Reflection on Better Lives (week one): Lecture series
My first initial thoughts upon approaching the Better Lives unit was cloudy to say the least, I felt very lost with the structure and what I was approaching in this new project. When discussing it with my peers and my course leader I felt as if I had a better idea and was ready to throw myself into this new venture but there was still a feeling of uncertainty which was exciting but also intimidating.
With the layout of the lectures being accessible online as well as the option to attend physically I felt the pressure was lifted, especially as the lectures were dotted around different LCF campuses, I got a little confused. I attended all of the lectures online in my own time which I found calming as I feel I could really grasp the ideas of the lectures, being able to flick through the slides and listen to the speaker simultaneously, clarifying my learning and what I was taking in. I also liked the function of being able to pause the lecture because I often feel like I miss important points and then get panicked, so by having that function I felt more relaxed and could ease myself into this project more.
I attended the recommended six lectures which were; Inclusion, Diversity, Collaboration, Religion and Belief in Creative Arts, Sustainability and Power and Empathy in the industry. For the topics on collaboration, diversity and inclusion I found myself zoning out. Granted, this could be because I have covered these topics frequently, with my previous explorations in the ‘intro to’ assignment in the first term and my critical words assessment (within my BA fashion media course). I did feel as though they were helpful as there were some points which I hadn’t picked up from studying these topics prior, however next time I think I will make more of a conscious decision to choose lectures in which I haven’t previously thought about deeply or haven’t touched upon in my study as within the first week I felt uninspired in a way. On the contrary, starting the second week of lectures, I really enjoyed the lectures which focused on empathy and power. It was interesting to dive into these topics which I have never really thought about connecting fully to the fashion industry and my practise. I especially enjoyed the aspects in the power lecture that explored the different influences of power on the fashion industry and the contributing factors such as the power of protest and the power of money.
Leading into my first week of my specialised Better Lives topic of styling, I feel more confident in what I will be working towards in the next six weeks. Reflecting on the first two weeks of this unit, although for me it has started slow, I believe that specialising will give me a better focus to but my energy into and I am excited to start this journey.