On REDay and our Installation

By Melissa Stalega

On Wednesday, April 23^rd, the time had finally come for us to show off our work. Everything that we had been working on, everything that we had accomplished throughout the semester in our LCS Practicum had been leading up to this day, REDay. I don’t know about anyone else, but for me it seemed like for the last couple days leading up to REDay, I was completely overwhelmed and there came a time when I thought I wouldn’t be able to get everything done. But, after all the anxiety and effort put into each of these projects, somehow we managed to pull it off, even better yet, we transformed a regular Bryant classroom into our own display case.

We’ve been working with Hyde a lot and the concept of gift giving. I’m sure this is engraved into everyone’s minds by now, and I don’t mean to sound redundant in saying this but I really believe that we accomplished providing the greatest gift to Bryant students and faculty that were able to come into the classroom and see all the work we had done. I know that many people don’t like to look at Bryant as a business school, but the truth of the matter is, it is showcased as just that. Not many prospective students come to Bryant expecting a liberal arts school. I know when I was applying I came in completely business-minded. However, I think as a group, we managed to demonstrate just exactly what else Bryant can offer. Not only did we provide the gift of creativity, but I felt at that moment when we were all discussing the class itself and all the projects we had done, that we exemplified mentors for these Bryant students who might not have known anything about the creative classes offered at this school.

It was nice to see that students who might have only shown up for extra credit, seemed genuinely interested in the class. I think as a whole, we provided them with the gift of creativity and insight. We opened the minds to exploring different classes at Bryant and expanding their knowledge beyond the walls of the business school. I know you might have expected me to write about the gift giving of presenting the art itself, however what stuck out to me was that moment when students were asking questions about the class and we were representing it. Not only did we manage to show-off our projects that we worked so hard on, but we served as representatives of the creativity courses offered at Bryant, which I think, was a wonderful thing.

The Dialogue Book

By Caitlin Reed

Charlene Farley's altered book.

When thinking about what I wanted to do with my dialogue book, I had to consider many things.  The first altered book we completed for class was the first thing I looked at.  In this assignment I took on the doing a random, creative approach to our first altered book.  In this process, I felt myself wanting to make a theme, or something I could relate to personally even though I had done it completely random just picking out a verb and applying it to any random page I opened.  I have used this book to practice new ideas I have, especially when I am going to apply it to my dialogue book.

As I observed the other altered books in class, especially from Terri’s former student, Charlene, who created the beautiful altered book with the historical religious pictures with the cut book and tied down pages, I really saw the idea of how we chose to alter a book is how each one of us relates to it.  When each of us views a book, any book, we all can find and see a different message.  That is because like Hyde would say – we each have a “gift”.  A “gift” that we each give and share with each other in order to keep the “gift” moving and continuing to grow.  As we work in class on our dialogue books and all share with each other our ideas of what we want to do to our books and why each of chose the book we did, I can really see the concept of the “gift” constantly moving.  Another idea that is very prevalent throughout all our work on the dialogue and altered books is that we are each telling a story through our books.  Kathryn, who has been creating a beautiful, authentic and creative alteration to an already beautiful book that relates to her, has taken a page that spoke of a flower and a heart and she is going to put a flower that her boyfriend gave her because he and the flower are close to her heart.  I found this idea to be very inspirational and touching, supporting the ideas of how we are taking out dialogue books and applying them to ourselves and our own thoughts the book brings to us.

The dialogue books have grown out of our own experimenting with collage, images and words.  Blocking out and emphasizing the words and images that really stick out and send a message to us.  We have been combining our existing ideas and experience with new and original ways using paper, paints, images and even polish, just about anything we could think of using.  We have even burned pages to express the emotions we feel.  I have really enjoyed expressing my self through these creative processes.

Making a Book

How has the actual physical construction of a book influenced your understanding of materiality and the written word?

By Alexandria Clyburn

The process of constructing a book has been an eye opening one for sure. As an avid reader I have spent long hours with books of many different kinds.  I have dropped a paperback book in a bathtub (I know, shameful!!) I have read hardcover books so frequently the glued binding loosens and the last few pages fall out. My headboard at home consists of nothing but a bookshelf, and while on vacation I make an effort to visit libraries.

