https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3 We will each post/free write what social topic you would like to explore. Please remember to keep these broad but specific. Please read others and "like" what you see. Make notes on those you "like." en-us 2021-01-27 16:45:43 UTC 2021-01-28 18:21:19 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137721749 When did being drained become a good thing? I think since the pandemic I've realized how toxic the 'overachiever' life is. I cringe at posts on social media now that say "I've done this, I've done that, etc, in over the course of a month!". Did you have time to destress? Did you have time to eat? Did you have time to go for a walk or talk to friend? Everyone wants to be the greatest performer, writer, worker, etc, but overworking yourself isn't always the answer. Did you notice how nice it was in the summer when you weren't forcing yourself to be in 6 shows, hold a part-time job and attend 65 masterclasses in the span of 6 weeks? I love performing, I love working on my art, but I think I worked myself to oblivion thinking of the last few years. Will Sundays become 'family day' again? Honestly I hope so. Your mental health suffers when you don't give yourself 20 minutes a day to check in to your own soul. Let yourself breath. Why should we 'work' (whether in school or in the workforce) for 16 hours a day? If you don't enjoy your time now, you may never be able to. Some people don't have as much time as they think. I think it would be really nice to hone into our childlike schedules of : class for  few hours, snacks, PLAYTIME, NAPTIME... why are these essential when we're little and not when we're college students? What would the human race be like if we took more time for ourselves? Would we be nicer? Would we genuinely be kinder to one another and understand where each person is coming from? Being overworked is a bad thing. It is mentally and physically draining you! You CAN say no! How can we find our mix of work and play? ]]> 2021-01-28 17:50:53 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137721749 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137729557 How does it affect a persons life?  Education is something that can allow people to accept or understand topics and ideas in a way that is vetted and checked.  Having unchecked ideas and extremist ideas take control often gain traction in less educated circles of life and has historically caused the destruction of civilization or the death of a whole group of people.  An education is the strongest tool a person can have to defend against twisted ideas that benefit only a small group of individuals at the expense of many.  Consequently, some methods of knowledge are based solely on the ideas of one person or group and political agendas have forced them onto many others, how does one decipher the moral from immoral without an education or basis of knowledge to counter ideas or resist the immoral? Education is a powerful tool that allows you to have a free will and be intellectually independent to distinguish right from wrong.]]> 2021-01-28 17:52:02 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137729557 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137734615 With Broadway and theaters being shut down, it's been so much more difficult to participate in shows as well as having the experience to see shows. As a theatre major, I'm feeling less inspired than ever and am unsure of what this means for theatre in the long run. It would also be interesting to look at how artists are trying to keep the arts alive through the means of virtual theatre. During a time when theatre and the arts are absent from society, how does it affect our art personally? I miss have an escape from reality whether it going to a broadway show or a production at Dean. I miss seeing my friends on stage and creating art with them in person. Due to the state of the world, theatre artists are suffering in terms of us not being able to do what we love most and are passionate about. No one truly knows when things will go back to normal and even IF things will go back to normal. All theatre artists can really do is wait and find alternative ways to create until we find some sort of solution to make live theatre. ]]> 2021-01-28 17:52:55 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137734615 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137736726 The issue is that everyone's goal is to find theirs but everyone's may look different. This is really dangerous and toxic. It is hard when someone may be seeming to achieve the goals that you wanted to. It may make you feel less of a person, or look at yourself in a negative and false light. Everyone has been put on this planet for a reason, and being able to accept and love that is the first step to realizing one's purpose. 
We need to face the fact that with the way the world is now, our original dreams, plans, and aspirations may not be immediately (or ever) realized due to this pandemic. We need to learn that just because the purpose we wanted to achieve in our lives may look a little different now. We need to fine peace with this and move forward. 
The pandemic has made me realize that theatre may not be around in the same way it has been for the history of forever. This affects all of us. This affects all our plans. The harsh reality is, we don't know if it will ever go back to "normal." So what then? What do we do? As artists, what is our purpose? If we cannot be onstage in front of thousands of people every night like we dreamed of at six years old, how do we become okay with that? Where do we go from there? Sure, it's awful to think of, but there can be much more to life's purpose than our creation of the art we thought we would make before the world changed in such a way.
Prior to COVID, I would have primarily defined myself as an artist. The time at home I was given to explore other sides of myself helped me to explore my many more roles and purposes to my life. 
This could be- son/daughter, sister/brother, girlfriend/boyfriend, husband/wife, etc.


