I truly appreciated how the writer examined the theme of loneliness from multiple perspectives. I was particularly drawn to the exploration of artists who, in their own lives, have experienced solitude and expressed it in their work.

The irony of feeling lonely in a large city is striking, isn't it? Despite being surrounded by so many people, countless individuals still feel disconnected and isolated.

I especially admire how Edward Hopper portrays urban isolation in his paintings. His use of color and space evokes a profound sense of melancholy, and I am deeply inspired by how he uses these elements to convey emotion. I plan to incorporate similar techniques of color, space, and composition into my own work.

The section on Andy Warhol was equally fascinating. His use of machines to mediate human interaction created a buffer that brought him comfort, yet also heightened his isolation. This resonates with how our current generation often relies on technology—phones and devices—as a way to feel less awkward and alone. We all engage with this behavior at times, but it raises an important question: does technology truly make us feel less alone, or does it deepen our sense of isolation? If we could overcome our fear of rejection, perhaps we might feel more connected to the world around us.

• "One might think this state was antithetical to urban living, to the massed presence of other human beings, and yet mere physical proximity is not enough to dispel a sense of internal isolation."

• "Hopper’s people are often alone, or in fraught, uncommunicative groupings of twos and threes, fastened into poses that seem indicative of distress. But this isn’t the only reason his work is so deeply associated with loneliness. He also succeeds in capturing something of how it feels, by way of the strange construction of his city layouts."

• "Glass is a persistent symbol of loneliness"

• "Warhol’s art patrols the space between people, conducting a grand philosophical investigation into closeness and distance, intimacy and estrangement"

• "So much of the pain of loneliness is to do with concealment, with being compelled to hide vulnerability, to tuck ugliness away, to cover up wounds as if they are literally repulsive."

This is the outcome I produced during the workshop. Discussions with my peers and teachers encouraged me to think more deeply about my project, the research process, and how I should approach it moving forward.

This workshop was particularly valuable for my project, as it made me more aware of what matters to me and what occupies my mind. It also helped me develop a more personal narrative style. In my CPP project, I hope to explore themes of loneliness, immigration, and new beginnings in a deeply personal way. I also want to incorporate creative writing into the project, and this session inspired me to delve into the works of writers like Audre Lorde and Octavia Butler for inspiration.

Marlen Elliot Harrison, PhD

what are you missing out on ?

You were my mother when my mother wasn’t around, and I will always love you.

The survey questions were designed to address two key issues: First, who do people have in mind when thinking and answering questions about “immigrants”? Second, do people’s views about reducing, increasing or maintaining the number of immigrants coming to the UK vary across specific groups of immigrants?

Those in favour of increased or constant levels of immigration were asked a different version of the question. They were asked if they support reducing illegal immigration even though they do not wish to reduce immigration overall. Results indicate widespread support for reducing illegal immigration, even among this group that did not wish to see immigration reduced overall. Among respondents who wish to see the overall level of immigration kept the same or increased, a clear majority (61%) nonetheless prefer to see illegal immigration reduced, and 39% felt strongly about this preference.

“You can spread your soul over a paddy field, you can whisper to a mango tree, you can feel the earth between your toes and know that this is the place, the place where it begins and ends. But what can you tell to a pile of bricks? The bricks will not be moved" pg87

“They were both lost in cities that would not pause even to shrug”

“Suddenly, she was gripped by the idea that if she changed her clothes her entire life would change as well.”

The film employs various critical lenses, encouraging deeper reflection on complex subjects. It critiques the political oppression following the Iran-Iraq war and highlights the gender inequality that rapidly reshaped society, resulting in a loss of freedom, identity, and belonging.

Watching this movie was very informative and pushed me to think more critically about my project.

What additional dimensions could I incorporate into my critical lens? How can I further enrich the depth and scope of my critical practice project?

What struck me most was his self-critical tone throughout the piece, almost as if it were a personal diary entry. This level of introspection made the piece feel more intimate and raw, which is something I relate to in my own journaling. Like Harrison, I often find myself reflecting critically on my own actions and words, questioning how they might be interpreted by others. This personal awareness and vulnerability helped me connect more deeply with the writer's experience.

