I belong to:
1. A community of Poets
2. The community of Brooklyn
3. The community of MCNY
4. A community of artists
5. A community of African Americans
6. The community of Democrats
Brooklyn:
I belonged to Brooklyn when my mother moved her 6 months pregnant with me. I strongly believe in the notion of Sankofa (You cannot know where you are going without knowing where you come from). Everything a person is made up of is Nature vs. Nurture. My environment has a bold impact on who I am and how I look at the world. Although it is just a borough, Brooklyn, is also home. Whatever that means or doesn't mean.
Artists:
The community of artists is a very strange place to belong. It kind of labels you with superpowers. All of a sudden certain things are expected of you. Every civilization started with religion and art. I do not take this lightly. I am grateful to be apart of something that is bigger than me. It allows me for once not to feel like such an outcast. A group of artists (no matter what kind) can share things that others won't understand.
Most important community I belong to: ARTISTS
1. I play a primary role of the writer and spoken artist. I voice the colors of a painter and write the images of the photographer. Every artist is important to the community. My art allows me to share and keep the community growing by also teaching my art.
2. The most important I thing I get from belonging to this kind of community is basically a sense of being. I get identity. A big part of who I am is being an artist. Belonging just solidifies that acceptance you spend your time looking for.
3. There are a lot of problems in this circle that always stem from 2 places. One would be keeping yourself and art relevant. Times change. The age old argument is whether art should follow suit. So there becomes a divide between artists who adapt and those who stick with what they know. The second problem is ego and superiority complex. Although artists can do things that are gifts it should not make you feel like you are better. A lot of artists get caught up in the glitz side and change.
-Brittany Patrice
Monday, December 13, 2010
Progress Assessment
How do you follow progress for a class that is supposed to teach you about yourself?
Maybe the answer relates to how many bad habits you have broken or new things you have discovered. If that is indeed the answer then I have been tracking my growth through this blog.
I throughly enjoyed the candy assignment as well as the career path introductions with our guest speaker. I feel that these things have helped me understand more about who I am as well as how I relate to other people. I got to interact and document the new findings about my classmates (the very people I see everyday). It allowed me to see how people perceived me. The career path introductions had me thinking more about my future. I believe after that day I constructed a 5yr plan for the first time in my life. I wanted some direction.
I didn't really enjoy the strengths and weaknesses essay for many reasons. One thing would be that it was hard to identify my own flaws for others to read let alone write it in a essay form. The other thing I didn't like was the way I had to express my strengths and weaknesses. I would have rather somehow shown what my strengths & weaknesses were than put them in an essay.
If I had more time I would work on how much effort I put into personalizing my blog and getting everyone reading it. I don't think it rightly shows my personality but I guess that's okay.
The progress I have made this semester is strongly relate back to my strengths and weaknesses. For one, I still have the same strengths and weaknesses but I did learn a little how to make them work in my favor. I didn't feel as hindered by own characteristics this time around.
-Brittany Patrice
Maybe the answer relates to how many bad habits you have broken or new things you have discovered. If that is indeed the answer then I have been tracking my growth through this blog.
I throughly enjoyed the candy assignment as well as the career path introductions with our guest speaker. I feel that these things have helped me understand more about who I am as well as how I relate to other people. I got to interact and document the new findings about my classmates (the very people I see everyday). It allowed me to see how people perceived me. The career path introductions had me thinking more about my future. I believe after that day I constructed a 5yr plan for the first time in my life. I wanted some direction.
I didn't really enjoy the strengths and weaknesses essay for many reasons. One thing would be that it was hard to identify my own flaws for others to read let alone write it in a essay form. The other thing I didn't like was the way I had to express my strengths and weaknesses. I would have rather somehow shown what my strengths & weaknesses were than put them in an essay.
If I had more time I would work on how much effort I put into personalizing my blog and getting everyone reading it. I don't think it rightly shows my personality but I guess that's okay.
The progress I have made this semester is strongly relate back to my strengths and weaknesses. For one, I still have the same strengths and weaknesses but I did learn a little how to make them work in my favor. I didn't feel as hindered by own characteristics this time around.
