Hi Low Res students!

Can you believe our first group meeting was two weeks ago!? It’s been such a nice time getting to know you!

This email is long – to make it easier I am going to leave a to-do list at the end – but please read the whole thing! Remember, these announcements are part of class.

This week’s words of wisdom: find your inspirations, be expansive!

My advice to all of you at this stage is to stay curious, dream big, find your inspirations. 

It’s okay if you still don’t *KNOW* what the project is, if you do know what your interests and motivations are. To say it another way: you can still be in the phase of researching/learning about something you care about – even if you still can’t really imagine a singular “project” that aligns with it. 

For me, the absolute BEST way to get inspired towards something expansive is to get outside of myself. That means: get out of my home and go do things: go to a museum, do some interviews, sketches, or low-fi experiments. Go to the park and daydream. Go somewhere and read, mindmap. Do a field trip or a site visit. Give your thoughts space; give your observations attention; give each idea respect. This takes time and intention!

I also really like to do research on other creators that inspire me. What was their early work like? What were their inspirations, turning points, contexts, collaborators? What were they reading? How did they get to where they are? For art in particular, https://art21.org/ is a great resource. I know not everyone is making “art” per se – but this advice still holds: look up a creator you find interesting (even the creator of a product or business or academic theory). How might your thesis lead you somewhere like that? Podcasts are great for this too – ask me for recommendations, take a walk and listen to something!

How do YOU find inspiration? Share tips with each other if something is working for you! It would be a generous act for you to post about this on the journal, or talk about in your peer group session.

Speaking of the thesis journal… browse each other’s posts! Can you find anyone pursuing similar ideas to you? Make a meeting with them! This works best if you’re using the journal to talk about your ideas. Noting your process and what you did is great – but it’s best if some of your thoughts and ideas come through on the journal for others to see!

(Also note: some of you have asked if it’s okay to post “privately” – it totally is. That means only me and the residents will be able to see it. I understand if you’re not ready to open up to your classmates yet (though… vulnerability often takes you to amazing places, creatively!)

Bibliography is due! Proposal draft is due next week! (before class).

Your starter bibliography is due today. That doesn’t mean you’re FINISHED with it (you will absolutely continue to add throughout the entire process!), but it should be enough references to give us a clear idea of your interests. We’ll be looking at them. Please categorize the post as “Starter Bibliography” so we can find it easily. 

If you haven’t already, it’s time to ⚠️ ✨read the proposal guidelines✨⚠️. Please note: a piece of the proposal requires you to include 10 links, including at least 1 article from an academic journal, 1 prior art reference (ie, similar work), and one theoretical text (could be a book or article – something which points to a social or critical context). Consider reaching out to Margaret Smith (ITP/IMA Librarian) for help navigating the wonderful NYU library access you have!

I would recommend setting aside at least 2 hours to complete your proposal draft, and 4 hours to do the refined version for 2/26. 

Next week in class – how to prepare

Have your proposal draft to share – we’ll be looking at these together.

Be ready to talk about your thesis for 1 whole minute. This is for an activity that involves talking a bit about your thesis research/idea in front of the class. It’s totally fine to do this absolutely spontaneously – but I wanted to give you a fair warning in case you’re the kind of person who would rather prepare something.The prompt is (simply): talk about your thesis work for 1 minute. Keep talking the whole time (there is another part about listening – will explain in person). 

Now that we’ve been together a bit, take one more look at the group agreement – I made a cleaned up draft at the top. Anything you need changed, clarified? Anything that was left out that you think will enhance your ability to learn, contribute, grow, thrive? Leave a comment! We’ll start class  reading this aloud on 2/21. 

1-1s continued, peer groups continued

Please sign up for your next meeting with me! I have turned the 1-1s into 30 minute appointments, as a few of you have voiced that’s more convenient at this point. If you want to meet for 45, you can book a double, or just email me to let me know. Remember: if you don’t see a time listed that works for you, it’s your responsibility to email me about it!

You should also be RSVPing to your peer group meetings on the google calendar. Remember, you need to go to at least 6 of each of these by the end of the semester, which you can track with your personal spreadsheet. 

Coming Soon: Project Guidelines and Examples

As most of you know at this point, the thesis *project* is just a part of the thesis. That said, for some of you, getting a sense of scope on a project is helpful. For that reason, I’m preparing thesis project guidelines and examples. The thesis team decided it’s a bit early to share it (want you to keep on your bluesky thinking!) but – if it’s a comfort to you, we can give you a preview, just ask. 

TO-DO list version:

• Stay open minded, keep looking for inspiration!
• Bibliography posted (category: Starter Bibliography)
• Read the Proposal Guidelines
• Start your Proposal Draft (due before class, 2/21)
• Be ready to speak 1 minute about your thesis in class 2/21
• Review Group Agreement
• Update your Tracking Sheet
• Sign up for your next 1-1 (appointment link or email me)
• RSVP to your group meetings (google calendar)

🌈That’s it!🌈

Anything you need? Let me know! Anything you want? Let me know! Anything you’re dreaming of? Let me know! Anything you’re stuck on? Let me know! I’ll always see what I can do!

Warmly, 

Sarah