THE STARTING POINT
When I was originally asked to collect ten pieces of information that would reflect my ongoing coronavirus experience, I immediately began thinking about the new habit I began appropriating since the beginning of the lockdown - yoga. I noticed that the period has been challenging on an emotional level for me. I am not that frustrated by the inability to go outside and take a walk, but rather I am triggered by some insecurities within myself that seem to be highlighted now more than ever before, and it seemed that yoga did help to distract myself from that. This is why I decided to look at the quarantine as a moment to reflect upon the idea of mindfulness and the possibilities the online space provides us with when striving for inner peace.
a.Date b.Time c.Channel d.Source e.Destination f.Feeling
1.
a.24.03
b.15:45
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMWQ6a_srqU
e.Diary
f.Motivated, empowered
2.
a.27.03
b.10:20
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciEKds5a1F0
e.Diary
f.Feeling good after, reflecting on the need to move
3.
a.29.03
b.17:30
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTtJqMriqDM
e.Diary
f.Relaxed, wishing to move more
4.
a.31.03
b.18:50
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCsdPL5NlWo
e.Diary
f.Free, happy
5.
a.06.04
b.12:25
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t07i-AizF4U&t=18s
e.Diary
f.Uneasy, felling low
6.
a.08.04
b.16:30
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca-Y3UkedHQ&t=24s
e.Diary
f.Emotional going up and down
7.
a.09.04
b.15:20
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca-Y3UkedHQ&t=24s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bweuBMPB8pY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENr27Q1hKsw
e.Diary
f.Focusing on the need to move, feeling stuck at home, a sense of captivity
8.
a.14.04
b.19:10
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29noBUQoZZI
e.Diary
f.Feeling very unmotivated and down, wishing to stay in bed all day
9.
a.15.04
b.18:45
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4HBS4cT15o
e.Diary
f.Coming back to a more centered approach
10.
a.19.04
b.19:50
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb5dsG7L7lo
e.Diary
f.Focusing on mindfulness
THE SECOND DATA SET
a.Date b.Time c.Channel d.Source e.Destination f.Feeling
11.
a.21.04
b.17:05
c.Instagram
d.noharanda
e.Me
f.“Balance is not something you find. It’s something you create” -Thinking about my responsibilities as a human
12.
a.21.04
b.17:09
c.Instagram
d.strongandsxy
e.Me
f.“Don’t let the toxic mixture of fear and laziness play with your goals, ambition and productivity” -The dangers of laziness
13.
a.21.04
b.17:12
c.Instagram
d.danica.gim
e.Me
f.“Every day is a new day” -Every morning as a new beginning with new opportunities
14.
a.21.04
b.17:15
c.Instagram
d.glamour_by_suzy
e.Me
f.“Don’t use your energy to worry. Use your energy to believe, create, trust, grow and heal.” -The things we choose to invest in
15.
a.21.04
b.17:20
c.Instagram
d.spiritual.elevation
e.Me
f.“Thoughts are energy in action and create an emotional reaction. Choose your thoughts wisely, they are a conversation with the universe.”
16.
a.21.04
b.17:21
c.Instagram
d._coppermoon_
e.Me
f.“One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming.” -Progress is constant
17.
a.21.04
b.17:22
c.Instagram
d.soolooka
e.Me
f.“Sometimes we focus too much on learning how to grow, and forget to see our growth.” -Its not about being perfect but about moving forward
18.
a.21.04
b.17:24
c.Instagram
d.soolooka
e.Me
f.“Visualization is the act of wilfully forming mental images. To affect material reality using visualization, form images for your subconscious mind to use as patterns to work from.”
19.
a.21.04
b.17:27
c.Instagram
d.herwildwellness
e.Me
f.“The sun does not announce her shining. Nor does she tell us how to grow. For we simply do. In her everyday warmth.”
20.
a.21.04
b.17:33
c.Instagram
d.amycharlette
e.Me
f.“All the answers you seek are already within you. You are the universe in human form.”
a.Date b.Time c.Channel d.Source e.Destination f.Feeling
21.
a.21.04
b.16:30
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B98Gi20riog
e.Diary
f.Had a very uneasy day which was reflected within my practice.
Movements felt heavy and hard.
22.
a.22.04
b.17:15
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7Mprid5bg
e.Diary
f.Sitting on a chair all day made me want to move. Thought I was going to do cardio. Ended up with pilates. Cardio felt like too much.
23.
a.22.04
b.19:20
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j77wT96jHCI
e.Diary
f.Felt angry at the teacher in the beginning of the class. What is she doing??? Managed to calm down a bit on the other side.
24.
a.22.04
b.17:45
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz1hAjwajpE
e.Phone
f.Found Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Perfecting Liquid in a video. Realized my skin doesn’t like staying at home all the time.
25.
a.27.04
b.23:45
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bny9YViO15o
e.Me
f.Turns out there’s a lot more to emotions. Made me realize that the things going through my head may be much more universal than I originally imagined.
26.
a.28.04
b.10:30
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWUroEr0wRA
e.Me
f.Really wanted to make a crochet bag, but what started off as a therapeutic experience soon turned into a five hour trial and error.
27.
a.28.04
b.18:45
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zem0_qsDg0
e.Me
f.Staying home all day really started to reflect on my energy levels. Decided to do a cardio workout (not into that really) and felt truly rewarding afterwords.
