This was such a great experience for me these past three weeks, I really don't even know where to begin. One of the best things I learned about stories, especially other's digital stories, is that sometimes a great message is obscured by unprofessional editing or sound. At the beginning of this class I would not give these stories the time of day, but after seeing some really great stories that on their surface aren't the best, I've learned to look beyond the superficial elements, and really listen to the story I'm being told. Sometimes some of the best messages are missed if we don't stop to appreciate the "less-than-perfect" stories out there.
When it comes to myself, I learned that some methods I've dismissed over the years are actually really helpful in the creative process; specifically the storyboarding process and the circle/group discussions. I've always sort of blown off the idea of both of these, usually thinking that "I edit better when I go with the flow" and that circle discussions were too "touchy feely" for me. And maybe it was just how awesome this group was, but I got so much out of bouncing ideas off of everyone, I fed off of everyone's passion for their own stories and their passion for wanting to make everyone else's stories the best they could be.
I also feel more trust in telling my own stories, not just to this group but to any audience because I feel more confident in my own voice, in my own ability to convey the emotions and ideas that I want the audience to understand.
I learned so much from my peers in this class, maybe one of the biggest things that was reinforced to me, or that I was reminded of, is that everyone has their own backstory that they don't just wear on their sleeve. I never would have guessed so many of the things I learned about my peers in this class if I didn't give them the opportunity to sit down and talk and share their stories, and most certainly if I didn't stop and listen to them. It's not that we don't all know that we have backstories that affect who we are today, but sometimes I think we forget and just assume we know a person based on the things they display, and don't stop to know who the person is.
I guess that transitions into my last point, which is that I'm taking 8 new friends away from the journey in this class. Whether I knew you or not before the course started, I felt like I got a lot closer to everyone, and was able to better understand who everyone was in this class. And I thank each and every one of you for being welcoming of me, I truly enjoyed everyone's company both inside and outside of the classroom. I hope I'm not the only one that feels genuine friendship with everyone in this class. It's been a great ride everyone! I'll miss having class with you all every morning.
Alex
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