Two of these visits occurred when I was in Ireland.  My friend and I went to Chester Beatty Library.  This library is one man’s private collection of work from all over the world.  This is where I first came in contact with accordion books. Working in Professors Hasseler’s class we are constructing our own accordion books. With these books we are using small book boards and covering them with paper.  This paper is handmade paper that we use to transform the books into beautiful works of art. 

Watching this transformation occur helps to increase the overall appreciation that all book covers go through in the process.  One really begins to notice the details that always existed but that might have gone unnoticed.  Details such as the inside pages of the front and back cover, “endpages” are generally decorative pieces that cover the sealed edges of the paper. The amount of care and time that goes into creating a front and back cover is meticulous. The edges must be cut precisely and glued with care. The endpages are used to decorate the inside of these pieces.  We have created our own endpages, covers and soon will be combining it all.

We are also creating collage covers from recycled material.  This recycled material is used to speak about sustainability and art. Each of our book covers was made from our own trash, is a commentary on how we can use our own consumption to fuel the art world.  We are making our book covers and Professor is binding them to our book blocks.  This really helps to increase our awareness of the time and energy behind each book that we buy.

This entire experience has opened all of our eyes to the challenges and rewards of creating our own books. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to grow closer with my classmates during this process.

Creativity and Business (and Bryant)

By Kara Hutchison

As a student getting her degree in marketing, I have pretty much been told what to do for most of my classes.  I have been told to take accounting and finance and economics.   I took them all because I had to and that’s pretty much it.  I ended up choosing marketing because I like to categorize it as the “fun” business.  Not all that fun, but it is one of the business majors which can make you think a little outside the box.   People may disagree with this but that’s how I think about it.  I do really like marketing and my degree.  What I want to mostly discuss is how much Bryant and the business classes do not push creativity.

Bryant is, for the most part, a very black and white type of school.  We are starting to get more creative classes, but mostly it is very structured.  Much of Bryant is against creativity or do not incorporate it in any of the classes.  For example, in Terri’s class last semester we wanted to do street art.  Street art being chalk on the side walk.  The amount that Terri had to go through to get that approved was insane.  I am sure she can tell you more about it than I can.  She had to get it approved by many different people just to get us to be able to write in chalk.  I don’t know if you all are familiar with chalk but it goes away with water, like when it rains.  So why was it so hard to get a little chalk on the sidewalk on campus?   I believe creativity is extremely important and especially important in business which is why I am confused on Bryant’s hesitation on it.  Creativity and business relate so much to each other.  I am confused by why people think that they cannot build off each other and are not useful together.  I believe creativity is very important to business, especially in this day.  In order to think of new ideas, product, and ways to promote them, one must think outside the box.  People have to be open to different ways of thinking in order to find new ways to market a product.   Especially for marketing major, creativity is such an important part.  Marketers are always trying to think of new ways to get the consumers attention.  I think in almost every major or job you have, it is important to be creative.

This blog has stemmed from Terri’s class I took last semester and this class we are in.  The class I took last semester focused on creativity and different forms of creativity.  It really opens up your mind and how you see different things.  I experienced it happening to me, and continuing to happen through this class.  I also have witnessed it in my roommates.  Two of my roommates this semester are taking Terri’s creativity and the arts class.  I have seen them start off being a little iffy about the class.  They were originally not very into art and did think they could be good at art.  I have seen them change into people who are very much into art and creativity.  I have talked to them several times about how creativity can help them in their majors and how they also believe we should be exposed to more creativity in college.   They believe that we do not have enough on campus and how if we had more it would really help open up people’s minds to different things.

Overall, I really think creativity is extremely important in many places in life.  I think it can help in colleges, in the class room and in jobs.  If someone is open to being creative, they can think in a different way which can be extremely helpful.   I am wondering if anyone else feels this same way?  Do you think it is important to have creativity in schools?  Do you think it is helpful?  Also, do you think that Bryant is not open to being creative, or are they moving there?