film. Yet, illustrating this film as beautiful fails in depicting Luca Guadagnino’s tender and sensual piece of cinema. Cataloging infinite phrases to describe the innocent allure of this film barely suffices nor quenches my need to put my fathomless array of raw human emotion into the most poetic of words. The cinematography only enhanced this indescribable beauty. Shots of Elio and Oliver tackling each other in a private villa or the minimalistic cobblestone streets of Italy. The nostalgic atmosphere built around this ineffable summer made every intimate shot ethereal. The simplistic camerawork enhanced the charm of this film. The minimalistic styling in the stillness of the camera magnifies Elio and Oliver’s love while they exchange their philosophies on classic art. This camerawork breaks the norms of fast-paced editing and homoerotic closeups in most LGBT romance films. The natural aptitude that Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's mastery grants in his heart-wrenching shots mesmerized me. His decision to shoot with one 35mm lens for the entirety of the film melted the story line into place and enhanced the spectrum of emotions displayed.
I have never owned a camera or learned the intricacies of camerawork, but this Oscar-winning film defied the standards of cinema. A film that thrives off finite and subtle camera movements taught me the art of neutralism and intimacy in film making. I do not need a $100,000 Arri Alexa or advanced rigs to captivate an audience. The authenticity of the artistry in only 132 minutes of film making did not require numerous lenses, but a dedicated team. Whether I use an iPhone or Sony Cinealta F65, I am a filmmaker. Without the passionate sequence of human emotion conveyed through the single lens of Call Me by Your Name, I would have never learned this.
]]> 2018-12-05 14:26:21 UTC https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311367307 Musical Artist: Lil Uzi Vert wachtelm https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311368702 I am someone that typically despises rap music, but I have grown to love Lil Uzi Vert and his music. Back in 2016, his hit single "XO Tour Llif3" came out. This was during a time where I was going through a phase in which I felt alone in the bubble of New Providence, New Jersey. His blissful yet edgy lyrics in stating, "I don't really care if you cry. On the real you should've never lied. Should've saw the way she looked me in my eyes. She said, 'Baby, I am not afraid to die'," resonated deeply within me. Alongside this, I learned to appreciate rap, and the new age of "emo-punk trap" Uzi had created. I stopped listening to rap music periodically, occasionally coming back to this daring piece. However, I fully revisited this daring artist during the summer going into my senior year. Uzi grew from his hit single to several new albums. This is when I began researching him to see how far he'd come. I learned about his upbringing in Philly and how he redefined what rap truly meant and transformed typically and homophobic and lyrical based industry. Standing at only 5'4 and loving fashion, he is easily labelled feminine, but fans embrace him as they call him "cute" and "the Queen of rap". His bold personality and influence on the rap community made me inspired to accept myself and my imperfections. I never fit the cookie cutter terms of a normal student, but Uzi's music guided me to discover passions in the arts like film and television, rather than those of academic constraints. I am the person I am today because of his confidence in his organic self.]]> 2018-12-05 14:28:43 UTC https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311368702 Artist: Keith Haring wachtelm https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311369058 As a child I experimented in many art forms. Anything from acting to dancing to playing all kinds of instruments. However, I found myself happiest in art classes. In one class we mimicked a lot of famous artists works. I specifically remember mimicking "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat when I was learning about pointillism in second grade. My favorite lesson centered Keith Haring. His minimalism struck me. Even today in film, I find minimalism and simplicity to be a sign of intimacy. It's something I strive to create naturally without seeming like I'm attempting to be nuanced in art or avant garde. He asserted his fundamental independence as an artist through his bright contemporary pieces. His rapid and rhythmic lines made his two dimensional pieces come to life as they depicted movement. Keith Haring influenced my work as a film making and contoured my love of minimalism. I will always have a special place in my heart for this visionary.]]> 2018-12-05 14:29:23 UTC https://padlet.com/wachtelm/5zkd28h3r30d/wish/311369058