28.
a.29.04
b.12:33
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaCV_nR1Gw0&t=1229s
e.Me
f.Stop looking at insta girls that much. Start thinking about my achievements.
29.
a.30.04
b.19:50
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozs_f4ZT9sw
e.Me
f.Felt a little nostalgic because I started thinking about the time when I used to dance. I might start dance lessons again after the quarantine is over.
30.
a.03.05
b.8:45
c.YouTube
d.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XoG13Pwrd4
e.Me
f.I have always wanted to learn to play this on the piano.
THE THIRD DATA SET - OTHER YOUTUBE RELATED DATA
a.Date b.Time c.Channel d.Source e.Destination f.Feeling
31.
a.16.04
b.16:53
c.Whatsapp
d.Friend
e.Me
f.“I’m doing the same. Self care.”
32.
a.20.04
b.20:39
c.Messenger
d.Friend
e.Me
f.“Midnight Gossip. Really trippy. And guess what, it’s a podcast.”
33.
a.21.04
b.11:08
c.Messenger
d.Friend
e.Me
f.“If you feel bad always remember I failed my whole year lol”
34.
a.21.04
b.16:58
c.Messenger
d.Best Friend
e.Me
f.Video Chat (1 hour 6 min), lets talk tomorrow
35.
a.22.04
b.17:57
c.Linkedin
d.Notification
e.Me
f.Getting out of your comfort zone can make you more creative.
36.
a.22.04
b.19:30
c.Phone
d.Minimalist Baker
e.Me
f.Looked up how to cook tempeh. The results were much prettier in the pictures than in real life.
37.
a.23.04
b.09:14
c.Phone
d.Deepak Chopra
e.Me
f.Meditating on ideas of hope and fear. Om Durgaya Namah. I am fearless
38.
a.23.04
b.22:40
c.Instagram
d.Feed
e.Me
f.Scrolling through art accounts. Came across a gallery page. Realized I miss galleries.
39.
a.24.04
b.9:00
c.Phone
d.Gallery
e.Me
f.Was supposed to fly to Vietnam today. Just looked at some pics I had downloaded before.
40
a.24.04
b.9:36
c.Snapchat
d.Memories
e.Me
f.Flashback from April 24, drinking coctails in the sun with friends. Remembered they were really good coctails.
THE FOURTH DATA SET - THE THINGS I DID ON MY PHONE
THE FIFTH DATA SET - THE EMAILS I RECEIVED
a.Date b.Time c.Channel d.Source e.Destination f.Feeling
41.
a.13.04
b.13:47
c.Email
d.Change Laserclinique
e.Me
f.We are currently working hard to inform all customers as much as possible about the current situation. Unfortunately we will be closed.
42.
a.14.04
b.15:04
c.Email
d.Wilco Lamberts
e.Me
f.The stations miss you too
43.
a.16.04
b.12:46
c.Email
d.Turkish Airlines
e.Me
f.In order for us to investigate your request, please share your flight details or your ticket number.
44.
a.19.04
b.11:09
c.Email
d.Oprah and Deepak Meditation
e.Me
f.Day 5 – When You Are Real, You Have Infinite Hope
45.
a.22.04
b.14:32
c.Email
d.Pretty Little Thing
e.Me
f.Good news! Your order has been dispatched and is on its way to you.
46.
a.22.04
b.5:54
c.Email
d.Instagram
e.Me
f.You can share #calmingcontent in your caption to help people stay positive and inspired.
47.
a.22.04
b.8:53
c.Email
d.Asos
e.Me
f.We would like to let you know that as a result of the safety procedures, fewer employees work in our distribution centers, which may lead to some delay in delivery.
48.
a.23.04
b.14:18
c.Email
d.Hogeschool Rotterdam
e.Me
f.Much earlier we had set the date of 1 June, which we will stick to.
49.
a.23.04
b.15:19
c.Email
d.DHL
e.Me
f.As soon as the delivery person is on the way, you will receive a message again.
50.
a.23.04
b.19:01
c.Email
d.Studenten Cervice Center
e.Me
f.We would like to inform you that you can arrange the re-enrolment for the academic year 2020-2021 as from May 1st 2020.
Pseudocode
1. function: create new sheet/temporary storage, name: page 1
2. function: repeat step 1, name: page 2
3. name data: sort alphabetically (rising A-Z)
4. if column H = online copy data to page 1
5. if column H = offline copy data to page 2
6. page 1: if column F (destination) = me, color text in column G (data text) pink
7. page 1: if column F (destination) = other, color text in column G (data text) blue
8. function: repeat step 6, destination: page 2
9. function: repeat step 7, destination: page 2
10. function: count pink & blue text, give a number and ratio in column L, source: page 1
11. function: repeat step 10, destination: page 2
The idea is to divide the collected data by online vs. offline experiences and compare what is the ratio between the final destinations (personal, other) between the online and offline collected data.
1. The text talks about the ongoing coronavirus and the quarantine of consumption societies have currently entered discussing the impact they have upon our already established routines. All of this, suggesting that we are in a position to start all over again - a new beginning.
