Miriam Carroll: My first week at Limerick College of Art and Design

Hello everyone,

My name is Miriam Carroll and welcome to my blog! I have just started in Limerick College of Art and Design and I am coming to the end of my first week. I have to admit the first day I was sitting there I felt like leaving, they threw so much information at us, I did not know what to do. Questions started coming into my head like maybe I cant do this? But I took a deep breath and put myself in the shoes of my lecturers, time is not on there side as they have to talk to other years as well. I felt a little bit easier the second day, we went through the brief and some lecturers showed us work of famous artists. This got the ball rolling for me, all of a sudden I had ideas coming from me at all angles. The third day we had more talks from the lecturers which had some really inspirational words to share with us, I found myself really relaxed and calm about the topic that was chosen for our brief. Inspirational words were shared by Lecturer Des MacMahon '' Just think of a shitty idea and make work on it '' this made me laugh, feel more at ease and comfortable that I can attack this brief with motivation, originality and passion. Another term introduced to us was '' the butterfly approach '' by lecturer Kieran Whitelaw (I think that is his name, he may have a beard now). He suggested to us that the butterfly approach was the easy option, a butterfly gets bored takes off and goes in the other direction. It actually never makes any progress and ends up at the beginning, so be brave and go into the darkness and find away for yourself. I find the words of these lecturers very inspirational and I feel they know what they are talking about and enjoy listening to them. I have met some lovely people the first week and have felt a warm, friendly and helpful atmosphere in the college. I am happy with my studio space, I have a big window which is perfect for natural light and half a wall :D. The brief title '' to sense my space '' is a brilliant title for the brief, and I feel it is something I can relate to very much so. I have tonnes of ideas my mind is like a running tap, it never stops! I fear the day I get a block and cant think of anything. It allows us to widen are research enormously, its GREAT !!!!!!!!!!! The video clip '' the power of ten '' opened up my mind more, I was thinking on the same level but it was good to watch to get more ideas. What an amazing insight into the world, to us as people and to have that understanding of it all. At the moment I am sensing that I am happy, warm and comfortable with my space. I feel Limerick College of Art and Design might just be the place for me. :D