SINGULARITY
by Marie Howe

          (after Stephen Hawking)

Do you sometimes want to wake up to the singularity
we once were?

so compact nobody
needed a bed, or food or money —

nobody hiding in the school bathroom
or home alone

pulling open the drawer
where the pills are kept.

For every atom belonging to me as good
Belongs to you.   Remember?

There was no   Nature.    No
 them.   No tests

to determine if the elephant
grieves her calf    or if

the coral reef feels pain.    Trashed
oceans don’t speak English or Farsi or French;

would that we could wake up   to what we were
— when we were ocean    and before that

to when sky was earth, and animal was energy, and rock was
liquid and stars were space and space was not

at all — nothing

before we came to believe humans were so important
before this awful loneliness.

Can molecules recall it?
what once was?    before anything happened?

No I, no We, no one. No was
No verb      no noun
only a tiny tiny dot brimming with

is is is is is

All   everything   home

Like Gogol, I often yearned to fit in and, at times, distanced myself from my heritage to avoid feeling different or alienated. I remember wishing I had British origins just to blend in better, feeling embarrassed by my cultural background, especially when I wore a bindi. The teasing, the questions, and the need to explain my customs were all very overwhelming as a child.

Returning to my motherland has its own challenges, too. Even there, I feel like an outsider. My accent stands out, and I don’t understand my culture as deeply as my cousins who grew up in India. This creates a unique sense of displacement, I don’t feel fully at home in either culture. The question, “Where do I belong?” has often been at the centre of my reflections.

Ultimately, my story mirrors the broader theme of cultural duality and identity. Just as Gogol's journey leads to a reconciliation with his roots, I’m learning to embrace both sides of my identity. Each struggle has shaped me, and I’ve come to see strength in the blend of cultures that make me who I am.

The masterclasses were equally beneficial. Topics such as licensing your work, negotiating, networking, and the portfolio advice were all extremely helpful. Together, the progression workshops and masterclasses have left me feeling much more informed and prepared for life after graduation.

They're story vs your story

Lens - Humans need for connection and belonging

Attachment theory

no eat with knives or forks

you sound too British vs

you say things weird

your clothes are too western vs

your clothes are too ethnic

As I grew older, I grew weary of trying to cater to others' expectations. I decided to discard both extremes and embrace what truly felt authentic to me. I love eating curry and rice with my hands because it’s nostalgic and somehow makes the food taste better, especially when it’s sambar. At the same time, I enjoy eating fish and chips on a Friday night with flimsy wooden sporks.

Finding my identity has been about rejecting the labels and ideals imposed on me by others and embracing the freedom to just be myself.

Moving to another country without you was very hard. I know I never got to tell you this but i missed you very much. Life in the uk was very grey and muted for me. i missed you and all the colours that surrounded us. You were not only my guardian but also my best friend. I loved how we went out on our little adventures, walking, talking, meeting people. Even though I don't quite remember our chit chats, I remember feeling loved and safe in those moments holding your hand. My fondest memory of you is wanting to fall asleep on your bed besides you on your wooden bed and cashmere blanket.

I know we haven't talked in over 10 years but I wanted to write to you about all our memories together. I remember you feeding me fried fish and rice. I remember you always working hard to get all the house chores done and how your nighty was always socked at the end of the day. You loved to cook and I loved to eat. Thank you for looking after me.

What always admired about you was your love for gardening. i really loved the garden you made, it was ever so beautiful. I used to love smelling all the flowers especially the jasmine bush and the hibiscus. When you were alive our garden thrived and now everything is barren and dead. But whenever i come back I always smile knowing i was lucky to have witnesses your hard work and love.

I thought of my grandpa—the warmth of his embrace and how I’d snuggle up beside him on his bed. That memory felt so far away now. Everything around me was strange. Foreign objects, foreign landscapes, foreign people. Foreign.

I longed to be wrapped in my blanket at home, safe and familiar.

“Eat up,” my dad said cheerfully, breaking through my thoughts. But I didn’t touch my food.

“All you’ve eaten is a piece of bread,” he said, a mix of amusement and concern in his voice. “You didn’t even know what a knife and fork were when you first came here with me.”