2. The text narrates the above-mentioned ideas through an interview. The interview touches upon various aspects of our daily routines (fashion, travel, production of goods) to outline the consequences of the coronavirus and further give solutions not only to the current situation but to the global state of the world (prioritizing/understanding what’s necessary, coming back to creativity, pushing forward domestic businesses, giving industrial production a break from time to time). The interview feels more like a summary, it also addresses another interview within it. There’s no clear critical response as we are given only the answers to the posed questions and a subsequent conversation between the two parties is not developed. Finally, it seems that the interview is forecasting as it focuses on offering ways to deal with the ongoing situation.
3. Points one and two suggest that despite the negative aspects of the situation the interview is attempting to outline what could be interpreted as a positive outlook on the situation. However, it may be unrealistic to suddenly switch to these new behaviors due to our reliance on our already established routines. Furthermore, the interview questions the currently ongoing global economic agendas and proposes their future change (this may be an aspect with which many big businesses may not be too happy about). In addition, the interview lacks a variety of perspectives as it talks about the fact that consumption is limited due to the coronavirus, however it does not address the matter of online shopping. It’s also relevant to mention that a strong economy is based on the notion that we consume (if everything is converted into local businesses, which are highly likely to be more expensive, then would people really be able to afford all of this?). Lastly, the interview is strictly focused on the now and misses to give examples from the already happened crises and the ways we dealt with those.
DATA TECH
Spending half an hour online to focus on positivity
During our first practice class we were looking at the data everyone has been collecting so far and discussing the possible directions to pursue further. When analyzing what I was seeing I noticed that most of the experiences were online (whether solitary or with others we were staying connected to the outside world), yet when counting the occurrence of certain words, I found out that words with more negative connotation dominated over the positive ones. This made me very curious about the way technology is influencing the new behaviors that we are beginning to develop (perhaps relying on technology more than we did before). And I started thinking why is it that we’re spending so much time being digitally connected to the outside world, yet we feel somehow dissatisfied? As a result, I decide to challenge myself to break this pattern and spend an hour online looking for things that will make me feel good. In general, this is the mindset I’ve been attempting to appropriate during the quarantine; however, I still occasionally fail to be positive when online at times. This is why, this moment of reflecting upon the way the online spaces influence our emotional state became a key point in my data research, as I came to the conclusion that I would like to push my further investigation and project precisely in this direction.
CLASS NOTES
"different viewpoints and conflicts of opinions - the digital virus"
DATA DESIGN
Teodora Goneva
Sougwen Chung
An internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist, who uses hand-drawn and computer-generated marks to address the closeness between person-to-person and person-to-machine communication. She is a former researcher at MIT Media Lab and current Artist in Resident at Bell Labs and New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. Her speculative critical practice spans installation, sculpture, still image, drawing, and performance.
Sarah Meyohas
A visual artist working across media. For her project Cloud of Petals, she staged a performance at the site of the former Bell Labs. Sixteen workers photographed 100,000 individual rose petals, compiling a massive dataset. This information was used to map out an artificial intelligence algorithm that learned to generate new, unique petals forever.
The performance resulted in a film, six gaze-based virtual reality experiences, and a series of sculptures, presented during a large-scale solo exhibition at Red Bull Arts New York. The Cloud of Petals exhibition becomes a site for contemplation about a post-human reality and the future of labor in the face of automation.
Memo Akten
“Deep Meditations” is a meditation on life, nature, the universe and our subjective experience of it. It’s a one hour immersive film, told through the imagination of a neural network trained on everything, on life, love, art, faith, ritual, worship, god.
Akten trained a machine learning algorithm to “see” using images that represent essential concepts in human life. He downloaded his curated dataset of images from the photo-sharing website Flickr using photos tagged with these words: everything, world, universe, space, mountains, oceans, flowers, art, life, love, faith, ritual, god, etc.
Then Akten programmed the machine to “imagine” new images based on all those images— creating a new world of landscapes, objects and ideas never before seen, but based on our own experience of life.
The World After Corona - Reading Notes
Calculating the amount of times specific words are mentioned and visualising that through a pie chart.
Calculating the number of letters in each line and their averages.
1.The article discusses how our future will potentially be altered regarding the coronavirus, talking about the ways our relationship with the government, with the outside world and with each other will change. It does so by giving various examples within the topics of community, tech, health and science, government, elections, the global economy and lifestyle. For the purpose of this analysis I will focus on the topic of lifestyle. To begin with, the article suggests that there will be a hunger for diversion, as we will most likely respond with a behavior of relief and will search for becoming a part of a community once again. Despite this potential desire for establishing connections once again, the text claims that we will be less communal at least for a while, through using shared spaces as an example and pointing out that places like restaurants and the act of ordering food may be replaced by cooking by ourselves and eating at home much more. The article also talks about an ongoing revival of parks, and through comparing them to the modern malls, it suggests that the big shopping centers will be replaced by open spaces as the new places to hang out. With all of this being said it’s also important to note that the article introduces the fact that our ideas of change will be reshaped, addressing a possible paradigm shift that may remain with us long after the corona crisis is solved.
2.The article puts its points across through providing perspectives from various macro thinkers for each of the topics. The text itself is structured into smaller sections of information, each using a title to summarize the subsequent ideas that are being discussed. In order to argue for their claims, the author of the section gives real life examples that support the idea and help better illustrate the narrative. The interview is forecasting the future that awaits us and is basing this forecast upon the behaviors that we are beginning to adopt at the moment. However, it also imagines certain not as likely scenarios, arguing that those will be the solutions or responses if a future crisis emerges. Lastly, because the article is comprised of the thoughts of various people, it offers a linear perspective only and there are no counter claims to what the reader is looking at.
