1. Looking back at the “bones of summer” how have you engaged or created art? If you haven’t engaged or created art, please describe why.

Last Summer, I engaged art by taking a Music History course and playing the piano. I created art by composing music.

Learning about music history; the composers and musical ideas of the past can be considered engagement with art. I also learned parts of piano pieces that I was interested in. I used a musical notation software called Musescore to compose some fairly basic pieces. Despite their simplicity, they were really fun to make!

 

2. What things, if any, surround you that you consider powerful?

I consider the technology that surrounds me to be powerful because it allows me to connect with others and those I care deeply about. My set of juggling balls is simple, yet very fun to use. Juggling provides me physical activity, improves my coordination and gives me breaks from work. I also have a gi, apparel for Jiu Jitsu, that reminds me of the really cool and exciting martial art that I’m learning!

 

3. Over the next couple of days, take note of the dominant sounds in areas that you consistently walk. What are the sounds you notice most of all? Be specific.

The area I most often walk around is the UVic campus. The sounds of buses and cars are prominently heard. Sometimes I hear the faint chatter of conversation around me. If it’s windy at all, or if I’m running, air will rush past my ears. It may be obvious, but I hear my own breathing and footsteps constantly as well as the brushing of my clothes and the jingling of my bag’s zippers and the keys in my pocketses. The rustling of the trees is also commonly heard, depending on how active the weather is. Just outside the library, the sound of the fountains stand out, especially given its dry surroundings.

 

4. How do you relate to the phrase “free time only works if you steal it?”

I thought of a few interpretations for this phrase. The first is that, as much as you might feel that your work is urgent and that all of your time must be spent getting it done, you should forcibly take time away from that effort to give yourself free time to relax and pursue things that enrich your life.

The second (somewhat related to the previous interpretation) is that you need to have to steal free time away from work for free time to be truly enjoyable. If free time is simply granted, it won’t be as satisfying. In other words, you need work to make free time feel special.

The third is that free time feels like work if you don’t do things you actually like to do (if time spent doing what you find worthwhile is stolen by doing things that are unimportant and wasteful).

I have a feeling that there’s more I could understand about this phrase. Please let me know how you understand it!

 

5. Do you have any other takeaways from the film?

I was impressed by his maturity, artistic skill, experience with war and depth of thought and imagination. It showed me how much richer life can be with an open mind.