I’d like to take you on a cognitive journey.
My portfolio allows a brief glance into my mind. You will be able to see how my creative ideas become real projects and artifacts. You will be able to see who I think I am as an individual or at least the parts I’ve chosen to share on the Internet. It has been an interesting experience transforming my vision of myself as an individual into my vision of myself as a cyber destination. Finding a voice on the Internet felt somehow different to me than finding a voice in other forms of writing. There is a certain arrogance that tends to appear in a lot of online writing. I have tried to avoid that. I tried to portray the right aesthetics and tone; a minimalist design with color accents where extra attention is needed and a lighthearted, fun tone. I aimed to create a space that would present the best version of myself, but that would also present something that feels authentic. The pieces that I have chosen to present in my portfolio either demonstrate a certain capability or are artifacts that I am particularly proud of.
I’ve been very lucky in that my coursework has largely reflected my personal interests. It is also convenient as a Communications Studies student and to be interested in reading, writing, and the media. In the past two years, I have learned a lot about and have gotten the opportunity to experiment with more new media and digital technology. I have in no way mastered these forms, but I tried to showcase some of my creations. I am actively learning and trying.
While there is no specific chronological order to my portfolio, in order to get a complete grasp of it, I recommend that you follow the pages across the top of the page from left to right. By beginning with my final project from the senior capstone course to the Minor in Writing, “Women in Comedy Exploration,” you will be able to see a project that encompasses my personal interest in the comedy industry and also one of the only writing pieces in my portfolio from my senior year at the University of Michigan. If you are one of the lucky individuals who is grading my portfolio, please see the MIW Site Index. It is also located on the right side of every page.
You will notice throughout my portfolio that I use a lot of quotes. I am a compulsive collector of inspirational quotes, whether the inspiration is universally understood or just seems to hit home and make sense to me. I am inspired by great thinkers, creators and businessmen and women. I tried to come up with a short list of words or phrases that I live by as a professional, as a writer and as a person.
The following is what I came up with:
CREATE.
I often wonder where my ideas come from.
And while I know that there is no way to pinpoint exactly where creativity stems from, I can’t help trying to figure it out. Being a constant thinker and observer has been both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, a lot of creativity comes from recognizing things that most people would not. On the negative side, I cannot turn my brain off. And, that might not really be such a bad thing. It helps as a writer and a creative individual to constantly be observing life around you. I find inspiration in the quirks and oddities of life. I am drawn to the media,to reading and to writing because I am constantly looking for ways to describe, explain and illustrate the world around me. Writing has become a part of who I am as a creative thinker. I do not dream of writing creative or fictional short stories or novels, I do not even dream of pursuing a career as a writer, per se. But, writing is a part of any career. My best ideas come to me when I free write by myself; my best work comes out when I am out in the field working with other people.
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things”
-Steve Jobs
LAUGH.
I often wonder why I can’t stop.
Everyone has their way of coping with the world, humor is mine. If we ever meet, I apologize in advance if I laugh at inappropriate times. I laugh when I feel awkward. I laugh when I’m happy and sometimes, even when I’m sad. Making other people laugh makes me happy. While I mostly find humor in irony and in observations about life, sometimes all it takes is a silly YouTube clip.
LEARN.
I often wonder if I will get smarter or dumber as I age.
I hope I never stop learning. In a world where there is TOO much information surrounding us, it is easy to want to just shut it all out, but I think when you stop learning, you stop living. And why be alive if you’re not actually living? I love to know a little bit of information about as many topics as possible. This is part of what enables me to hold a conversation on just about anything. I love to explore. I have provided links to some of my favorite news and entertainment websites on the right side of this portfolio. Please check them out if you’re interested. If you’re not, then don’t.
“The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.”
-Voltaire
TRY AGAIN.
I often wonder how people succeed, but I think I know.
You need to fail. Failure is what teaches you what you really need to know. It may sound like a cliche, but it is the truth. I have never spoken with a successful person who did not have 100 failures (even 1,000 failures) before their big success. I try my best to learn from my mistakes. I’m not saying the blow of rejection or failure no longer hurts me, but most of what I have learned has come from times that I messed up.
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”
-Arianna Huffington
Dana Narens 