Personal Archive

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Image by Kari Shea from Pixabay

What are we doing?

You will journal about a fictional walk inspired by the items that you collect and keep within your own space.

Why are we doing it?

These are exercises in brainstorming and creativity. These proposed walking exercises (A Walk I Will Not Make), are thought-experiments we execute mentally/intellectually (we sketch or write/journal about them), but we do not execute them in real life due to some sort of restriction or other reason – perhaps geographical, ethical, monetary, length, scale, people involved, etc. Students are encouraged to think outside the limits one normally imposes on oneself (cost, time-period, scale, materials used, contexts involved, subject matter, gravity, etc.).

How are we doing it?

Take a look around your room; what items do you see? This walk is based on the items you collect and keep within your own space. These items can be artwork, photographs, plants, clothing, etc. Where did these items come from? What memories surround them? How do these items connect? Take time to write about a walk based on the important items you collect. This walk can defy time and location. Journal about your results!

In this instance, it is a walk you will not make. It is more of a walk you have already made, in a way. For this walk you will be treating it as an exercise in evaluating your own personal archive by visualizing points linked to moments in your life and connecting them together into a path.