The Domiciles Project

Story

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The works below are presented as they have been submitted by the artists. We do not censor the submissions, but ask participants to be mindful that content will be viewed by people of all ages. Inappropriate material will be removed.

Instructor: Kris Forehand
Lesson Plan #: Creative Response
Personally, my favorite door would probably have to be the door that had the seeing-eye dog and the man’s leg, with the cane in front of him, and the black on the opposite side. To me, it represented that everything isn’t always what it seems from the outside. You look at a blind man, and his dog but you don’t honestly understand it. You stare, but unknowingly do you get that they can’t stare back. You understand that they can’t see anything. But you don’t know how that feels. You don’t know what it’s like to live, and not be able to see anything. No one does, unless you’re blind. Just as blind people will most likely never know what it’s like to see. You have to realize that by looking at something, you can’t judge, you can’t assume either. You may never know what anyone is going through, other than what you see on the outside. Anyone and almost everyone can relate, you may look at someone’s clothing and think, “Wow! They must live in a huge house, they’re parents must make a ton of money.” Just because of a brand name piece of clothing. But you may never know that every day they go home to a one roomed shelter. Or you may look at a piece of food and think “Eww! That’s disgusting, I will never eat that.” But only if you tried it, it could be the best piece of food you have ever had. There are so many people in the world that judge, and never take a second to understand one another. This door really got to me. It made me realize that I’m sure people look at me and assume and judge, and I don’t want that. I want people to understand me, even if they can’t relate. Just as the man would want people to understand how unfortunate his situation is to be blind. You see darkness, all the time and there’s no way around it. He didn’t want to be born that way, he didn’t choose that for himself so why sit there and judge another when they don’t always have control over what you see?
Another door that was my favorite would have been the door with the little girl hiding in the closet, and on the other side was a dreary room with no one in it. It looked as though she was alone, and fearful, and she was trapped, or just trying to get away. She could be scared of what’s outside those doors. She could be abused. Or she’s home alone, and she’s scared. When I as a little girl, there were times when my parents would argue and I just wanted to get away, and a few times I would go and just sit in my closet. It may not be the most comfortable place to be, but for some reason it made me feel safe. Yes, I was alone. But it was a lot better than being somewhere surrounded by the screams and arguments that you had nothing to deal with. Sometimes, being older I wish I could do the same thing. It was a lot easier to run away from uses when you were younger because most of the time it wasn’t your fault because of your youth. But now that you’re older and you’re supposed to know right from wrong, you have to face things and deal with them right on the spot. I looked at this door as an image from my childhood.
The last door, that was one of my favorites was the door with the Barbies on one side and the girl throwing up on the opposite. I’m currently writing a research paper on the topic of The Media Effecting the Female Image. When I saw this door, I automatically connected it to my piece. It was exactly the point I was trying to prove. Barbies are the beginning of leaving such a high standard of what girls are supposed to look like. They’re stick thin, have perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect make-up. They are a role model for many younger girls and as you get older, the media is what affects you. Magazines, movies, and TV shows all feature extremely skinny girls that are basically perfect. Almost every single girl can say that at one point they have attempted to lose weight, and they have been uncomfortable with their weight. I could most definitely relate to this door because I am a huge witness of what the media does to girls. I look at a magazine cover, and the first think I look for are tips to make you skinnier, the diet tips, the beauty tips. I watch modeling shows and then for a few days I won’t eat. It’s not healthy for any girl to starve themselves, and every girl should believe that no matter what shape or size, they are beautiful.

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