We collectively agreed that setting more deadlines or time limits could be an effective way to address this challenge. For me personally, I realised that I know what I want to achieve , I just need to step out of my own head, embrace the creative process, and let go of the constant worry about getting everything perfect.

I decided I needed to write down all things I need to get done and select three or four things I can get done throughout the day.

Outcome ideas ?

Who is your audience ?

What do you need to do ?

I quickly began to learn the language, but I still struggled to keep up with the quick wit and conversational ease of those whose first language was English. Learning from my immigrant parents brought its own challenges—being taught how to say words with an accent or slight mispronunciations often made me feel like an outsider.

Throughout my school years, I tried to hide any trace of my native tongue because it made me feel foreign. But as I grew older, I came to see how fortunate I was to be fluent in two languages, a bridge between two worlds that I could call my own.

What once promised warmth feels distant and thin,
Like strangers we meet where kin should have been.
Life’s cruel humour reshapes the ties we weave,
Turning bonds into shadows we silently grieve.

In her research, Emily describes how she drew on her knowledge of architecture, culture, and history to reconstruct drawings of demolished buildings. This process required her to navigate uncertainty and create something new from incomplete information. Similarly, I need to embrace this approach in my project and not shy away from the unknown.

Reading this also prompted me to reflect on my audience and the broader purpose of my work. Who am I creating this for? What message am I trying to convey? What am I ultimately saying and doing with this project? These questions are crucial as I move forward and shape my ideas.

Those Exploring Personal or Cultural Identity

People Interested in Memory and Place

People who've also immigrated/ 2nd 3rd generation individuals

art therapists and Psychologists

I initially planned to incorporate elements of sound into my project, but after some reflection, I realised it isn’t necessary to effectively explore and convey my ideas. However, it’s something I might revisit in the future if I decide to expand on this project later in my career

The interim presentation also highlighted the need for me to adopt a more critical approach. I decided to explore the theme of 'all the things I had to hide' as a way to convey my critical perspective.

Participating in the workshop, embracing duality, helped me become more vulnerable and encouraged me to think more introspectively about myself and my identity. Talking about personal aspects of my life was challenging, but the supportive environment of the workshop, where everyone shared a little about themselves, gradually made me feel more comfortable and less shy.

At the start of this project, I struggled to make progress, largely because some of these topics stirred up strong emotions and made me feel avoidant. However, choosing this topic ultimately pushed me out of my comfort zone. Despite the challenges, this experience has been transformative and has helped me grow both personally and creatively.

This raises the bigger question of what it really means to belong in a diverse society, a key issue in today’s discussions about immigration and identity. The novel highlights the emotional strain of feeling left out and examines the mental and social challenges of trying to meet clashing cultural expectations.

Visually:

I created portraits of the family I left behind, alongside drawings of memories, the things I left behind, and the aspects of myself I chose to hide.

Theoretical:

I looked at Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which helped me examine the human desire for belonging, and attachment theory, which provided insights into why people form bonds with objects, places, and others. From a neuroscience perspective, I investigated why humans crave social connections and a sense of belonging. Additionally, I delved into multiculturalism to understand the interplay of identity and community in diverse contexts. I read novels and poems, which offered both inspiration and a deeper understanding of the emotional and psychological dimensions of these themes, encouraging me to write reflectively about my experiences.

I also wrote pieces based on my memories and experiences and i also wrote poems.

Criticisms of the structure:

There are criticism that have stated that the progression from one stage of the pyramid to the next is not necessarily linear.

Maslow's model oversimplifies human motivation by categorising needs into distinct levels. In reality, people often experience overlapping and competing needs simultaneously.

Our brains and bodies are wired for social connection, driving us to form bonds and be part of something greater than ourselves. From an evolutionary standpoint, the complexity of navigating numerous social interactions, relationships, and networks was so cognitively demanding, but also rewarding, that it necessitated the development of larger brains. Essentially, we evolved big brains to connect with one another. (Stephen Braren, May 24)

RB: "The core point of the belongingness hypothesis is that people have an innate motivational drive to form and maintain interpersonal bonds with other people. We called belonging a “need” rather than merely a “desire” because people who fail to satisfy it suffer various mental health and physical health deficits. We framed it in terms of forming one-to-one close relationships, but it can probably be satisfied by belonging to larger groups and organisations. These desired social bonds have two aspects: frequent positive or neutral (just not negative) interactions, and an ongoing framework of mutual caring."

