what happens next ?
The thesis show is set up, the book printed, the video ready and the website live, what happens next ? That is the question everyone keeps asking me.
When I started this project I envisioned it only as a book, that tells the story of my journey while traveling to rural India. Over time, this project has grown. Since I could only print 5 books, I made a book trailer and a website to target a bigger audience. Now this project has become much more than a thesis, it is a live as an entity of its own. I do want to continue this venture but I myself dont know how. Presently TeachHer plays a middle mans role, it spreads awareness and conveys good sentiments back to the girls. Where it goes next, I dont know. It is something I need to figure out.
The goal is to educate young girls in rural India, the question is, how am I going to do it ?
Final Thesis Statement (really!)
TeachHer is a documentation of my experience researching the education of young girls in rural India. It is a compilation of photographs, personal anecdotes and collected artifacts into a book, video and website. While India is rapidly growing, there is a large population that is still uneducated and unable to take advantage of India’s booming economy. By educating young girls in rural India, TeachHer aims at changing that system, because in India when you educate a girl, you educate two families, and the next generation.
Some of the sights I saw when I visited rural India
Post - Midterm reflections
- how well have you been reflecting on and documenting your process?
Reflecting a lot, cause I think about my project all the time, it always seems to be at the back of my head somewhere. And I talk about it endlessly, to other people, and explain my project and how it has evolved. Documenting, not as much because at this point I feel there isnt so much to document considering that we are in the production phase of our project. I think I did more documentation last semester unfortunately.
- describe some insights you’ve made about how you work and the creative process?
When I am excited about my project I work harder, but I am very scared to try new things, it freaks me out. I am really scared of failing at what I do. But I also do realize that I cant really move forward if I dont try new things. I like hearing what people have to say, obviously hearing appreciation is better than hearing criticism. But even so I like getting feedback. I work fast, but that only happens once I have started working, I need to get fast at starting to work.
- on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best it possibly could be), please rate:
* How well you are managing your time- 4
* How organized you are- 6
* How self-motivated you are- 8
* How well disciplined your work on your thesis is- 6
* How hard you have been working- 5
* How much you have challenged yourself and your thesis work itself- 8
- what are the challenges ahead of you?
on a macro level getting this done. On a micro level, I am really scared to make a website, I feel like I have forgotten how to write code. Printing my book, I know I can do it, its just a matter of finding out the best person/way to do it.
- what’s your immediate plan for moving your project forward? and how you plan to move forward?
immediate plan is to keep working, get the book figured out and start on the video/website. Motivation to do these 2 is a little less cause I am scared of doing them, but I have to do what I have to do. Need to get moving with this stuff.
- what are your contingency plans if critical elements don’t work out for you?
I am not worried that critical elements wont work because my elements are not that complicated. I can print a regular book, in case I cant get what I want. As for the video and website, I am sure I can find someone to help me with it and make it work. And since the latter 2 dont require much physical production, I am not as worried.
- How well have you made crucial decisions on your project? have they been arbitrary? Based on research? based upon Feedback?
I think most of the decicions i have made are mainly choices that are based on personal preference. I like getting feedback, and hearing what people have to say, but often, if I have made a choice I tend to stick by it.
- Has the inability to make decisions and clearly define your project prevented you from moving forward?
I felt like this was the situation a while ago, around last semester, now not so much.
- How much outside advice and feedback have you solicited? How many mentors/advisors have you utilized?
My main mentor is Urvashi from Iimpact, she has read my manuscript and given me feedback. I also am in touch with steven Kenedy who is helping me with the printing process. I hope to also be able to talk to Juliette Cezzar.
- How open have you been to critical feedback? has your work evolved and become stronger because of feedback?
Yes, feedback is always helpful. Though at this point there isnt so much to show, and therefore not so much feedback to get. When I brought my book most of students just looked at it and appreciated it more than cirtiqued it.
- In what ways is your project different from your initial ideas?
My project isnt so different as much as it is a metamorphosis. I has evolved. I first thought it would be a book about the problems faced by girls, and the lack of education, now its more about the existence of it and how it needs to be supported.
- What do you believe your craft to be?
My craft is anything I create.I love being able to hold what I have created. So maybe my craft lies in books, layouts, packaging and small 3d things that can be easily made, nothing to complex. I also love hand drawn type, and typography is general. and photography is the latest addition.
- How much are you collaborating in what ways how has that benefitted your project?
Most of my collaboration is already done, and my project wouldn’t have been possible without it. Collaborating with Iimpact, Urvashi, the girls and their parents made the content for my project. Now the little collaboration that I need to do is more about producing my book.
- In what ways has your project changed with the collaboration?
Well collaborating with the girls redefined my project. It disproved many of my preconceived notions about education for girls in rural India. and changed the motive of my project from “fighting for change” to “supporting the change”
- How is collaborating challenging to you?
Collaborating wasnt really hard, though the main drawback with this collaboration is that I cant really go back and get more data.
- How many failures you had in proto-typing and what have you learned from them?
Not so many, cause of most of my prototyping has happened in this semester. I didnt really have much to prototype last semester since I gathered most of data over winter break. And now that I have made a prototype of my book, I have gotten a positive response.
- How much are you freaking out? Why?
Quite a bit, cause i dont think I have enough time, and I am scared I wont be able to finish what I want to. Or that I just wont be able to make the video or the website as I want to, cause they are both in some sense, “unexplored territory”
- Knowing where you’re at now, what could you have done differently and what would you have changed in the process of developing your work?
Work faster, and more. Its hard for me to be self motivated sometimes and I wish I was more. Also, I wish I was a little more tech-savvy in the communication design field. I wish i didnt run away so much from it.
- what reactions do you have to the process this thesis section is using?
I wish we had more concrete deadlines and more definite things due on those deadlines. But I love the mix up of individual meetings and regular class, being able to talk about my project one-on-one, and then show progress is good. It works for me.
- if you were to give yourself a grade so far this semester, what would it be?
B+/A-
- imagine your “hardest, most difficult” teacher to date… what grade would they be giving you?
B-
- are you satisfied with how your thesis is progressing and the direction of your project?
yes ! very satisfied with the direction, I wish the progress was quicker. But I like what I am creating, and knowing that my thesis is about a bigger social issue.
- what things could you be doing differently to get a higher quality of work out of yourself?
work more, waste less time. go back to India for more data. Not be scared and actually jump in earlier and get my hands dirty.
- what things about the class could be improved or would you like to see changed to make it more helpful to you?
more strict deadlines.
- overall, please provide any feedback or comments you have about the course and your experience in it?
I really enjoyed this whole thesis process. I hope I continue to enjoy it. I think we there are so many cool projects that have come out of it.
