In Class Revision Tips

Chuck Close

This artist uses Polaroids of his subjects to create a surreal and incredible effect with the finished piece of artwork. His first step is to put a grid on the large Polaroid picture. He then individually paints each box on the actual canvas a different color. From there he makes the colors more relatable to the human being but he does so within each box. The way that he is constantly changing the small pieces of the painting is inspiring for writing as well. In my own writing, each sentence can be taken apart and made more colorful and interesting to make the entirety of the piece my own work of art.

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco is a hip-hop artist who writes his own lyrics. He usually will write the lyrics as he is listening to the music, so he can "communicate with the music first." He will listen, write a little, record what he just wrote, take a break, and start the process over again. He acknowledges that creativity comes in "weird places and in weird ways." To apply this to my writing, I could try out different locations when I'm writing to see where I feel the most creative. I can also take advice from Lupe by taking breaks when I'm writing and not attempting to write my entire piece in one setting. I have to think a little, write some, take a break, read over my previous writing, think some more, and the process will start again.

J Mays

J Mays is the chief designer for the new Vertrek car for Ford. He identifies which qualities he wants to translate to the car and uses different types of inspiration that embody these qualities. The next step is to make a technical drawing to make sure that everything that needs to fit inside can fit. A pencil sketch is then drawn to have a general idea of the look of the car. After more sketches, eventually a model is made to have a real life 3-d idea of the car. I can apply this to my writing by not relying on technology for all my sources or by handwriting my outline or some brainstormed ideas first.