Creative Proces1/2

Choose an artifact and then analyze it (in 23 pages) using the four steps provided for analyzing artifacts. Build your problem-solving skills by following the steps to analyze cultural artifacts and articulate your own self- and social awareness by looking at the experiences of yours and others.

Expand AllIntroduction

The calling of the humanities is to make us truly human in the best sense of the word.

J. Irwin Miller, Industrialist

What makes humans human? Part of the answer lies in the very different ways we express ourselves and our experiences (through art, architecture, music, religion, literature, and more). With over 7.6 billion people on planet Earth, understanding how those expressions connect and distinguish us from one another is a critical part of becoming better citizens of the world (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.).

Just a few generations ago, the odds of people interacting from completely different backgrounds or communities were small. But in todays digital world, we have instant access to communities and cultures unlike our own. As we all come together to live, work, and share experiences, it is becoming even more important that we understand our perspectives and the perspectives of others so that we can all collaborate when facing complex issues.

In this course, youll explore how different cultures and groups demonstrate their unique perspectives on what it means to be human. As you do, youll discover how broadening your perspective will help you better collaborate with others and solve problems in todays global world. Overall, you’ll develop three skills that will help you adapt to a global world. They are:

• Problem-solving: As you examine the art, literature, and music of other cultures, youll use critical thinking to frame problems, explain other peoples viewpoints, and create solutions informed by diverse and ethical perspectives.
• Relationship building: While learning about cultures across different time periods, you will discover that even the earliest humans understood the importance of working with others.
• Self-awareness and social awareness: Recognizing your thoughts, emotions, and intentions is a uniquely human trait, which is why it is fundamental to the study of humanities. By managing your responses to unfamiliar experiences and being open to new perspectives, you will better understand the people you encounter in your personal and professional life.

As you use these skills together, youll become better equipped to build collaborative relationships and solve diverse problems in a global workplace. Youll also gain the awareness you need to recognize how social and cultural differences may impact the ways you interact with others.

In this assessment, youll learn more about the benefits of studying humanities and discover how you can strengthen your problem-solving, relationship-building, and self- and social-awareness skills in this course and beyond.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

Wayne Dyer, author, and motivational speaker

Tacos or lasagna. Sushi or curry. Pickles or kimchi. The foods we were exposed to as kidsby our families, communities, religions, and geographical locationsshape our preferences as adults. And its not just about food. Our backgrounds influence the perspectives we have on music, literature, television, art, and more. By acknowledging this influence, we become better able to consider how the perspectives of others with different cultural backgrounds might also differ from our own.

In this assessment, you will also strengthen your problem-solving and self- and social-awareness skills by exploring strategies that will help you examine artifacts from other cultures more objectively. Being able to recognize how perspectives affect the way we see the world will also help you better understand other points of view so you can tackle the challenges you face at home, work, and school and make the best decisions for your future.

Changing your perspectives will not only transform you but also the whole world.

Ji-Hae Park, violinist

Who was your favorite musician when you were a child? Are you still a fan of that artist today? You may still be an avid admirer, or you may cringe at the music you used to love. Either way, your perspective of that artist has probably changed over time. Your perspectives on music, art, culture, and more are constantly evolving as you grow, meet new people, have new experiences, travel, and learn more about the world around you.

Lastly, in this assessment, you will also continue to strengthen your problem-solving skills as you examine the personal and cultural experiences that influence the choices you make. Youll also hone your self- and social-awareness skills by learning how to manage your reactions to things that may initially surprise you. As you explore more about your perspectives and how they are influenced by your experiences, youll be better able to consider new perspectives, look at cultural artifacts objectively, and navigate through difficult issues at work or with friends.

Now get ready to explore other cultures, broaden your perspective, and discover what makes humans human.