-Brittany Patrice
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
My Fairytale
Preface: This is a storytale about me! I am Marie. Its just well written so you will be entertained. My nickname is Blue and all of my life I have struggled with being different from other little kids. Thats when one day a woman named Tahani Salah came to my school and introduced to urbanword. A place where everyone was my age and was just as different as I was. Hope you like my fairytale. Life does have happy endings!
Once upon a time in the sleepy hallows borough of Brooklyn lived a Blue little girl named Marie. In a town where everyone is sleepwalking in black & white having Blue skin makes you stand out a little. Like everything else that jars the spirit awake Marie was ridiculed for being so different. When really she was being herself. The dungeon she lived in never saw sunlight. There were no windows in her life. Little Marie wanted so much to be accepted. She tried to change her color. Using all kind of unsafe methods but nothing worked. She couldn't help being Blue. One day while Marie was sitting on a bench crying her little eyes out she heard a voice. Drowned out by the sound of her sobbing she couldn't make out what the woman had said.
"I said, stop crying little girl for you are the prettiest person I have ever seen"
Marie replied through sniffles, "No one else seems to think so. I don't want to be different anymore" As she wiped her eyes she realized the person speaking so kindly to her was in fact a ladybug!
The ladybug spoke once again, "Come with me. I know a place where you will be loved & excepted for that gorgeous skin. A place where everyone is different in their own way".
Marie followed the ladybug woman into a building, not too far from where she lived, and up what felt like long winding stairs that went on forever. When they reached the top, Marie pushed open the door and discovered a room full of color. Or should I say colored children all laughing and playing together. Each face was jubliant and full of love and just like Marie, every child was a different color. Reds, purples, greens, yellows, pinks...so many colored children.
"Well go on now. Go play. Enjoy being different", the ladybug said as she pushed her into the children.
Soon Marie was laughing and playing with everyone else. And for once in her life felt special that she was the only Blue child.
-The End-
Once upon a time in the sleepy hallows borough of Brooklyn lived a Blue little girl named Marie. In a town where everyone is sleepwalking in black & white having Blue skin makes you stand out a little. Like everything else that jars the spirit awake Marie was ridiculed for being so different. When really she was being herself. The dungeon she lived in never saw sunlight. There were no windows in her life. Little Marie wanted so much to be accepted. She tried to change her color. Using all kind of unsafe methods but nothing worked. She couldn't help being Blue. One day while Marie was sitting on a bench crying her little eyes out she heard a voice. Drowned out by the sound of her sobbing she couldn't make out what the woman had said.
"I said, stop crying little girl for you are the prettiest person I have ever seen"
Marie replied through sniffles, "No one else seems to think so. I don't want to be different anymore" As she wiped her eyes she realized the person speaking so kindly to her was in fact a ladybug!
The ladybug spoke once again, "Come with me. I know a place where you will be loved & excepted for that gorgeous skin. A place where everyone is different in their own way".
Marie followed the ladybug woman into a building, not too far from where she lived, and up what felt like long winding stairs that went on forever. When they reached the top, Marie pushed open the door and discovered a room full of color. Or should I say colored children all laughing and playing together. Each face was jubliant and full of love and just like Marie, every child was a different color. Reds, purples, greens, yellows, pinks...so many colored children.
"Well go on now. Go play. Enjoy being different", the ladybug said as she pushed her into the children.
Soon Marie was laughing and playing with everyone else. And for once in her life felt special that she was the only Blue child.
-The End-
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Candy [girl] reflections!!
Red- my favorite hobbies are: Spoken word, traveling, laughing, writing, reading books...anything that expands my experiences.
Pink- favorite place on earth; Five pointz
Orange- favorite memory is performing at Brooklyn Academy of Music
Yellow- I want to become a Creative writing college professor
-Brittany Patrice
Pink- favorite place on earth; Five pointz
Orange- favorite memory is performing at Brooklyn Academy of Music
Yellow- I want to become a Creative writing college professor
-Brittany Patrice
Fairy Tales: Do they all have happy endings?
The three fairy tales I read were 1. The little pear girl, 2. The ugly duckling and 3. Puss in Boots. Very different but interesting fairy tales.