]]> 2021-01-28 17:53:18 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137736726 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137736822 home to some people doesn't just mean a place that you live. It can be a person or a place outside of your house that makes you feel content and happy the same way your personal space does. A tv show or movie that makes you warm and fuzzy, or an object that brings you comfort. Your moms homemade chicken noodle soup, the book you've reread so much that the cover is falling off, your first stuffed animal from when you were a kid, the feeling you get when you're surrounded by your closest friends, or when you're cuddled up with a pet or loved one. Especially in the pandemic, when we've been stuck in our living spaces, we begin to realize where our homes are outside of our house, and I think it could be really interesting to explore that subject and discover just how similar we are in the things that bring us simple comfort and support. ]]> 2021-01-28 17:53:20 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137736822 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137737830 Whether it be things you've done or things you didn't do, everybody has regrets. The question to answer is, how do you let it effect you? Being able to move on from the past and think about the future is a struggle, but their are ALWAYS ways to fight your regret. The only way to move forward is to acknowledge them, accept them, and grow from them. Nobody is perfect. Don't dwell on your mistakes. Live for today. No regrets.]]> 2021-01-28 17:53:31 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137737830 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137738869 You are not defined by your mistakes, only by how you fix them. 
Its hard to admit you're wrong sometimes. Thats okay! Don't be afraid to admit that it hurts the ego. its something we all struggle with. But if you make a genuine mistake and would like to change it, the first step is admitting that you made a mistake. no one is perfect. WE ALL make mistakes. But if you work and try, and I mean REALLY TRY to right a wrong that you caused, people will SEE that. Even though you did something wrong, it is respectable to admit it and work towards fixing it no matter how difficult it can be to admit. ]]> 2021-01-28 17:53:43 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137738869 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137739803 So  many adults tell us "college will be the best four years of your life."  College is great, but if this is the best then I'm scared of what's to come.  Everyone has their own journey through college, but there's this pressure of taking advantage of "the college experience" while it lasts.  So what is it?  Does it put pressure on us and change our experience?  And with the pandemic, how much did we lose? 
The "traditional college experience" is four years at an undergraduate school.  But what else does that mean?  I think it's individual for everyone.  Don't get me wrong I've loved being at college, but it has also been the biggest emotional rollercoaster and hardest thing I've ever done.  I have cried so many times for so many different reasons.  People say it's the best time of your life, but I don't want this to be my peak.  I want better days ahead.  College has been so hard.  Great experience, but especially with the pandemic, I think I would want to relive maybe one semester out of eight, maybe two months of another. 
And especially for people who don't finish college in four years or those who transfer or drop out all together.  What does that phrase mean for them?  Happy memories or a painstaking reminder of something they failed at?
And for kids who want to learn trades, high schools still push them towards college.  College is not made for everyone, and that's okay but the American Education System is failing us by staying this is the only option.  And don't even get me started on the loans associated with it.  It seems like college sets you up for academic success and dooms you for economic failure at the same time.  
What is college for? Memories? Money? A better job and life? Economic prosperity? Education? ]]> 2021-01-28 17:53:54 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137739803 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137740642 Using an inanimate object to fill a traumatic void in your soul whether it be food, drugs, pornography, social media (diving into the chemical addiction of what it means to live in todays society) how do we cope in an egotistical capitalist world and what is the rush we get from filling this void with these objects. What is the inadequacy of our culture that leads people to pursue these unhealthy behaviors. ]]> 2021-01-28 17:54:03 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137740642 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137744206 The physical and mental effects of it as well as whether sometimes you truly know you've gone through something that has an effect on you negatively. The mind can protect itself in so many ways and can learn how to put up defensive walls. This may cause blocks on the road to recovery. ]]> 2021-01-28 17:54:41 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137744206 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137746692 Theatre is about expressing yourself and live freely. It's not an equation. We have break traditions and be set free from old ways so we can be creative and think big. Use our imagination is important in order to become a great artist. Why are some artists so extraordinary? It's because they are willing to push themselves and try new things. They do not like following traditions. They present themselves in a different way. They make their work into another level, using sophisticated methods and creativity.

]]> 2021-01-28 17:55:07 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137746692 https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137756714 Especially considering the state of the world, thinking about isolation and what that can do to the individual and their development/artistry/psyche. How has isolation changed you? How has it helped you? Have you felt artistically inspired while being isolated or completely uninspired? What are the ways that we can use our situation to benefit and nurture ourselves as artists? I feel that mental health also ties into this topic in a major way. Having plans for your future made for years and then having to adapt and overcome to a new normal can be extremely challenging and even disheartening. I think being honest about this feeling and working through it can be beneficial towards creating new goals and plans for oneself, and not allowing the difficulties to overcome you. What are some ways that we can inspire ourselves even if we are isolated? How do we connect to our inner child and divine creativity when faced with horror and adversity in our everyday lives? What are the ways in which relationships can benefit people who are in isolation? Can staying connected to friends and loved ones help to inspire and uplift? Where should we turn to when we feel burnt out or completely uninspired as artists? What are the ways to cope with feelings of hopelessness or loneliness? How can we use this to inspire us as artists? ]]> 2021-01-28 17:56:54 UTC https://padlet.com/sgibbons9/vhmigqok57e3bxj3/wish/1137756714