My Instructables project came from: http://www.instructables.com/id/Illuminated-Tunnel-Book/. The instructions given by the author were actually pretty good. I think that it was a little bit more difficult to figure out the correct logistics for spacing and size of the pictures than was laid out in the template. The first step was to pick a theme, and I think that that was difficult for me, since I don’t have a very artistic mind. I wasn’t sure what I wanted pictured or what it meant to me. I ended up finding a picture that I liked after a while of scrolling. It was later brought to my attention that the picture was very much inspired by a particular scene in The Little Mermaid.
Also, by print and cut, I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. I think that the pictures that were included were helpful, into advising me on how to cut out my silhouettes. The author did mention you didn’t want large un-cut areas, but I wasn’t sure how much that meant. I also didn’t know how to make the silhouettes thin without being flimsy. If I were to add anything to the instruction it would be more insight on how much you want to cut out of the frame so that the light will still shine through. I think that another thing would be to show the measurements made to make the outer rings of each page. If you look at it very closely, the outer ring of the silhouette gets smaller as the layers go back, but I didn’t notice that until after I had completed my project. It does mention it in the instructions, but I wasn’t sure by how much I should make the next one smaller and how to make it less noticeable.
Another thing that I would have added to the instructions is the fact that having larger folds for the sides (bindings) would be preferable and making layers wouldn’t necessarily add to the picture. I decided to make mine super close together and it caused the whole thing to be very slanted and curved. It also doesn’t let as much light through. The project’s instructions were very well done, but the things that I strayed on were definitely things that shouldn’t have been varied in this particular case. It caused the project to have a completely different effect, which wasn’t necessarily positive or what I was looking to create. The colored paper that I used instead of white paper didn’t necessarily help the image either.
The final product, in and of itself is aesthetic. It is colorful. It is pretty. But that’s the aesthetics that Simondon was talking about. What did it feel like? Working on the project had different techno-aesthetics involved. Working with the two-toned paper had a different feeling than the simple white paper. I was trying to look for thicker cardstock, but the double-sided paper (different colors on each side) ended up just being two different colored papers being stuck together as I could see when I would cut through the paper and see the other colored paper still un-cut. I would have to do double the cuts to make the shapes that I wanted. What did it look like? There was tracing, cutting, folding, and gluing involved in the creation of this project, and none of it was really foreign. Most of these tasks are pretty regular for me (maybe except working with the double-sided paper and an X-ACTO knife). I don’t know if there are deeper aesthetics than those mentioned and then just the appearance of the final product. There wasn’t really a political statement made by my project, and that is where it lacks aesthetically, but it also lacks a purpose or message for the audience.
I think what values this project embodies are really the impact of making things with your own hands. There were a lot of steps that were geared towards making this final project “your own” or personalized, and I think that that was the main value that came through. Make what you want and make everything you make your own. Creating anything, no matter how simple or every day or “arts and craft-y” is still creating. It is important in so many ways. It forces you to think. It forces you to gain experiences. It forces thought, planning, and the use of hands. Making to me, feels very manual. It takes me away from the everyday grind of life in the digital technology age and moves it back to a time when my mind was open and I could just make. No matter how ugly, wrong, unsuccessful, or weird. There was no judgment or fear of failure. I can just make to make something, to build with my hands, and have something that means something (maybe to only me) but it has meaning.
Toscano talks a little bit about this and mentions how we might be enslaved by computers (and that they might also be enslaved by us). My Instructables assignment might not have been the perfect example for a meaningful project since I found the instructions online and it wasn’t as personal as it could be (it wasn’t my own creation), but it is a good example of how we might be enslaved by our technologies. I had to use online instructions to create this project, I had to look for pictures and inspiration online, and then I even looked where to buy supplies for the project online.
However, I did create my project and there were choices that were left mine. I bought the supplies and what I bought was a choice. The theme, layers, colors, etc. were all my choice. So that was the personal effect that it had for me, but if I had something to improve about the project, but more specifically how I executed the project, it would be thinking through the personal details more. I would also take what I know now from my technical mistakes and plan accordingly. I think the personal investment in the project is crucial to its success and meaningfulness. I think that it all really ties into the value and political statements being made. According to Ratto, this reflection on our work, past projects, successes and failures is what is really important. Recording the journey and making sure that we know our mistakes, know our successes, and understand what can be improved or changed for next time.
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