5 characteristics of a fairy tale:
1. Accurate description of the main character (i.e. background, behavior, looks...)
2. A turning point in which something happens to the main character (i.e. something of struggle or inner conflict)
3. Introduction of a "hero"
4. A plan of action put into effect that involves out-smarting the circumstances
5. A 'happily-ever-after' or solution
Push and Precious the movie use fairytales:
1. It is very clear how abusive Precious' household is as well as how it shapes her introverted fearful nature. The author also describes without fail Precious' weight, intelligence, dark skin and self image issues to paint you a portrait of the main character and what she has to deal with.
2. The turning point in the book Push is Precious attending the alternative school. It is there that the story starts shaping and even more of the plot is unfolding. She meets her first friends, learns how to read and finally is faced with her inner conflict; healing & growing from her past.
3. At the same time of the turning point the "hero" is introduced which is Precious' teacher Ms. Blue Rain. Who steps in and helps the progress of the main character.
4. After Precious has her second child and confronts her mother, it is there that a plan of action is put into motion. Trying to get her not only a place to live but to completely transform how she has been forced to live. In hopes of giving her a fighting chance.
5. This is the hardest part, the happily-ever-after part of the book Push is very hard to grasp. Lots of people don't believe there is one even with the author's input of Precious' growth as a person. I believe however that is the happy ending. She relieves herself of her own personal conflict by actually learning to depend on people, grow self respect & self worth and keep it moving even when it gets rough.
-Brittany Patrice
5 characteristics of a fairy tale:
1. Accurate description of the main character (i.e. background, behavior, looks...)
2. A turning point in which something happens to the main character (i.e. something of struggle or inner conflict)
3. Introduction of a "hero"
4. A plan of action put into effect that involves out-smarting the circumstances
5. A 'happily-ever-after' or solution
Push and Precious the movie use fairytales:
1. It is very clear how abusive Precious' household is as well as how it shapes her introverted fearful nature. The author also describes without fail Precious' weight, intelligence, dark skin and self image issues to paint you a portrait of the main character and what she has to deal with.
2. The turning point in the book Push is Precious attending the alternative school. It is there that the story starts shaping and even more of the plot is unfolding. She meets her first friends, learns how to read and finally is faced with her inner conflict; healing & growing from her past.
3. At the same time of the turning point the "hero" is introduced which is Precious' teacher Ms. Blue Rain. Who steps in and helps the progress of the main character.
4. After Precious has her second child and confronts her mother, it is there that a plan of action is put into motion. Trying to get her not only a place to live but to completely transform how she has been forced to live. In hopes of giving her a fighting chance.
5. This is the hardest part, the happily-ever-after part of the book Push is very hard to grasp. Lots of people don't believe there is one even with the author's input of Precious' growth as a person. I believe however that is the happy ending. She relieves herself of her own personal conflict by actually learning to depend on people, grow self respect & self worth and keep it moving even when it gets rough.
-Brittany Patrice
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Strengths & Weaknesses [The Essay]
The dictionary describes Weakness as feebleness; an inadequate or defective quality; a self indulgent liking or fondness. Sometimes I wonder if you can be fond of falling short, of not giving your all...Can you like (or should i say be comfortable with)giving in to your weakness? The definition for Strength is capacity for exertion & endurance; power to resist force. Maybe eventually being 'strong' will lead to breaking. There is only so much a person can take.
Yesterday after work I ended up getting into a conversation about my weaknesses but more so how I'm going to change them. I hate the word weak, actually but I am able to identify my own flaws. I know that I have a hard time with change. Being outside of my comfort zone makes me uncomfortable. Which leads me isolated from new experiences & people. You can't grow if you stay in the absolute same place. It's impossible. One of my major weaknesses is believing I can do it all. I find myself drained, stressed or unfocused because I'm always working on so many things and spreading myself so thin.
That's the easiest part of the equation: knowing what you need to work on or change. The hard part however will always be figuring out how to transform that feebleness into something powerful. That's where everyone gets stuck, even me. So I've just decided to start doing things different, things I'm not used to but what may be useful for me to be apart of. That's easier said then done but we are all just works in progress if nothing more. No one is perfect. I am learning how to scale down on what I take on. Trying to focus on just one area and be able to take care of my priorities.