References

BrainyQuote. (n.d.). Ji-Hae Park quotes. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jihae_park_567503

BrainyQuote. (n.d.). J. Irwin Miller quotes. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/j_irwin_miller_201641

BrainyQuote. (n.d.). Wayne Dyer quotes. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/wayne_dyer_384143

Overview

Throughout the assessments in this course, you will have opportunities to analyze cultural artifacts and/or works of art. A cultural artifact is something created by human beings reflective of their society, such as an article of clothing or ancient pottery. A work of art refers to something created by an artist (amateur or professional), such as a painting, sculpture, film, poem, or photograph. You are encouraged to choose something meaningful to you. You can select cultural artifacts or works of art of interest to you in general. The optional text for this course, , also has many works of art and artifacts that you may select.

For this assessment, you will write a 23 page paper that analyzes your artifact using the strategies you’ve learned in this course. By using these strategies, youll:

• Practice your problem-solving and self/social-awareness skills as you consider how your personal experiences and perspective influence your analysis of artifacts that illustrate diverse and ethical perspectives.
• Be better equipped with information to help you make more objective and informed decisions.
• Solve complex problems and think through situations related to diversity and ethics.

As you follow these steps to analyze a cultural artifact or work of art, you are actively practicing the process of thinking through a problem and breaking it down into its parts. Additionally, self-awareness, social awareness, and articulation are critical in navigating the workplace and working with others, whether at work or home. This assessment will leverage what you have learned about the human experience to help you understand what perspectives you hold and how they affect the decisions you make.

Instructions

For this assessment, first, choose a cultural artifact or work of art, and then, in 23 pages of writing, analyze it using the strategies you’ve learned from the provided resources.

1. Start by writing an introductory paragraph that describes which artifact you chose.

• Provide a brief description of the artifact itself, including identifying details such as the type of artifact, the artist or musician, when it was created, and the materials used.
• Explain why you chose this artifact. In other words, what about the artifact appeals to you?

1. Describe the historical and artistic contexts of the artifact or work of art.

• Describe the historical context, such as the time period, the place, and the reasons the artist might have had for creating the artifact.
• Describe the artistic context, such as the visual and aural techniques and symbols. Include reasons that explain why these techniques were used.
• Consider how the artistic context was shaped by the historical context at the time the artifact was created.

1. Explain the cultural values conveyed through the artifact or work of art.

• Identify two cultural values that you believe the artist was trying to convey through the artifact or work of art.
• Explain how these cultural values are portrayed, reflected, or demonstrated in the artifact.
• For example, how might an anti-war song from the late 1960s or early 1970s portray or reflect American culture at that time? Similarly, how might a French Impressionist painting reflect beliefs about modern life in the second half of the 19th century?

1. Reflect on the way culture shapes your perspective and impacts the decisions you make about the meaning of the cultural artifact or work of art.

• Relate the artist’s cultural values to your own. Examine the similarities or differences that you see between your cultural values and the artist’s cultural values.
• Explain how your cultural perspective shaped your response and connection with the artifact or work of art.

1. Write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, mechanics, citations, and formatting.PART 2

PART 2 Interpret a work of art and describe the features of the art that give it meaning and expressive power. Consider how your own cultural biases and perspectives shape your reaction to and interpretation of this artwork.

Expand AllIntroduction

Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.

Dalai Lama, spiritual leader

Have you ever had a problem, such as a leaky faucet, an issue with a family member, or a school assignment, that you just couldnt solve? You might have tried and tried to come up with an answer, growing more frustrated as time went on. Perhaps, you then asked someone else for help, and they immediately came up with the perfect solution. Baffled, you may have thought to yourself, How did they do that? The answer is often that the other person simply looked at the problem differently. And many times, a different point of view is exactly what you need to find a solution.

In this assessment, you will further develop your problem-solving skills by exploring how different people and cultures approach making decisions and resolving conflicts. By looking at a single problem from multiple perspectives, you will find more creative solutions to complex issues at home, school, and work. You will also continue to improve your self- and social-awareness skills as you explore how your perspective may be biased and how that bias affects the way you process information.

Most of my important lessons about life have come from recognizing how others from a different culture view things.

