10 things

I've been meaning for a few days to update this thing with stories from my trip to New Jersey, but everytime I thought about sitting down and writing about it, the venture seemed too daunting. So instead, I'm going to post this thing I'm writing for my digital video assignment because it's already written and all I have to do is copy and paste. Our next film project for the upcoming weeks is a personal identity project. It's a 5-10 minute video about some element of our identity. So in preparation, our teacher wants us to write a list of 10 things about our identity that will help us define who we are to ourselves and pick a subject for our piece. It can be anything from personal (a coveted object, a phobia, dynamic with a parent) to broader social categories (gender, race, religion, etc.) Here's the list of 8 of the 10 I just typed up tonight. It will probably change before it's finished and I have no idea which of these things to base my project around...suggestions are welcome, but here it is:




1. Russian heritage: I want to feel connected to this culture and be able to relate to my relatives, but I’m a 3rd generation Russian who is completely American. How do you connect to a culture you haven’t experienced? My great grandmother came to America from Russia, where she lived as a gypsy. She inspired an appreciation for mysticism and fun in my family that I think is still there generations later.

2. Vegetarian: I’ve been one for 6 1/2 years. Treating creatures with respect and living in harmony with nature has been very important to me. I was brought up with a belief in the interconnectedness of all things, and to me this decision just felt right.

3. Phobias:

• Heights. I get really debilitating vertigo when climbing open staircases. My earliest memories of being afraid of heights was when my family visited a windmill and you could climb to the top. I didn’t want to and neither did my mom.

• Butterflies. I went to a butterfly atrium when I was 3 and there were all these super large butterflies and they landed and got tangled up in my hair. I got so freaked out that I ran out of the atrium as fast as I could.

• Animatronics/Puppets. I watched a kid’s video when I was little and it had a scene with a purple hippo puppet that got stuck in a tree and was going to fall and crush these little children. Every since I saw that, all animatronic or puppet animals that talk freak me out beyond believe.

4. Ballerina: I started dancing ballet when I was 3 years old. It wasn’t really dancing, it was mainly hopping ungracefully over alligator ponds that our teacher drew on the floor in chalk. I continued to do ballet up until I was 16 years old. It played a large role in my life and still plays a role in how I behave and try to carry myself.

5. Sorority: I joined a sorority my sophomore year of college. It was never in a million years something that I thought would fit my lifestyle as an art student, but I joined because my freshman year was uneventful and I knew people who had fun in sororities. I’ve made many friends and found just one more outlet in college where I can explore my identity.

6. Observer: I’ve always thought of myself within society as the quiet observer of people and situations around me. I’ve always been on the quieter side and I like to see the beauty in the world around me without really interacting or disturbing it. I got into photography as a way to channel what I saw around me into something artistic.

7. Daughter/Sister: I’m extremely close to all members of my immediate family. My mom is literally my best friend, and my brother and I are so close in age that we get along really well. I take after my dad because he’s very patient and rational. My older sister passed away when she was just a baby from SIDS, which affected my parents very strongly but I also think it brought the family closer together. It really says something about my parents that they could come through the loss of a child and still be the amazing parents that they are today.

8. Los Angeles: My relationship with the city has taken many forms. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to move away from LA. Growing up in a desert suburb on the outskirts made me feel like there was nothing but fake people and hot weather. Moving away meant freedom, adulthood and independence. When I hit college and moved into the heart of the city, I discovered my love for all the quirky places in the city and proximity to my family. Now that I’m interested in entertainment graphic design, it looks like I’ll be with the city for a while longer.