There’s a widespread idea that “People who make things are simply different [read: better] than those who don’t.”
Debbie Chachra, “Why I Am Not a Maker,” The Atlantic, January 23, 2015
Why did this particular passage grab your attention?
This quote particularly resonated with me because for a long time I had this same mindset, which is not necessarily a valid one. While people that make things are largely celebrated for their work, often times there are other people who help them behind the scenes that are not celebrated, even though the effort that they put in is equal. Chachra’s article in the Atlantic mainly focuses on this idea in relation to the creation of something in the tech world, but I feel like it can be applied to any field or area of study.
What elements of your past experiences, current interests, or future plans did it kindle?
This passage reminded me of my experience of making art, whether it be physical or digital. The process of creating art and then being recognized on the finished result is quite a rewarding experience. For several years I stopped making art and instead helped others with their work. This subsequently made me feel less accomplished and inferior to those around me who were celebrated for their work. In a coding class I took a year ago, I felt the same way when working on a group project but only one person was credited for the majority of the work. While this phenomenon is not uncommon, I feel like it is especially prevalent in the world of digital arts and humanities. This is mainly because many of the tasks done in relation to digital humanities are done in collaboration with other people rather than being done individually.
Under the large umbrella of Digital (Arts &) Humanities, which areas of inquiry, methods or techniques are you most eager to pursue this term and why?
Generally speaking I am interested in the method of digital art production and analysis. That being said, I do not have much knowledge of the digital arts and humanities world so I am open to trying any methods and techniques as well as exploring different areas of inquiry.
