Criteria for Success

Today we discussed success and how we all have different definitions of this term.

I was quite surprised at how differently my peers viewed success, as well as the tutors. I just assumed that everyone runs on similar ambitions and aims for the top.

I am a perfectionist and I often beat myself up when I don't reach the height of my expectations. Obviously, this gets me down and it makes working at uni really hard for me.

But today I have finally realised what the solution to this is,

I have to realign my expectations with reality and redefine my criteria for success.

Making my criteria more realistic and attainable will mean that I can still give myself a challenge

but I will also feel rewarded when achieving those goals, rather than thinking 'this is still not good enough'.

1.   Whether you have learned something useful.

2.    Peer response to your work.

3.    Tutor feedback on your work.

4.    Personal satisfaction with your practice.

5.     You feel fulfilled/enjoyment/fun.

6.   Confidence in your work/ideas/abilities.

7.    Work and life balance.

8.    Fame & notoriety.

9.    Recognizable and individual visual signature.

10.   Self-confidence.

11.   Earning a profit (commercial).

12.    Original & innovative work.

13.    Meeting your own deadlines.

14.    Improved practical skills.

15.    A willingness to take risks.

16.     Assessment grades.

BOWIE TRIBUTE

David Bowie

1947 - 10th January 2016

ALL HAIL THE GOBLIN KING.

http://www.fortitudemagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/David-Bowie.jpg

Bowie died today.

I'm shocked and shaken and really sad, I found out on the bus at 7am this morning and had to call my dad and tell him. Phew. What a day! I managed to hold in the tears until the tutors put 'Heroes' up on the big screen and then it got me.

But we played Bowie tracks all day super loud in the studio - singing and dancing along - and Matt said something that just made the day so much better:

CELEBRATE BOWIE BY BEING WEIRD.

Yes! Exactly! Definitely. If there was ever a time to embrace your weirdness, put on your red shoes and dance the blues, it's today.

IN MEMORIUM. A BLOG POST.

I want to take a short while to look at all the awesome things that man has done, how weird he has been and how it's impacted the art world/fashion industry/music scene/MADE ME WEIRDER.

YOUR EYES
His distinctive feature made him an icon. The dude with the different coloured eyes (although they're not actually, one of his pupils is just constantly dilated). It's a shame to be remembered for the way you look over the things you've done, but this was definitely something that made Bowie even more interesting and unique. His eyes have become an emblem for popular culture. Bowie sometimes wore coloured eye contacts to enhance the defect.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03546/bowie-eyes_3546351b.jpg

MAKE IT YOUR 'THING'. SHOW IT OFF. BECOME PART OF IT.

ANDROGYNY
Bowie constantly changed his appearance and refused to be defined by gender, sex or sexuality.
He's a role model for everyone, but I don't see Bowie as a human at all. He's lived under these personas, this cosmic theme running throughout. He was obsessed with space, he was from another planet entirely.

http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/01/David-Bowie-ice-blue-suit-Freddie-Burretti_dezeen.jpg

I love the idea of presenting yourself as an artist by not being of this kind. I'm sometimes ashamed of belonging to this species, and by suggesting that he was not from Earth, Bowie was out of this world.

COSTUME

http://tomandlorenzo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/David-Bowie-Tom-Lorenzo-Site-1.jpg

Bowie's eccentric and outlandish costumes are recognised all over the world. He's known for his personas and the outfits they wore, that no one else would be daring enough to wear.
His costumes have been featured in an exhibition at the V&A museum in London, and has inspired the world over. Lady Gaga is one such follower of the Bowie bonanza.

Dare to be different, we hear that a lot, don't we? But you never really think about it like that. Dare to be different is girls driving race cars, or wearing green jeans instead of your normal blue ones. But  Bowie was genuinely DIFFERENT. A queer old chap. But in the best kind of way. HE WAS GOOD AT BEING WEIRD and he made people love it.