Art and Technology - Mike Wheeler

A Village Romeo and Juliet Response

This short animated opera, Madama Butterfly, really took me by surprise being the very first form of opera I have ever watched. In my lifetime, I had never taken an interest in opera, yet this film immediately caught my attention. I am a digital arts major, so seeing that it was a stop motion animation drew me in right away and the music was very intense right off the bat. As the opera went on and the storyline progressed, I could feel myself becoming more and more attached to the main female character of the story. One scene that really grabbed my attention was the original sex scene between the native woman and the sailor. Being a stop motion animation, it can be a little challenging to portray such heavy emotion with the characters, but Madama Butterfly really captured the intense emotion of love and passion. After this initial scene, things took a turn for the dreadful when the reality of the woman's situation unfolded. You can really feel the love that the woman has for he...

Wow, I never would have thought about creativity in such a new light if I had never watched this interview. Raul Cuero is an extraordinary man who has faced so much diversity and prejudice in his life and instead of letting is get him down, he used it and his creative mind to become a successful microbiologist. His interview was mind opening and touched base on a few points that particularly stuck with me. First, he learned how to motivate himself with the hate from his peers. He believed that everything is possible and everyone is capable of anything as long as you give your hardest effort. You hear people discriminating against you or telling you you can't do it, try your best to let them know that you are capable and you can raise yourself to the standards that they have raised you to. In everyday life, you can't let adversaries halt you from achieving your goals and reaching your highest potential. Secondly, he preached about everyone needing a universal consciousness. ...

"BicBowl" Equilibrium - noun - a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. In a world full of chaos, we must coincide respectfully to ignite the brightest flame.