Famous Last Words: Week 15

After it has all been said and done, I really enjoyed this class. I got to read so many stories, both original folk tales and second hand stories, that I would have never come across had I had never taken this course. I also found that I really enjoy creative writing. Having the opportunity to let my imagination run wild and create stories how I thought they should be is something I have not really gotten a chance to do in other classes, or in any setting. And the coolest part about creating your own stories is seeing that other people actually read them and enjoy them. I liked getting feedback and learning from other students' writing styles and techniques in order to better my own. My only regret is that I didn't buckle down like I should have early in the semester. I have caused myself unnecessary stress by putting off work until the end of the semester. But despite my procrastination, I genuinely feel that I learned so much in this class about reading, writing, myths, mindset, technology, and more. Thank you Professor Gibbs for teaching me this semester.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Extra Reading Notes: Three Supernatural Stories

-Witches at the Cross
-Joe heard of old women who climb up and down crosses so he rode his horse to go see
-he made a circle with blessed chalk
-when he stepped outside the circle the witches chased him to his house
-they couldnt go any further but one threw a burning broom at him

Burning Broom. Source: Bo Bartlett

-The With and the Horseshoes
-there was a farmers wife who was a witch
-she grew restless after a holiday so she flew up a chimney
-the farmer seeing this from afar, did the same thing after her
-to hide she became a horse
-he mounted the horse and took it to the smith to put horseshoes on it
-the next day, the women had on 4 horseshoes

-The Haunted Mill
a rope dancer and some monkeys went to a haunted mill
-a man came into the mill with fish which the monkeys tried to steal
-the man slapped the monkey away
-the rope dancer had a bear which ran over to get the fish
-the man slapped it away
-the bear didnt like that and gave the man a beating and drove him out


"Three Supernatural Stories" from The Key of Gold by Josef Baudis (1922).

Wikipedia Trail: from Rübezahl to Cypress

Rübezahl - Rubezahl is a mythological mountain spirit from Silesia and the main character in my storybook. This article explains the origin of his name and provides a list of works about him. Rubezahl is a mountain spirit which I learned can also be called a "woodwose."

Woodwose - Woodwose comes from Middle English and means "wild man." All sorts of mythological traditions from around the world have some type of woodwose, but they are remarkably popular in early European myths. One woodwose I had not heard of and found interesting was Silvanus.

Silvanus - Silvanus, meaning "of the woods" in Latin, is a Roman protector spirit of the woods and fields. I found it interesting the Silvanus is most likely not a Hellenic deity but was most likely an original Roman deity given that the Etruscans had a very similar deity with roughly the same name. In art, Silvanus is recognizable because he is always seen carrying a branch from a cypress tree

Bronze statue of Silvanus.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Mediterranean Cypress - Cupressus sempervirens, more commonly known as cypress, is a tree found throughout the eastern half of the Mediterranean. The species name, sempervirens, is Latin for "always green."

Learning Challenge: Sleep

In the video found HERE, I learned just how essential sleep is for physical and mental health. Sleep is the bodies natural mechanism to restore its energy and clear waste material from the brain. Most adults require 7-8 hours of sleep per night and most adolescents need 10. Being deprived of sleep can lead to hormonal imbalance, sickness, and even death. Someone who is severely sleep deprived may lose coordination, memory functions, and might even hallucinate; symptoms of chemical waste building up in the brain. I hate to admit it, but I deprive myself from a lot of sleep and I'm am more than aware of these symptoms. I have been so tired before that I fell asleep standing up. This video is just another reminder that I need to take better care of myself. It's simple really to just go to sleep on a regular basis, and the health benefits are well worth it.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Growth Mindset: Random Cats

Link to Source

I liked this image because it relates to the TEDEd video I just watched about creative constraints and how observe and understand those constraints so that you are able the innovate within them. I also picked it because I like to think I am a very observant person.

Link to Source

I liked this one because I agree with its message whole-heartedly. Every expert was a beginner at one time. But with persistence and the ability to learn on the fly, anyone can become proficient with just about anything. The quote also goes hand-in-hand with one of my favorite quotes: "Fake it 'til you make it."

Week 15 Lab: TEDEd Videos: Style

The power of creative constraints - Brandon Rodriguez - In this video, Brandon Rodriguez discusses how constraints fuel creativity. Constraints provide a problem that must be creatively solved in order to get the desired result. He argues that these constraints provide a problem solver with the opportunity to innovate. The way I thought of it was this: in order to push the envelope, there must be an envelope to push.

Beware of nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns) - Helen Sword - In this video, Helen Sword explains how nominalizations, or the act of making a verb, adjective, or another noun into abstract and pompous nouns. At their best, nominalizations help describe complex ideas, but at their worst, they suck the life and action out of otherwise lively sentences. She calls these nominalizations "zombie nouns," because they tend to make a sentence dull and lifeless.

A zombie. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Tech Tip: Cheezburger

Made with Cheezburger