"Although a need for social connection is an inherent part of human nature, some efforts to be accepted or to belong reflect efforts to achieve specific goals rather than an evolved need. For example, a business person might seek membership in a business association not because he or she desires acceptance or belonging per se but rather to make contacts that will increase business. The person doesn’t particularly care about this particular organization or these particular people, and in fact, he or she might detest having to go to group meetings. He or she is simply doing something that will be good for business. In cases of instrumental efforts to be accepted or to belong, the motivational impetus is not a desire for acceptance or belonging per se, so the evolved need to belong is not necessarily involved."

Key Takeaways

Our need for social connection is rooted deep within us biologically—not just as individuals, but as a species. In fact, as an astonishing amount of theory and research now suggests, humans have evolved the need for social connection.

neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman says, “Evolution has placed a bet that the best thing for our brain to do in any spare moment is to get ready to see the world socially.” We are always preparing for our next social interaction, to engage with the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of other people.

What I Learned:

Bacon’s use of abstraction and distortion represents the emotional and psychological layers people choose to hide or reveal. I could experiment with using pencil strokes or color in my own work to convey specific emotions to my audience.

Watching Persepolis inspired me to explore memory. It prompted me to think more deeply about how repressed memories of the past can shape and alter our perception of the present.

Kin | Bond | Love | Life | Grieve | Hope| Longing | Lost | Found | Past | Busy

Cold | Distance | Memories| Roots | Torn | Identities | Astray | Unspoken |

This exhibition taught me that art doesn’t need to be flawless or entirely accurate to have an impact. As long as it conveys your story and concept, people will find ways to connect with it.

I really admired the maximalist approach to storytelling and how she aimed to pay tribute to her identity through her work.

I'm excited to incorporate elements of poetry into my own work, drawing inspiration from this subtle yet impactful style of expression.

There are couple of reasons why one might feel attached to a certain place, community or culture.

Affective bonds: Emotional connections, such as feelings of comfort, love, or nostalgia tied to a place.

Cognitive Bonds: How people perceive, remember, and value a place based on personal and cultural significance.

Behavioural Bonds: Actions and routines that reinforce the attachment, such as visiting a favourite park or family home.

What influences place attachment?

Personal experiences like positive memories or life events

Social interactions with Community

Cultural places and historical significance

I had the opportunity to speak with the gallery manager, and we had a valuable discussion about my project. She was incredibly helpful and kindly directed me to some sources I can use for inspiration and further research.

Given London's rich diversity, filled with people from all over the world, I hope my project will resonate with others while narrating my own journey and experiences. Through storytelling, I aim to make these themes relatable in a way that connects with others on a personal level.

I hope to examine these themes through several critical lenses, including political and economic perspectives. By doing so, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of how immigration and loneliness are shaped not only by personal experiences but also by broader societal forces. This approach will allow me to explore how factors such as policy, economic opportunity, and systemic structures impact the experiences of individuals navigating new environments.

a balanced perspective. For example:

Sardar critically examines the systemic racism ingrained in British society. He highlights how immigrants, are often marginalised and subjected to discrimination in areas such as employment, education, and housing.

He also explores how the south asian community has a rigid adherence to cultural traditions which can create conflicts between generations, particularly as younger generations seek to balance their heritage with their British identity.

I really appreciated how Sardar examines both communities, as addressing identity issues effectively requires considering multiple perspectives. In my project, I aim to take a similar approach.

From the exhibition at Peckham Levels, receiving feedback and engaging in discussions with peers made me realise that my poster successfully communicated its theme.

This experience also helped me think more critically about my CPP. It prompted me to consider how I can convey a message visually without depending heavily on text. This reflection has encouraged me to approach my publication more thoughtfully, focusing on storytelling through design and visual elements.

To be honest, editorial illustration didn’t quite resonate with me, and this experience helped me understand that it’s not something I see myself pursuing after university. That said, the workshop was great for training me to think on my feet and generate ideas quickly. I think with more practice, I might grow more comfortable with this way of working.