Course Code and Name: MSJ11211 Mass Communication
Project Name: A mask-making project on the ‘Cycle of Anger during Heat of the Moment’
Project Date: Spring 2021
Project Description:This course is a part of Curriculum Integration (CI). A large part of the course consisted of mask-making activities based on the CI theme. The CI theme for Spring 2021 was Non-Violent Communication. Nonviolent Communication encourages equity, increases awareness of the relationship between feelings and needs, and fosters compassion. Nonviolent communication proposes that contributing to our own and others’ well-being is a fundamental human need. So, we had to create a mask and present it in a frame with elements that convey the essence of non-violent communication. As a person, I have had issues with managing my heat-of-the-moment behaviour and that damaged my relationships and outcomes severely at some stages in life. More importantly, I used to guilty after a while I reacted against anyone. So, I thought of working on two states of humanity revolving around actions taken in heated moments.
Project Justification:The message here I wanted to convey was that any violent form of communication doesn’t help any human being in any way, rather It affects negatively in several ways; so, staying calm or faking calmness might put the situation in order with time.
In our daily lives, we interact with a variety of people in various situations: family, friends, neighbours, and even strangers. Everything does not go as we want it to go among all the other people around us. Maybe something has been done to you that you didn’t like. Perhaps horrible things happened on their own. How do we, as humans, respond when something or someone upsets us? The presence of an overreactor is apparent, we become very expressive during the angriness. Regardless of our relationships with the other people on the other side, we start yelling, screaming, cursing, using sarcasm, bemoaning, complaining, or chattering nonstop to them. It can even become physical at times.
Now the question is, does this reaction help us? How do we feel afterwards? Firstly, the relationship suffers and more importantly, every one of us feels guilty about our reaction; we think we could’ve dealt it another way, but the damage was done. Our self-esteem gets lower, we feel undermined, and we become alone; in a nutshell, we fight ourselves deep inside. Sometimes, some other people will attempt to take advantage of it.
So, that’s an all-out loss for any human being. So, to escape this feeling of guilt and low self-esteem, Staying Calm when things don’t go our way, or at least faking the calmness might keep everything sorted smoothly and keep the mental health and relationships in order.
Learnings and Outcomes (Self-reflection):
- Understood the power of artistic expression in conveying complex messages.
- Gained confidence in translating ideas into tangible artistic creations.
- Realized the importance of controlling emotions in challenging situations.
- Learned to acknowledge personal strengths and areas for improvement in artistry.
- Learned the process of mask-making.
- Understood the significance of nonviolent communication in preserving relationships.
- Realized the transformative potential of self-reflection through creative projects.
- Learned to appreciate collaboration and the potential for teamwork in artistic endeavours.
- Recognized the impact of mentorship and guidance on project success.