3.Because the text is based on real life examples it gives a very realistic perspective on how our future may unfold. This perspective is rather optimistic, as in general it suggests that we may come out of the pandemic “better” than we used to be. This is especially relevant in the sections discussing the idea that will will focus on rebuilding communities and that our core values may undergo some changes. Personally, the issue I see with these claims is that they are suited for a rather idealistic scenario, one where everyone is willing to change and embrace a new way of thinking. And even if that is the case for some, the text misses to point out the fact that some people dread the corona virus aftermath due to numerous speculations about the ways our privacy will change. Thus, the reality of trust and rebuilding communal aspects for ones may result into the complete opposite for others, suggesting that the article illustrates a somewhat limited perspective on the scenarios to be expected.
Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.
1.The article begins its story through outlining the possibility that the coronavirus may have emerged from the natural world, in particular within bats. What is suggested is that modern day ecological issues in the face of deforestation for example massively harm the natural world and interfere with biodiversity and species regulation. A possible solution to this issue is outlined to be the switch to a more plant-based diet. The article also mentions the fact that climate change may be a much more dangerous threat than the corona virus due to the high numbers of victims especially due to air pollution. In fact, the text further mentions that it could be due to air pollution that the virus has become more fatal. What is interesting is that the text suggest that the virus has made us more considerate of the fact that we are cohabiting in a complex structure with the natural world, instead of being above or separate from it, raising a conversation of the way we relate to nature.
2.The text presents these ideas through including them into various parts of the article. Beginning with an introduction where the main ideas are outlined. Followed by a main paragraph section that fully develops the original claims, and then concluding with a few bullet points summarizing everything once again. The text heavily focuses on our relationship with the natural world and clearly attempts to put the point that are current behaviors may be harmful, particularly focusing on the carnivore diet, as it refers to it numerous times throughout the narrative in a rather negative light. Indeed, it is interesting to address the article’s strong implementation of repetition as in this case it seems like a powerful tool for communicating the ideas discussed, especially because such ideas may not align with everyone's beliefs and viewpoints.
3.Even though the articles provides us with an interesting perspective of our relationship with nature and the way we may be slowly alienating ourselves from it, when it talks about the virus outbreak and how the whole situation has possibly emerged it focuses simply on the idea of the carnivore diet. Despite the fact that this is a plausible argument it is not the only one. Nevertheless, it does work rather well when arguing about the subsequent issues we may face rather soon once the corona crisis is over in the face of climate change. This is why, the article does rather well in supporting its claims, however, it is focused simply on that claim and misses not only to include some other possible perspectives but also disregards topics of our connection with nature itself, as it seems to only touch upon the idea without going any further into an analysis of the situation.
Our post-corona relationship to nature
1.The text begins by outlining the fact that the way we ae responding to emojis has changed. It suggests that our brains no longer perceive them as punctuation, but as actual faces and this is because our brains are adjusting to do so. Interestingly enough the text suggest that a baby’s brain is unable to do the same, meaning that these changes are cultural rather than biological. The article then continues to illustrate that modern technology is exposing us to more and more distractions, many of which we justify through the idea of multitasking. However, the text claims that the human brain can’t multitask. Instead, it switches from one action to another, and this may result in performing the actions worse if attempting to do so simultaneously, as we are not focused in either. This suggests that we may be slowly falling into a trap of bad habits, where we are not only distracted, but are further reliant on our devices, as additional research the article provides suggest that our memory becomes much stronger if we keep attempting to recall an idea ourselves, and googling it may do the exact opposite.
2.What the text does is that it gives the reader a little warning of the habits we are beginning to appropriate, trough illustrating how they could be much more harmful than we originally perceived them as. It does so by creating a story around the way we think which is further enhanced through a narrative about our daily routines. This makes the text easy to comprehend and relate to and allowed me personally to reflect upon some of the conceptions I have about technology that may not necessarily influence me in the best possible way. The text implements some research and analyses it; however, it touches briefly upon the conclusions made and uses them to highlight and support the claims we are being presented with.
3.In its conclusion, the text does mention that technology does help us a lot, yet the final message is to be mindful of how we handle it. This means that the narrative is attempting to address and include a wider range of viewpoints, but due to the focus of the article it sticks to the dangers of technology, perhaps inspired by the wish to create a more impactful story this way. Regarding the idea of distractions, I think it would have been interesting to dive even deeper into the way the human brain works in order to analyze why is it that we are constantly being triggered by our screens, as not it seems that the text only mentions the issue without analyzing it further.
How the way we interact with technology is changing the way we think
Drawing, Art Therapy, and Stress Relief
1.The article discusses the idea of art therapy and the ways through which it can be implemented for stress relief. It bases this idea upon Carl Jung’s research. The psychologist discovered that coloring mandalas had a rather calming effect on his patients and facilitated their processing of thoughts and emotions. The article then continues to discuss the benefits of coloring for stress relief, as it compares it with other form of art like drawing an assigned shape or creating something on a blank canvas from scratch. The text concludes that all the research done points towards the fact that the act of coloring seems to be the most effective and calming method amongst all other types of drawing as it allowed for concentration without the pressure the need for creativity may evoke.
