For my advocacy project, I want to think a lot smaller than normal.  I learned a lot about stress when researching for my Issue Brief, and maybe want to continue down that route.  I would maybe want to talk about simple, daily tasks students can do to ease their life stress, such as yoga, journaling, etc (I’ll have to research a bit more).  That’s about all I got here.

To begin about art or advocacy, I would just like to say I am actually a 4-year photography student, and while I don’t pursue it in any formal way post-high school, it is a favorite hobbies of mine I am actually well versed in.  In response to the Photography Essay “Photographer as a Witness: A Portrait of Abuse,” I believe that it isn’t art or advocacy, rather they can be one in the same.  Especially in the case of photography, images can be taken with a vast purpose for art (through editing and stylistic nature) or just depiction through the eyes of the photographer (while yes, screened heavily through the perspective/bias of the artist –– image if a photographer somehow viewed this event from the perspective of the abuser).  In this case, the photographer had permission to follow and document the couple, and was in a genuine place of threat where her intervention could bring her harm.  She could do nothing other than document.  Her publication of these images was also under permission, so I believe this is an art piece and an advocacy piece.

Side note: I laughed when I saw the second option of photography to look at –– Eva O’Leary and I are actually friends.  We shared a photography teacher in high school (who I learned under for three years) and got in touch through her.  I modeled for Eva a good bit and learned quite a lot from her.  I actually ended up in one of her museum exhibits somewhere in Europe.  Eva is a super amazing, artistic, whimsical, and an inspirational person, shout out to her :).