I've never been confused about what my strong points are. From a very young age I was aware of them and learned slowly how to manipulate the skills or characteristics I have to reach certain places I wanted to go. I am very good at communicating & interacting with others. I know how to capitalize on my strengths and make it useful in terms of reaching my goals.
What I'm learning more now is how to hone my talents and structure myself better. My strengths should grow with me as I grow. Thats the most important thing to continue to evolve my assets in order to reach my goals.Sometimes strengths and weaknesses are just labels that can always be switched. Something that you are not "good at" can always be worked on it just depends on how you use it.
Yesterday after work I ended up getting into a conversation about my weaknesses but more so how I'm going to change them. I hate the word weak, actually but I am able to identify my own flaws. I know that I have a hard time with change. Being outside of my comfort zone makes me uncomfortable. Which leads me isolated from new experiences & people. You can't grow if you stay in the absolute same place. It's impossible. One of my major weaknesses is believing I can do it all. I find myself drained, stressed or unfocused because I'm always working on so many things and spreading myself so thin.
That's the easiest part of the equation: knowing what you need to work on or change. The hard part however will always be figuring out how to transform that feebleness into something powerful. That's where everyone gets stuck, even me. So I've just decided to start doing things different, things I'm not used to but what may be useful for me to be apart of. That's easier said then done but we are all just works in progress if nothing more. No one is perfect. I am learning how to scale down on what I take on. Trying to focus on just one area and be able to take care of my priorities.
I've never been confused about what my strong points are. From a very young age I was aware of them and learned slowly how to manipulate the skills or characteristics I have to reach certain places I wanted to go. I am very good at communicating & interacting with others. I know how to capitalize on my strengths and make it useful in terms of reaching my goals.
What I'm learning more now is how to hone my talents and structure myself better. My strengths should grow with me as I grow. Thats the most important thing to continue to evolve my assets in order to reach my goals.Sometimes strengths and weaknesses are just labels that can always be switched. Something that you are not "good at" can always be worked on it just depends on how you use it.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Strengths & weaknesses: I'm in the fast lane...
What drives me?
I ask myself the same question on mornings like this when I'm exhausted from the full time job it is to become a better person. Like, "why didn't I sleep in today?" Or "Cancel that meeting?". Why do I keep volunteering my time and gifts when afterward I feel this drained?
The answer is simple (well somewhat)...
Everytime I see something about myself that I don't like I'm ready to take the steps to grow. Whenever I see something painful about the way that people live it pushes me to be greater. When I reach a day where trying to change the world that I'm apart of becomes overwhelming I just think...
"Like my preacher told me even a 3 legged dog still has three good legs to lose" -The Roots
Thats the most melodramatic way of putting it. Of course I'm human and I definitely wasn't always this self motivating. I was lazy. I was very happy with never trying because I thought it meant never failing. I didn't want to become the people I saw everyday who made nothing of themselves but thats what was slowly happening. What changed was my outlook. I started falling into a bad place emotionally and it was then I realized I controlled how I felt. So I started smiling. I started living the way I envisioned my future.
I try to give as much as I can. I never feel like its enough. What is enough? I just know that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for certain people in my life and I want to be that person in someone's life. Thats my ultimate goal, to move someone to do something greater. Plant the seed.
"I'm the Tupac Rose I let my petals show" -Nate Marshall
Later guys,
Brittany Patrice
I ask myself the same question on mornings like this when I'm exhausted from the full time job it is to become a better person. Like, "why didn't I sleep in today?" Or "Cancel that meeting?". Why do I keep volunteering my time and gifts when afterward I feel this drained?
The answer is simple (well somewhat)...
Everytime I see something about myself that I don't like I'm ready to take the steps to grow. Whenever I see something painful about the way that people live it pushes me to be greater. When I reach a day where trying to change the world that I'm apart of becomes overwhelming I just think...
"Like my preacher told me even a 3 legged dog still has three good legs to lose" -The Roots
Thats the most melodramatic way of putting it. Of course I'm human and I definitely wasn't always this self motivating. I was lazy. I was very happy with never trying because I thought it meant never failing. I didn't want to become the people I saw everyday who made nothing of themselves but thats what was slowly happening. What changed was my outlook. I started falling into a bad place emotionally and it was then I realized I controlled how I felt. So I started smiling. I started living the way I envisioned my future.