2.The text is rather easy and fun to read as it seems to be not that technical. This may be partially also influenced by the fact that it addresses concepts like drawing and stress – both of which have been a part of our lives at one point or another. The narrative itself is divided into a few sections, each titled in the beginning to summarize what we are about to read. The sections are heavily based on previously conducted research and use the results obtained to support the claims they are putting across.
3.Even though the research seems rather convincing, especially when reflecting upon my personal experience with drawing, it seems that the text highly favors the practice and is strictly focused to convince the audience in how effective coloring mandalas could be for stress relief. Even if that is the case, I think it would be interesting to compare it with other forms of mindful practices and how effective is one as opposed to the others, as currently we are receiving a rather limited viewpoint on what is considered to be calming. And even if that works for many people it would be interesting to pay a little attention to the one’s that didn’t find the act of coloring as peaceful and attempt to understand why that was the case.
CRITICAL READING
INSPIRATION
INTUITIVE
DRAWING
Closing my eyes and drawing without any expectations for the outcome
Could this be a calming experience?
Additional Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-art-therapy-2795755
Critically Examining Some Resources Relevant For My Research
Writing Assignment - First Draft
A Moment for Mindfulness Within the Post Corona Society
Undoubtedly the coronavirus and the current lockdown as a result of the pandemic will massively shake up our previously established routines and will make us adopt new forms of the behaviors we once considered normal. A part of these evolving viewpoints will be the way we handle and approach technology.
The online world has had a massive influence upon the way we structure our routines even before the lockdown. For many teenagers and young adults, the day would begin and end on their phones, a trend that is becoming relevant even outside the scope of this age range. Checking our messages and notifications first thing when we wake up is not something unusual anymore, as we have grown accustomed to the idea of being connected at any given moment. Research suggests that being on our phones is becoming addictive for our brains due to the massive overload of information, something we are becoming accustomed with and are beginning to need more of, as a result leaving us with the thought that these visual stimuli are required for us to feel good (find a case study to prove this).
Despite this, the online world offers a lot of hidden dangers, especially for our mental health. Being online all the time can act as a massive test not only for our confidence and personal wellbeing, but for our abilities to focus and concentrate on the subsequent offline tasks that follow (find a case study to prove this). This is where going outside and interacting with our friends plays a major role, as it allows us to escape our online routines and be present in the moment – the most important step towards happiness according to Buddhism.
The fact that we are no longer allowed to freely go outside and be a part of the surrounding communities seems to be what challenges our mental wellbeing. Therefore, now when the outside world is out of reach, we are striving to find ways to still stay connected and amused. As a result, turning to social media and the online platforms for the purpose. They seem like the perfect solution for boredom, helping time pass faster during quarantine. However, this growing reliance on technology due to the immediate sense of gratification we receive from interacting with it is what may cause us to distance ourselves even further from the social activities we once took for granted.
This is because we will go out of quarantine more reliant on technology than ever before, as we’re now doing almost everything thanks to the internet. Online education, ordering groceries and other products like clothes or art supplies. Going to the restaurant has now been replaced by ordering takeaway and Netflix nights in are the new visits to the cinemas. Therefore, when the lockdown is over, we will be much more accustomed to turning to technology for everything that we need and this will most likely reflect on our mental wellbeing, as we will be much more susceptible to emotional outbursts and ups and downs in the way we are feeling at least in the beginning when we are reintroduced to the life before the quarantine. The fact that we will be much more dependent on technology also may reflect within our levels of satisfaction and comfort, as we may feel the need to go back to our bubble and browse through social media when in a real life social situation.
This is because the online space, despite some negative effects upon our mental health, has provided a sense of comfort, ensuring us that the world is still active in one way or another. However, what we are missing in this technological pattern is the fact that our phones may be used to focus on ourselves and the way we are feeling, instead of constantly looking at the ways the others do, which is in fact one of the main reasons for personal mental discomfort. This is why, with my algorithm I would like to portray how our newly established technological dependency may make us feel better and will allow us to take a step back from the never-ending speculations we keep generating about the future now, so that we embrace the present to prove that technology may in fact be what mental wellbeing could be all about.
*What I want to create with my algorithm is a meditative app. The purpose of the app will be to allow the user to immerse themselves in a half real life half technological experience that will have a calming and self-reflective function. The interaction begins with the user talking about their day, a certain experience or anything on their mind at the moment. What the app does is that it will analyze the tone, speed, words and phrases the user implements in their mini journaling session and will create a personalized mandala in the meantime, the shape of which is influenced by the personal input of the speaker. The user could then print the black and while drawing the app has created to continue with the non-digital part of the experience and color it any way they feel like. This moment will further allow them to engage their concentration in a creative practice that does not carry any expectations (like in the case of drawing, where most people get stuck on the idea that the final piece needs to look good) and as a result guiding our thoughts towards a calmer now.
Could we become an online society once the pandemic is over?
Solving our vulnerability through technology?
Initially what I wanted to create was a calming experience inspired by the data we have all been collecting, as it seemed to be mostly online and not very positive. This is why I want to create an offline algorithm that would allow the user to take a meditative moment and relax through drawing, as it seems that our online behaviour has only grown since the quarantine and so have our stress levels. This is why my idea is to guide the user towards an intuitive drawing experience, or in other words drawing with their eyes closed, in this way focusing on the feelings and thoughts they're experiencing at the moment rather than getting stuck on the idea of what to draw. However, I came across the issue that drawing is in fact subjective and that the practice may not seem calming to everyone as the pressure of creativity could still be present even if drawing with closed eyes.
