Micah Micah RISD RISD

Just wrapped up (well almost) binding a book that I started about 11 hours ago. The reason it took so long is because I made a mistake at every step of the way. Glued the wrong there here, trimmed the wrong part there, the list goes on and on. It’s funny to think that there was a time, not so long ago, where this would have caused me to freak out, throw the materials across the room and slump down in a chair with a resounding ‘fuck it.’

But now it’s different. Instead of being angry, or worse, content with my poorly fitting book cover. I re-cut the board, re-cut the cloth, re-sanded the edges of the board and re-glued the cloth a total of three times. And even though it’s not to the level that I want, I’m really happy with this new ability to keep a clear head about it. After the first cover didn’t fit, I thought to myself “I’ve got enough time, and enough materials, why not just keep doing it?”

Practice paid off and I’m getting better at solving problems. Thanks art school, you make my crazy, but you been real good to me.

As my first year at RISD comes to a close I’ve been thinking about what I’ve learned and digesting what I think is the most important lesson or skill. I know my eye has improved, and has become more critical. I’ve definitely improved in my drawing skills and the ability to render form. But as I think back to everything I’ve done I realize the most powerful thing I’ve learned in my time here is to be curious.

The curriculum here enforces curiosity. And by that I mean we are forced to look at everything differently. In order to use a visual language we are educated on the origins of that language, and are told to ask “why?” Why did Helvetica become popular? Why do roman capitals look the way they do? Why did posters in the 19th century look the way they did? How can I represent this object in its simplest form? Once we can answer these questions we can move forward in a way that utilizes the past as a method for progress, instead of recycling. The assignments I’ve been given this semester have pushed me outside of my previous role as a decorator, and into one of a story teller. It is up to me to decide what information is included, how big it is, what color it is, all of these decisions lead to telling a story. I am forced to look at things with a different perspective, both physically and intellectually.

It’s incredibly empowering to realize that everything exists as a result of someone making decisions, and that by making decisions of our own we will affect the way the world looks in the future.