On Thursday, some students sat in front of the class, in the manner of a talk show and we had a mini panel. The topic that was initially discussed was motivation and what caused it. This then sparked a debate about fear suppressing and motivating action. Some interesting points were brought up on both sides and at times it seemed like neither side was sure of what they thought, going back and forth. For example, someone said they would prefer to work at a job where they enjoyed the work but when given the circumstances that the pay would be horrible and their living conditions would be less than desirable, they did not seem so resolute.
When the conversation began, one student said he felt that the class was pointless without knowing what grade he was getting. This made me grimace. While I do strive for good grades, I have recently come to accept that it is not the most important thing in life. Future employers will not care for grades as much as they care for experience and knowledge. Grades may be a reflection of what you learned but they can also just mean you did the busy work for a class. I feel that this class is what you make of it. These blog entries, for example, are my thoughts and reflections of what I learned. Someone who doesn't contemplate the meaning of our activities may not be getting the full experience of the course.
Jimmy told us that if we had been offered $20,000 for the 9 game concepts we had to present 2 weeks ago, everyone would have completed the assignment. Many people brought 6 to 8 ideas instead of the 9 that were asked. While I did complete the 9 that were asked, I found that it was difficult to produce consistent quality. Towards the end, my ideas were very raw and were more of a brainstorm than developed concepts. I wanted to complete the assignment because I thought I would get something out of having variety. I wasn't sure how the first phase of evaluating the ideas was going to be like and I considered the possibility that one of the raw ideas could be further fleshed out and might end up being the best one.
My motivation for this class comes partly from curiosity, I suppose. Jimmy is often very vague about what we're going to do with any assignment so I come prepared with my assignments completed so that I can find out what he's going to do or say. By finishing my assignments, I am getting the most out of this class. This wasn't a required course for me. The majority of the students in the course are design majors. Another student and I are the exceptions, we are animation majors. I took this class for fun and in the hopes of developing a skill. This can also be a reason why I have motivation. When something is required, some people have less inclination to want. When something is chosen freely, you're more at ease and accept what is given to you.
While I can't call myself the poster child for motivation, I do believe this: As creatives, if we do not have the motivation to produce art, then we are probably in the wrong line of work.
descriptor collection
pedantic: too much concern with rules and formalities
raucous: harsh and loud
androgynous: ambiguous sexual identity, blending both masculine and feminine qualities
No comments:
Post a Comment