Once the user is done with their voice recording they can download the created black and white mandala and print it so that they could continue with the second part of the meditative experience and colour it any way they like.
The Final Idea
Positive Sentiment
abundance
ambition
art
available
bake
becoming
believe
best
bloom
book
boyfriend, girlfriend
celebrate
chat
clean
clear
coffee
come over
comfort
cook
count on
create
dad
dance
delivery
dinner
donation
easy
eat
energy
family
food
free
friend
fun
future
goals
good
grandmother, grandfather
great
grow
hahah
have
heal
healthy
help
hero
hug
ideal
interesting
it's going to be ok
join
laugh
like
live, life
lol
make
meditation
meme
mom
motivation
music
new
nice
open
parents
park
partner
party
pass
perfect
personal
pictures
play
poem
possibility
pretty
productivity
progress
read
recipe
refund
self care
send
series
share
soon
start
strong
supermarket
talk
team
tested negative
thank
toilet paper
trust
walk
well
workout
yes
Negative Sentiment
alone
anti
anxiety
awkward
bad
barely
block
burn
cancelled
can't
can't keeep up
challenging
change
chaotic
close
cold
corona case
coronavirus
crash
crisis
critical
cry
danger
dark
death
decline
depressing
desperate
difficult
don't
don't know
don't like
down
emergency
fail
far
fear of missing out
fever
forbidden
force
fuck this shit
gone
hard
hate
haven't
interfere
isolation
lie
lockdown
loose
mandatory
measurements
mess
miss
misunderstanding
mood swings
moving out
negative
never
no
not
not allowed
pandemic
panic
police
pollution
problem
punishment
push
quarantine
quit
really fucked
risk
ruin
scream
shit
short
sick
social distancing
sorry
steal
strict
surveillance
target group
tested positive
too many
toxic
trouble
unfortunate
unsubscribe
unwilling
verge
vulnerable
warning
weight
what the fuck
won't
worst
wrong
Neutral Sentiment
action
answers
balance
be
beginning
behaviour
borrow
break
breathing
careful
catch up
checking
choice
conspiracy
constant
conversation
culture
day
diary
do
effort
email
end
energy
enter
everyday
expect
experience
feel
fine
follow
forget
government
groceries
group chat
guess
hope
I
imagine
important
influence
information
inside
know
learn
listen
local
measures
meat
money
morning
move
news
normal
now
online
opinion
opportunities
order
outside
people
phone
place
plan
plant
protect
protest
public transport
reaction
real
reminder
request
reservation
responsibilities
rest
rethink
right
routine
rules
safe
situation
skype
spend
stay
system
thought
time
truth
update
vibes
video call
voice
waiting
want
website
weird
work
worth
zoom
The Lexicon
Positive Sentiment
glad
can't wait
motivated
relaxed
happy
inspired
hope
excited
love
rested
curious
hyped
Negative Sentiment
nervous
uneasy
low
unmotivated
fearful
lazy
worried
angry
miss
afraid
uncertain
scared
stressed
fed up
nostalgic
sad
crazy
dumb
stupid
sorry
tired
confused
bored
going insane
lonely
paranoia
panic
hate
useless
annoyed
overwhelmed
rollercoaster of emotions
freacking out
Neutral Sentiment
convinced
calm
comfortable
need
care
chill
impulsive
Some
Additional
Emotions
*Excluded from the lexicon for a general (subjective)
comparison of the overall mood of the dataset
Ratio of Positive, Negative and Neutral Emotions
12
33
7
Measuring Loudness
Speed & Size
The speed of talking will influence the size of drawn elements. The faster the user talks the bigger the cleated ornaments will be and vice versa. However, the drawing will always begin at regular speed, as the app will need to measure the initial journaling speed.
Speed will also act as an indicator for the overall emotional sentiment of the text, which will help the app take decisions about the predominant elements in the drawing. A faster speed suggests that the person is feeling restless/uneasy so the mandala will be more stylised.
What this means is that the app would perceive that if the user is too excited, creating a very detailed piece might overwhelm them further, instead of helping them calm down. The opposite also applies, if the speed is very slow the app will create a detailed outcome that requires a little more patience.
Volume of Speech
*Rules for the loudness criteria taken from https://www.sltinfo.com/loudness/
The amplitude is what measures the vibrations (i.e. the size of the oscillations of the vocal folds) that affects loudness. The greater the amplitude of the vibrations, the greater the amount of energy carried by the wave, and the more intense the sound will be. Therefore the bigger the amplitude the louder the sound decibels.
Amplitude of a Sound Pressure Wave
The app will measure the loudness of the created sounds in decibels. The produced drawing will be influenced by the loudness of the sound as softer sounds will be represented by thinner lines, while harder and louder voice will be illustrated with thicker lines.
Positive, Negative or Neutral Sentiment
The app records the spoken words and looks through the lexicon to define then as positive, negative or neutral. If the word can't be found in the lexicon the app ultimately classifies it as neutral (yet does not include it in the final count). There's two types of lines for each sentiment. The app randomly alters between the two for more variety in the drawings.
