Exploration # 21

Go to your favorite Street.  Map it out on a piece of paper. Then describe or document everything in detail: The shops, houses, street signs, trees, etc.

My favorite street I must say is N

orth Michigan Ave, in Chicago, Illinois. I lived their for 7 weeks this summer and everyday I found out something new! My time in Chicago was quite a adventure for me, for it was my first time on my own in a big city, and getting lost was a daily event. I made many maps with the help of Google Maps and Adobe Illustrator. 

Below is a list of landmarks, as well as pictures of some amazing architecture that can be found on the magnificent Mile, aka North Michigan Ave.

LANDMARKS:

"Buckingham Fountain"

"Crown Fountain in Millennium Park"

"Big Bean located in Millennium Park"

Exploration # 37

Time Observation: come up with several ways of documenting the passage of time, based on where you are sitting. 

1. How many times the computer makes a you got a new message aim sound... 
   
2. The clicking of the mouse.
   
3. Typing on the keyboard.
   
4. How many times the door is opened in the labs.
   
5. How many times Aless says, "That's what she said" before I glare at her
   
6. How many times I take a drink of water from my bottle
7. How many times I bite back a cynical remark, and just smile instead.
8. How many times my phone goes off from a text from friends
9. How many times my chair gets pushed by someone in class and no one says excuse me or sorry.
10. how many Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Connick Jr. songs I go through on pandora.com
11.  how many times tyler goes on aim, "for the love of God woman!" 
12. How many times Aless goes "MOOP"
13. How many times Jeff says, "... so ..."
14. How many times brandon turns around to look at my screen and to see what I am doing.
15. How many times I mumble phrases under my breath in russian.
16. How many times my leg bounces because it is cold in the room.
17. How many times I spin the ring on my finger.
18. How many times I find myself starring at the ceiling.
19. How many times Illustrator crashes and won't save the given file.
20. How many times I find my mind wandering to how ticked off I am about how someone is behaving.
21. How many times I think, "OMG 11 DAYS till spring break sweet Jesus I can make it"
22. How many times I think, "Mega-con is in 3 days!"

Exploration # 42

Document a Place by interviewing people about it. You can transcribe by using some kind of recording equipment or by filling out an experience documentation log. 

For this Exploration I documented a convention called MEGACON. Megacon is a conference for sci-fi, anime, comics, furries and cartoon lovers. I thought it would be a great place to document the different types of people there, and I have done so with a picture slideshow and in my experience documentation log pictured below. 

 

Exploration # 44

Choose one item or theme. Go to a library. Conduct research on your chosen item using the object log. Collect as many different materials as you can to display later, such as sketches, history, notes drawings, and photos. Present your findings as an installation. 

Alternate: Create poems based on the title of books. 

Exploration # 45

choose one specific aspect of your existence to document: 

1. How many steps you take on a daily basis. 

2. Use yourself as your subject for documentation. Document in detail all of your movements, activities, behaviors, and conversations throughout the course of a week. Include, Date, Time, & Place.

I decided to document how many steps I take in a day in 3 three different ways: instep to toe, heel to toe, and baby steps.  Doing this for a whole day was quite annoying and got people to give me weird glances from time to time... Not something I think anyone should really do, unless you want to be seen as a weirdo...! but ya it was a fun experience... This assignment made me think about how society views people who have physical disabilities and how people who would normally say hello to me at starbucks didn't know what to think of me while I was doing the instep to toe walking through the stores entrance. I took some footage of me walking around school and thought it might be helpful as well. I will upload that as soon as possible. Below is a graph documenting all of my data!

Walking posture and technique tips

1. Look straight ahead, not down
2. Stay upright, don’t lean forward
3. Breathe deeply and steadily
4. Pump your arms and bend your elbows at 90 degrees
5. Keep your tummy and your buttocks tucked in
6. Step onto your heel, then roll through onto the ball of your foot
7. Push forward off the toes of your back foot

Ways to vary your walking routine

1. Using different types of walking
2. Train for an event or fun run
3. Walking on different surfaces
4. Use gadgets, like a heart-rate monitor or pedometer
5. Walking with a partner or pet
6. Try interval training
7. Try cross training
8. Walk on a treadmill

Exploration # 46

Collect or document as many patterns as you can find while on your travels. You may decide to use only patterns in nature, or human-made, or both. Pencil rubbings work well for this.

Exploration # 51

Non Linear Life:
Document your activities from one day/week/ month/ year in an encyclopedic fashion. 

Alternate: create icons for you life activities. document them on a chart. Try changing the order of things

Exploration 13

Document lettering you find out in the world. Take notes about where and when you found the samples.