Artist’s Statement
Probably the most difficult portion of the Fireside Chat was
not the “chat” itself, but the process of determining what in the world I
wanted to talk about, and how I was going to talk about it. A big part of me
wanted to make something super cool and dramatic to stick out, or to be really
funny so I could the validation of other people laughing at me. Once I stopped
trying to work around the expectations and possible reactions of others, it
came much more quickly to me.
Since family is a pretty big deal for a lot of people and
definitely me, I figured it was a good thing to present and discuss. There were
several videos I was trying to decide between, but I settled on the one we
watched, the Christmas Secret Santa video. It had a good mix of the humor and
weirdness of my family (most of them anyway), and was short enough for me to
work with. That may or may not have been the best choice, but I think that it
was adequate and fulfilled its purpose.
As I mentioned when giving my presentation, I am pretty
nervous about other people seeing the zoo that is my family’s interactions. It
was pretty difficult for me to sit there and let people watch the video. My
palms were pretty sweaty and I kept tapping my foot – surefire signs of extreme
nervousness for me. Hearing the laughter of others as they enjoyed the unique
elements of my family was very reassuring and helped alleviate some of the
tension that I felt. I think that my problem was worrying too much over a small
thing. Sure, the video may have been weird and different than other families’
Christmas traditions, but I felt that the class empathized and enjoyed seeing
another perspective on the Holiday festivities.
Once I was done with the presentation and went back to my
seat, the relief continued as people said they enjoyed the video and thought it
was funny. A couple of people quoted my Dad saying “put it on the iTune!” The
next day even, Shelly told me that the video almost made her cry, likely from a
combination of the ridiculous events and the nostalgia of looking at a family
together. And that is the thing I enjoy the most – many of us in our
demographics can identify with the occasion of being with a family and having a
special, memorable time, no matter the Holiday or event. More so than the idea
of Secret Santa gifts or “being home for Christmas” I feel that the video and
my presentation were effective at stirring those feelings of love and nostalgia
from people of different backgrounds than me, which I am grateful for. I know that I'm grateful for all of the things I felt and experienced during the evening.
