Self Portrait
Austin Burkhart
Go ahead; look closer; see the real
me
When you
look at him or see him you may not realize he grew up without knowing his real
father. You may not realize that he grew up living with his grandparents. If
you see him or hear things about him you may think he’s not smart, nice or that
he doesn’t have feelings. But if you look closer and try and get to know him
you may see the real man he is. You may see the little boy who has had to help
out his family with money ever since I was 9. You may see a young boy who
didn’t look at his mom as his real mom because she was working from 10 am to
2am the next morning. He has made mistakes and people decide to judge him off
of that and that may scare people away from him. But if you try to understand
the real story your perspective may change on the way you think of him. I chose
glasses to create the feel that you need to look harder to see who I am. I’m
smiling to show that I do have feelings but you can only see them through the
glasses. Black and white to create the feeling of loneliness.
Average people say that there personal feelings affect or determine the way we see someone or something. If someone has done something wrong that a person doesn’t believe in they often think poorly of the person. People believe that if you are born badly that you will stay bad and that if you are good you will stay good. They do not believe in the change of people over time.
In the
invisibilia podcast the speaker says that not all people who do horrible things
are horrible people. This means that if you do something wrong that you should
not be described by just the one thing you did wrong. You may be a good person
on the inside but made a mistake in your life. He also claims that people judge people on their own prior events with that situation or person.
I believe that people judge people not really by who they are but by what they have heard about them. I also believe that not everyone should be judged by there past behaviors. I think that people can change over time and that people should judge a person when they really get to know them. If you don't know them then don't judge them.
I believe that people judge people not really by who they are but by what they have heard about them. I also believe that not everyone should be judged by there past behaviors. I think that people can change over time and that people should judge a person when they really get to know them. If you don't know them then don't judge them.
I thought all your pieces tied really well together and you maintained your idea all the way through- from the photo to the one pager. I thought your authors note was really deep and it made me think twice about saying something about someone I don't know well. It probably wasn't easy to write about, so thank you for opening up and giving me new perspectives.
ReplyDeleteI think you used your image with your flash fiction pretty well. I don't know why people would think you're a bad person, you seem pretty nice and funny from my interactions with you. You do a good job describing yours and other people's opinions in your they say/I say.
ReplyDeleteThis piece made me emotional. I am so sorry for what you went through and I am happy that you have found a positive way to look at life. Great job with everything!!!
ReplyDeleteI like how your portrait as a whole sent a message to people about getting to know others before judging them, and how it got personal in the rationale really helps your portrait get that message across.
ReplyDeleteYour piece is very personal and eye opening, definitely one of my favorites yet. Your flash fiction and self-portrait compliment each other very well. Your author's note gives your piece so much depth, and really shows your personality at play. I can visualize your life and the hardships you have faced, because of your detail. Your I say is very strong, I like how you talk about how biases are formed because people overlook other's personalities. This also ties back into what you said in your artist statement about how people judge you based on your past experiences. Why did you decide to use semicolons in your flash fiction? Great job Austin!
ReplyDeleteYour flash fiction and portrait work well together. I like how you're using opportunities like this project to help show others that everyone's life isn't the way you might think it is.
ReplyDeleteAustin-
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your piece. I think it's a very personal writing and I'm glad that you found away to convey the feeling to others. Even the picture itself says enough. Your one pager is also very thought out. I really can see how your opinions are shown in it.
Keep up the good work!
~Claire
I like how you used your image to strong influence a thought to the reader before giving a truly defined backing to it. Your flash fiction and your image work together, and after reading the artists message, it really became clear why you made the choices you did in your image. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry to hear that but I am glad you shared it none the less. Good luck with the rest of your life, and if you want someone to talk to try to find me, I'll do my best.
ReplyDeleteHi Austin, thanks for sharing your story. Ms. Becker invited me to read stories, and I'm really happy to have stumbled onto yours. There are a few things I want to say in response. I am thinkning a lot about your words, and I've now read this piece a couple times. I keep circling back to the image, a visual that reflects the 'loneliness' that you describe, but (to me) is also visually hopeful in that is makes your reader/viewer "re" see who you are and who you want to be. When we see that visual, as it complements the angle of your writing, we know that we have a chance to change the way that we may come to know who you are -- and this segues to the other response that I have to your writing. I appreciate your message about the power of change. Like you, I am a person who believes in change. People change. And, we have the power to change who we are. This is a powerful message - so again, thanks for sharing what you think and feel. From the posted comments here it sounds like classmates are appreciative of your story and the way you've crafted this piece. I am, too. - Dr. Haynes-Moore (aka teacher-visitor to Becker's class)
ReplyDeleteI like the way you used your flash fiction to describe the things you have gone through in your life that not many people know about. Your rationale is to the point and doesn't explain too much. Your one pager is also good and I like the way you added your own voice to the I say that stands out.
ReplyDeleteSup dude, I agree 100% with what Lucy said, your piece is eye opening in a way i didn't know was ever possible. You proved the saying don't judge a book by its cover. You are a touch jock guy who probably gets stereotyped as all those things, but in reality there is much more then whats at the surface. I think you showed that perfectly, whether it was your image, or your flash fiction you just straight up said it how it was. You also put yourself out there which was super, super brave. You opened yourself up to tell us about your struggles and you left yourself vulnerable. Again, you really opened my eyes, thanks!
ReplyDeleteIm sorry you've had to go through all of that. Im glad you shared your story because your viewpoints on life and personality really make me think. You did a great job writing your piece and i agree with everything you said.
ReplyDelete