Assigning Sentiments
*The first sentence is what the app hears until the very fist pause. Therefore, it may not be a complete thought, but rather a section or a phrase, depending on the way it is spoken.
*The dotted line can be either curved, straight or spiral and this is randomly assigned by the app.
*To begin with, the canvas must always be square and divided into 8 proportional triangles that will reflect/mimic the fist 2 (a,b)
*Every other following sentence/word combination will be drawn in a random place in either triangle a or triangle b
*The first line always starts from point O, unless a circle
*In the case of drawing a circle the radius of the shape is positioned on point O
*Every subsequent line must begin from an already drawn line
*Each line stops when intersecting with another line, there is no overlapping allowed
*The lines can not reach beyond the invisible outlines of the triangle they're being drawn in
*The maximum journaling time will be 10 minutes
Pauses
Each pause, whether it is a moment to take a breath or just some time to think about what the user is going to further reflect on will be interpreted by the app to add some additional thin curved lines around/following the already drawn elements to give them some additional ornamentation and make the design a little more complicated.
Length of Phrases
Polarity
The app will listen not only for the kinds of words the user is implementing (emotional analysis), but will further investigate the way we speak those words and how we breathe. As a result, every breath will separate one phrase from the next. The more words in a phrase the faster the drawing is created and vice versa. A moment of no speaking longer than a breath will be considered a pause.
Some phrases will be comprised both of negative and positive statements, or all of the three investigated sentiments. This is why the app will take into account the emotional charge of the expressed words. If the phrase contains mostly negative words, despite having some positive and some neutral the line is created straight or slightly curved, as the dominant emotion will be the one to be drawn.
*Instead of doing it per minute the app will do the calculation for every 30 seconds and will multiply the result by 2, assuming that this will be the outcome if measuring for an entire minute - ensuring more variety in the size
The
Imaginary
Axes
When the record button is pressed a new canvas is created.
The canvas must always be square with dimensions 210x210mm or 793.7007874 pixels.
A timer function begins the countdown, maximum journaling/drawing time per session = 10 minutes.
An integrated voice recognition function translates the spoken text into variables. These variables are being investigated by the app according to the dimensions of each variable. Depending of the variable and its analyzed dimension the app makes a decision how to translate the spoken into a digital drawing.
The app recognizes six variables.
Variable number one: Sentiment (positive, negative, neutral)
The app picks up a phrase and analyses the words heard. It does so by stemming each word down to its root (for example loving = love).
After that the app searches through its integrated lexicon for a possible match. The lexicon is comprised of three sections (words of a positive sentiment, words of a negative sentiment, words of a neutral sentiment).
According to the lexicon the app classifies each recorded word in a phrase as positive, negative or neutral.
If illustrating a positive sentiment, the app randomly selects a curved or a spiral line to represent the phrase.
If illustrating a negative sentiment, the app randomly selects a straight or a slightly curved line to represent the phrase.
If illustrating a neutral sentiment, the app randomly selects a circle or a dotted line to represent the phrase.
Then the app counts the amount of words from each category. The dominant category (the one that is mostly represented through the used words in the phrase) is the one that is being illustrated.
If the number of words for two or more categories is equal, then the app illustrates the sentiment of the very first word spoken.
If the app records a word that is not included in the lexicon it ultimately classifies it as neutral but does not include it in the final count.
If the phrase spoken consist only of unfamiliar words for the app, the program behaves as if drawing a regular neutral line.
Variable number two: First spoken phrase
The integrated voice recognition within the app catches the first phrase spoken when the program comes across a change in the sound levels.
The assigned sentiment of the first phrase determines where and how the mandala will begin.
If the first phrase is positive, then the drawing begins from point O in Δb and aims towards the y-axis.
If the first phrase is negative, then the drawing begins from point O in Δa and aims towards the x-axis.
If the first phrase is neutral, then the drawing begins from point O in Δb with a radius between 0.5cm and 2cm and makes a full rotation back to Δb (starting point).
Variable number three: Pauses
In order to understand the idea of phrases/sentences the app narrows it down to the sound waves it is receiving.
A phrase begins when the app can record a sound wave.
The length of each phrase is determined by the time the app is able to catch these sound waves.
A moment of silence when no sound waves could be detected is considered a break of the phrase for the app (this could be a moment to take a breath or a longer pause to think and reflect on what will be said further).
If the pause is between 1 to 3 seconds the app considers it as a moment to take a breath and an end of the phrase.
If the pause is between 4 to 15 seconds the app considers it as a moment to take a break and an end of the phrase.
If in a break the app mimics a random existing line to create an additional layer of ornamentation. After 15 seconds all drawing stops until encountering sound once again.
*Important to add that a phrase could be simply a combination of a few words or a longer period of journaling consisting of more than one sentence. This all depends on the breathing patterns of the user and how slow/intense they are talking.
**This system of voice recognition will only work if journaling in a quiet environment. Outside noises may disturb the algorithm, as even though the system can’t recognize them as separate words a continuous noise mean that the program will not encounter any pauses, therefore it wouldn't be able to take a decision about what line to produce.
Variable number four: Volume of speech
The volume/loudness of speech is measured through the amplitude (in decibels) of sound. The bigger the amplitude the louder the spoken words.
If the amplitude is between 10 to 45db, the sound is classified as quiet. If hearing quiet sound, the line drawn = 0.75pt.