I try to give as much as I can. I never feel like its enough. What is enough? I just know that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for certain people in my life and I want to be that person in someone's life. Thats my ultimate goal, to move someone to do something greater. Plant the seed.
"I'm the Tupac Rose I let my petals show" -Nate Marshall
Later guys,
Brittany Patrice
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Welcome!
How do you answer the question "who are you?"
I guess I'll attempt...
-21 years young
-Black woman writer
-Spoken word artist
-au natural (haired) beauty
-sarcastic
-avid reader
-laughs way too often and way too loudly
-smiles every day (Life is hard, why not?)
-friendly
-Nike wearing cool kid
-amateur world traveler (trying to get more passport stamps)
Even after all of that I don't feel like you know me. I just gave you a list that you can Google but thats where it starts doesn't it? A simple hello. A smile. A surface conversation.
If those things interest you then you dig deeper, right? Well here's to hoping you dig deeper.
1. Why i chose the BA in American Urban Studies at MCNY?
I started college waaaaay back in 2007. [insert chuckle here]. I was young, not too sure of what i wanted but I knew i loved to learn. I went to CUNY york college for a year decided that i wasn't happy there and took some time off. Taught and performed poetry for a while among other jobs. Then earlier this year it hit me [BAM!] i wanted to pursue Urban Planning, teaching and maybe start my own non-for-profit org.
But where would i get a degree that combined all of my passions? And thats basically how i found MCNY.
2. What are my career/education goals after I recieve my BA? How will this degree help me?
My ultimate goal is to become an English College professor and obtain my P.h.D. After I leave MCNY I am contemplating leaving NYC to go to Graduate School for my MFA. Start working more professionally as a writer as well as a community organizer. Maybe do some fellowships or work abroad.
3. How comfortable am I using the web?
Well...this is my second blog! (if you want to get to know me better feel free to check out my personal blog http://crushedblue.blogspot.com ) I am trying to up my internet repetoire since writing and technology seem to go hand-in-hand. I do tweet (twitter acct), I catch up with old friends/network on facebook, my Myspace is still floating around on the web, I have a youtube channel but I definitely am nowhere near making as big as an impact on the web as i would like.
I'm done.
It was nice to meet you!
-Brittany Patrice
I guess I'll attempt...
-21 years young
-Black woman writer
-Spoken word artist
-au natural (haired) beauty
-sarcastic
-avid reader
-laughs way too often and way too loudly
-smiles every day (Life is hard, why not?)
-friendly
-Nike wearing cool kid
-amateur world traveler (trying to get more passport stamps)
Even after all of that I don't feel like you know me. I just gave you a list that you can Google but thats where it starts doesn't it? A simple hello. A smile. A surface conversation.
If those things interest you then you dig deeper, right? Well here's to hoping you dig deeper.
1. Why i chose the BA in American Urban Studies at MCNY?
I started college waaaaay back in 2007. [insert chuckle here]. I was young, not too sure of what i wanted but I knew i loved to learn. I went to CUNY york college for a year decided that i wasn't happy there and took some time off. Taught and performed poetry for a while among other jobs. Then earlier this year it hit me [BAM!] i wanted to pursue Urban Planning, teaching and maybe start my own non-for-profit org.
But where would i get a degree that combined all of my passions? And thats basically how i found MCNY.
2. What are my career/education goals after I recieve my BA? How will this degree help me?
My ultimate goal is to become an English College professor and obtain my P.h.D. After I leave MCNY I am contemplating leaving NYC to go to Graduate School for my MFA. Start working more professionally as a writer as well as a community organizer. Maybe do some fellowships or work abroad.
3. How comfortable am I using the web?
Well...this is my second blog! (if you want to get to know me better feel free to check out my personal blog http://crushedblue.blogspot.com ) I am trying to up my internet repetoire since writing and technology seem to go hand-in-hand. I do tweet (twitter acct), I catch up with old friends/network on facebook, my Myspace is still floating around on the web, I have a youtube channel but I definitely am nowhere near making as big as an impact on the web as i would like.
I'm done.
It was nice to meet you!
-Brittany Patrice
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