Showing posts with label Week 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 8. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Week 8 Growth Mindset

I reviewed my previous post about Growth Mindset and I still agree with my first assumptions.


(Im-possible from WebSource)


Doing the minimum or pushing yourself to go farther:
I am guilty of going back and forth with this one depending on a lot of reasons. There will be an assignment that is not challenging to me or is just busy work assignments.

Looking for praise and other rewards or finding motivation inside yourself:
I am also guilty of going back and forth with this as well. I am more likely to look for praise/rewards in my school work while I find motivation in myself for my writing or my art because usually people do not see/read my writing pieces or art work.

Staying in the comfort zone or being willing to try new things & Playing it Safe and taking risks:
I usually stay in the comfort zone with my school work than I do with life moments. I was recently told for a project that I should stick with what I know and not experiment because it could lead to failure. However, I will try new things in new experiences like food, trips and other life moments.

Focusing on grades or focusing on learning:
I think these two go hand in hand because for certain classes you have to learn the material, but its mainly for a good grade. Usually, if I am focused on learning its not in a school environment or for a school project. I will see something interesting and then google research it further to learn more about it.

Expecting things to stay the same or being ready for things to change:
In my career choice I know that no two days are going to be the same; I have been told this by PR/Advertising professionals in the field. A constant change is, honestly, not healthy and stresses people out. But for this assignment I understand that yes I am ready for change, but I am also okay with having things stay constant.

Taking a short-term view or taking a long-term view:
Some people cannot look/plan long-term because it stresses them out or is not something they can do while the opposite is the same and they cannot stop thinking about the long-term because it will stress them out if they only focus on the short-term. There are days when I am able to plan long-term, but my short-term may have to change to accommodate my long-term plans. For some classes, you can do short-term planning, but their are other classes that require you to plan long-term or you will fail.

Letting others make choices for you or setting your own goals:
I set my own goals, and when I am working in a group environment I may have to adjust those goals because my professor believes I cannot push my high project expectations onto my group when my teams' expectations are lower. So I have to be adaptable even when I don't want to be.

Thinking you are "not good" at something or being confident you can improve:
I think everyone has moments where they do not think they are good enough for a position or whatnot but this is because other people have taught us if you can't get it write the first time then you will not be able to improve. I am in gaylord and they tell us all the time you cannot learn to write well, it is gift. I find this mindset hard because while I have had good writing feedback from professors I also have bad grades for other times. I also think this is an over all confident mindset that overlaps with other types of confidents, so this is dependent on the person's past experience with authority figures in their lives.

Choosing something easy or choosing what's hard:
I think this depends on the situation. If I am having a difficult week, I will automatically look for a somewhat easier path.

Wanting to get things right the first time or being ready to spend time practicing & Feeling defensive about mistakes or being willing to learn from mistakes & Sticking to what you know or asking lots of questions:
These topics run together for me. I am in a career path where I have been told many times that if you make a mistake then you will most likely be fired. So I think this mindset is not in my career field because of many things, mainly because they do not believe in making mistakes or accidents. Making mistakes in my future job terrifies me because of pride and I do not want to be at a place for three months only to be fired because of making a small mistake. This is highly stressful for me, so despite loving PR, I know that agency work is not for me and I should focus on non-profit or corporate work.

Doing things last minute or setting your own schedule and priorities:
I work really hard to not procrastinate: to-do lists, check of lists and keeping an agenda for big and small events. This also depends on the situation as well. If I get off track with my list, I will stress out and procrastinate.

Generally feeling bored or generally feeling curious:
School work usually is boring and I have to motivate myself to work, but there are other moments where I am learning something that is interesting that sparks my curiosity.

Wanting only positive feedback or being open to any and all feedback:
This is a bit mixed because I want positive feedback, but I also want constructive criticism as well because I won't be able to improve if people only give me positive feedback.




Week 8 Reflections

1. Reading
I think I have been making good choices for the reading so far; I have picked topics that interest me, but there have been a few stories that frustrate me. However, this frustration is also a tool I can use to motivate myself to write the stories differently. My favorite reading was the Japanese Mythologies. They were not realistic in characters, but the lessons they taught were interesting and, in the end, karma/justice always won. I usually read on Tuesday's in the morning for the Monday grace period and then the Tuesday readings.

I usually pick out themes from the stories I chose and then base my story on those themes I see in the readings. My reading notes usually help me identify what those themes are and I can usually transition into writing a story.

Week 9 to 10
- Pacific Northwest: Pacific Northwest stories with a focus on the tribes of Oregon and Washington
- Inuit (Eskimo):Tales of shamans, ghosts, and other supernatural beings.
 OR Marriage Tales: Tales of animals brides, animals husbands, and a Zuni Cinderella legend.

Week 11 to 12
- King Arthur: Stories of Arthur along wit tales of his knights and their quest for the Holy Grail.
- Celtic Tales: Fairies, leprechauns, ghosts and goblins, along with a Celtic version of "Snow White."

Week 13 to 14
- Russian: Russian tales of princess, heroes, witches, warlocks, ghosts, vampires and more.
- Heptameron: Renaissance love and gossip as told by Margaret, the Queen of Navarre.

2. Writing
The stories I have written are: Mother Earth, Sunflower, Wolves, Patience and False. From least proud to greatest proud: Wolves, False, Patience, Mother Earth and Sunflower. I have written short stories before this class, and I know I focus less on dialogue and more on the descriptions/third person point of view because I think it provides a lot of opportunity for me as a writer. If I have any issues I listen to music, I can get out of my writer's block if I have music that fits the tone of what I want my story to be.

I want to try to write first person, but it is really difficult for me because I believe if a character is in first person its harder to relate to the character. Because when the story starts with "I had to get away." or "I made a specific decision" and it goes against what I would have done as a reader - it destroys the illusion that I am in the story.

I want to find a way where I can keep the illusion with first person, so that is my goal for a writing piece.

3. Connecting
I admire people who can creatively get me invested in the story, or a person who has good storytelling skills. Personally, I have only found two people who have done that; to does this I think the writer needs to make the story realistic in setting and dialogue and does not simple retell the story they read. I have not openly criticized them in the comments, because despite some not-so-decent storytelling they are trying (hopefully) and that is the credit I will give them. I am not saying I am better at writing or storytelling because I have my own issues in my writing.


(Writer's Block Soap from WebSource)