If the amplitude is between 46 to 75db, the sound is classified as normal. If hearing normal sound, the line drawn = 1.7pt.
If the amplitude is between 76 to 100db (or above), the sound is classified as loud. If hearing loud sound, the line drawn = 2.6pt.
If the amplitude is less that 10db, the sound is classified as a break/pause.
Variable number five: Speed of talking
The speed of talking is what influences the size of the elements drawn. The app will measure the speaking rate by counting the amount of words spoken every 30 seconds and then multiplying the result by 2, assuming that his will be the expected outcome per minute of speaking. Doing this function every half minute will ensure a greater variety in the size of the elements.
The first 30 seconds always begin by default, assuming the speaker is talking at a normal rate. After that, each subsequent 30 seconds are illustrated according to the calculated results.
If the speaking rate is less than 120 words per minute, it is classified as slow. Slow elements will equal 0.7 the size of regular elements (3 x 0.7 = 2.1cm).
If the speaking rate is between 120 to 150 words per minute, it is classified as regular. Regular elements are taken for 1, which equals 3cm when printed on A4 paper.
If the speaking rate is more than 150 words per minute, it is classified as fast. Fast elements equal 1.3 the size of a regular element (3 x 1.3 = 3.9cm).
These rules apply until the canvas (squares a and b) are full. When their capacity is reached the scale is multiplied by 0.3. This process id repeated throughout the 10-minute drawing period.
Variable number six: Length of phrases
The length of the phrases will determine how fast the drawings will be created.
The standard length is considered to be 8 words per phrase, which will be drawn in 3 seconds (160 words per minute). (8 x 60 = 480, 480 ÷ 160 = 3)
If the calculated length per phrase is longer than 8 words, the drawing will be created faster. To do so the app will calculate the amount of words within the examined sentence and will multiply them by 60. The result is then divided by 160, which is the optimum words drawn per minute. The final result is the time/rate in seconds that will be necessary for the drawing to be created at the regular speed(I feel amazing today because so many great things have been happening lately I don’t even know where to start from = 21 words, therefore 21 x 60 = 1260, 1260 ÷ 160 = 7,875 seconds). Finally, to make the drawing process shorter/faster the result in seconds is multiplied by 0.7 (7,875 x 0,7 = 5,513 seconds).
If the calculated length per phrase is shorter than 8 words, the drawing will be created slower. The process from the step above is repeated; however instead of multiplying by 0.7 the standard result is multiplied by 1.7 (I’m feeling awful = 3 words, 3 x 60 = 180, 180 ÷ 160 = 1,125 seconds, 1,125 x 1.7 = 1,913 seconds).
Variable number seven: Polarity
If a phrase consists of more than one sentiment it is classified as polar. This is possible when there is more than one dominant emotion in the phrase.
The sentiment rules apply for polar phrases as well. They are being analyzed according to the amount of words they have and what is their ratio (positive, negative, neutral).
If there is an even number between any of the categories, the app comes back to the first word that has been spoken and classifies the whole phrase according to that sentiment.
Rules for the movement:
After 10 minutes the mandala will be considered done by the algorithm, so all drawing and word analysis will stop; however, the user is free to continue their journaling session as much as they like. There is no limit to the audio recording, only to the drawing process.
The space the drawing is created is always a square divided into 8 invisible triangles with the help of 4 axes. X-axis along the middle separating the square horizontally, y-axis along the middle separating the square vertically, w-axis separating the square diagonally from its top left to bottom right corners and z-axis separating the square diagonally from its top right to bottom left corners. The letters L and R are used to locate the position of the axes. U and D are used only for the y-axis.
Point O is always the center of the canvas where all the axes meet.
The following triangles are created:
Δ XLOWL = Δ a
Δ WLOYU = Δ b
Δ YUOZR = Δ c
Δ ZROXR = Δ d
Δ XROWR = Δ e
Δ WROYD = Δ f
Δ YUOZL = Δ g
Δ ZLOXR = Δ h
Triangles a and b are the main triangles where the drawings are created. The rest of the triangles reflect the drawings in the initial two. The reflections act like a chain reaction, but it always begins from either Δ a or Δ b.
The rules of reflections are the following:
Δ c = Δ b + vertical reflection
Δ d = Δ a + vertical reflection
Δ e = Δ d + horizontal reflection
Δ f = Δ c + horizontal reflection
Δ g = Δ b + horizontal reflection
Δ h = Δ a + horizontal reflection
If the drawing begins in Δ a aiming towards Δ b, then Δ b = Δ a + horizontal reflection
The rule of the first phrase applies only until the very first break. After that each subsequent line must begin from a previously existing line. The lines cannot intersect. If the line is interrupted by another one, the program can either choose to bounce off it or continue forward by skipping he thickness of the encountered line (done to prevent lines overlapping each other).
The lines may never reach beyond the imaginary borders of the triangles they are positioned in.
When the user decides to finish the journaling session they are given the option to download the mandala or save it in the app. If the user wishes to download it later they can always do so by coming to the app's gallery.
The Algorithm
How Will The App Work
The journaling (spoken) session documented by the app, with the words that are a part of the lexicon underlined to represent the emotions they are classified to be
How the analysed words would look like when translated/drawn by the app
The final outcome (always black and white) that is ready to print and colour by hand.