Composition Multimedia Project - Anita

 by Anita

For my Multimedia Project, I decided to try something new and do a drawing. I decided to draw a girl who represents me and to showcase her puzzle pieces. I wanted to get my friends involved, so I had each of them tell me one thing that they thought represented me and my story and used that information to fill in the puzzle pieces. My inspiration came from Chimamanda Adichie’s TedTalk, “The Danger of a Single Story.” For the drawing, I used colored pencils so that I could make changes if I needed to. I made a few aesthetic changes as I continued because it represented the uncertainty and change that I dealt with throughout the project. I did not want to use paint as I believed that would be more permanent and would hinder the ability to make any changes. I wanted to show an underlying connection that even we can change because our stories and experiences are always molding us.

I created a PowerPoint to easily display the progress of my drawing as each person filled in one of the puzzles. All the experiences we’ve had and all the cards that we’ve been dealt throughout our lives are what make us whole. As Adichie mentions, “When we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise” (18:15). Each story plays a part; therefore, a single story is dangerous because it hinders us from seeing the bigger picture. Metaphorically, this is supposed to represent how complex every individual is and that every puzzle piece is a part of their story.

The critical connection between my project and the course reading is the metaphorical connection that we are adaptable and complex. As people, we can’t be put into a "one-size fits all" and that can be said for our writing styles. There are many things that Lunsford says to include in our writing that connect to what Adichie mentions about the dangers of a single story. For example, when considering a story, we must consider its complexity and that it has multiple faces. Lunsford says, "Be open & flexible. Look at all sides of an issue. Consider fairly ideas that at first seem strange, foreign, or incorrect" (36). This ties into Adichie being judged without others getting to know her many stories and backgrounds. By remembering that we all have puzzle pieces, we can do our best to remember that there are more stories to a person than can be seen on the surface. In academics, this relates to remembering that their stance is just as important as ours, even if we don't agree with it because everyone and every issue has a level of complexity.

Lunsford also mentions the use of our own style. We are who we are, and our writing varies from person to person. She says, "style is all about making appropriate choices, choices that inevitably depend on your topic and all the elements of your rhetorical situation, especially your stance, your purpose, your genre, and your audience" (680). All of these are the puzzle pieces to always consider and never leave out when writing academically. Metaphorically, this relates to my project because it shows that everyone has puzzle pieces that add to the whole story; singularly, each part is important to include, just as each of these is important to consider in our academics.