Edgar H. Schein, organizational psychologist

If youve ever wondered why people from different cultures think and do things differently than you, heres your chance to satisfy your curiosity about customs, traditions, religious beliefs, and more. While you work through this assessment, youll strengthen your problem-solving and self- and social-awareness skills by exploring cultural similarities and differences, which will allow you to understand where other people are coming from. Exploring and thinking critically about how friends, peers, colleagues, and even strangers from different backgrounds view the world can make you more empathetic and understanding. And applying this empathy and understanding will ultimately help you build the successful, collaborative relationships that are critical to your personal and professional success. Youll continue to cultivate your problem-solving skills as you compare and contrast cultures around the world and develop critical thinking strategies to understand the perspectives and behaviors of others. Youll also strengthen your self- and social-awareness skills by exploring how your personal and cultural experiences influence your opinions and choices.

The universe is made of stories, not atoms.

Muriel Rukeyser, poet

Storytelling transcends all cultures, time periods, and geographic regions. Thats why the ancient Greeks built huge amphitheaters and why you find yourself saying Just one more episode! as you devour the new season of your favorite TV show. So its not surprising that understanding the stories we tell is a critical part of the study of humanities.

In all of this, you will further develop your problem-solving skills by exploring stories from different cultures. By learning about common storytelling themes and values (and their differences and similarities), you will discover more ways to think critically about perspectives.

References

BrainyQuote. (n.d.). Dalai Lama quotes. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dalai_lama_446750

Goodreads. (n.d.). Edgar H. Schein quotes. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/43958.Edgar_H_Schein

Wikiquote. (n.d.). Muriel Rukeyser. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Muriel_Rukeyser

Overview

This assessment will look more closely at the means of expression.

There is a tradition of artistic interpretation that stresses expression as the main goal of artworks. Whether its a painting, a film, a novel, a play, music, or a piece of sculpture, artwork can give expression to ideas and emotions that can be difficult to express in ordinary words. Weve seen that artworks convey aspects of culture and family tradition. But they can also express and communicate religious ideas and feelings, or political struggles. And a work of art can express the personal experiences and inner life of the artist who created it. A work of art can do all of this in a way that connects the viewer or audience to the artist. Some see this type of connection as the closest we can get to experiencing the inner life of another person.

For example, to get an idea of the means artworks have available for expression, consider how a representational painting conveys much more than whats directly represented (for example, a human figure or mountainscape). A painter can use color, line, shading, and composition (arrangement of forms) to express ideas and emotions about whats depicted in the painting.

For this assessment, first, choose an artwork to analyze as a means of expression. You should choose an artwork different from the one you selected for Assessment 1. You may select an artwork of your preference or any artwork from the text. Remember, a work of art can take a variety of forms, include a painting, a poem, a film, a piece of music, a story, or a sculpture.

Instructions

Once you select your work of art, write 23 pages in which you complete the following:

• Describe what is depicted in the selected work of art.
• Identify the artist (or artists), when the art was created or published, and the form the art takes (music, painting, short story, etc.).
• If the work depicts a subject or event (like representational paintings, sculptures, stories, or films do), describe what is depicted.
• If the artwork is nonrepresentational (like an abstract painting or sculpture, music, or architecture), you can simply say that it is nonrepresentational.
• Explain two or three things that the artwork expresses, beyond whatever is directly depicted in the work.
• Focus on your own reaction to and interpretation of the artwork.
• What ideas, moods, emotions, hopes, aspirations, or states of mind do you think the artist is trying to express? If the artwork is representational, perhaps the artist is expressing certain feelings about whats depicted (such as grief, anger, or joy). If the artwork is nonrepresentational, describe the feelings or memories the piece evokes.
• Describe at least three features of the work that have expressive power.
• Here you can focus on qualities specific to the selected art (color, line, shape, composition, light and shading, sound, and so forth). These are the aspects of the work that do the job of communicating to the viewer or listener something that can’t easily be expressed in ordinary language.
• Explain how your cultural perspective shapes your interpretation of the art.
• Describe any cultural biases that may influence this explanation.
• Write in a well-organized and concise manner that adheres to the rules of grammar, usage, mechanics, citations, and formatting.