Featured Memory - Treading Softly by Sarah Carr

Each week, as the project progresses, I will be featuring a memory from one of the groups. This week the memory is from Sarah Carr who submitted this photo memory to the Facebook wall:


"Treading Softly. This photo of me taken in 2007 brings back memories of sadness and hope. Strength and fear. Oppression and freedom. I both love and hate the memory that this image raises within me. A close friend of mine commented that the starlings above and around my head were like thoughts, surrounding me."



I think that it is a real example of how much emotion a photo can evoke and how a photograph can take you back into that snapshot of time. It is a very beautiful memory. You can see Sarah's memory and others on the Project Memory Facebook Page. Come and join the project and share your memories too.

Intervue - record your memory from your webcam

Intervue is a great website that I have come across that I'm going to use as another medium for participants of the project to be able to contribute their memories. It's really easy to use and relies on the user having a webcam. You do not need any software, it will do all the hard work for you. You just click on my question and record your memory. If you are not happy with the recording, then you can re-record. For this part of the project you just need to describe a memory rather than sharing a visual photo, but I still need you to let me know the year and location in your description. You do not have to create an account if your have a Twitter account as you can connect through that. Please note that you will only have 60 seconds to record your memory.


I do understand that some people may be camera shy and would be prefer to upload an image with a description, but I wanted to open the project so that it has many different methods for people to join in. If any of you reading this are not camera shy and have a webcam attached, then please share a memory or two at Intervue: http://intervue.me/i/578 I really hope that I will get some responses to this.

I would like as many different people to be part of the project and to share their memories using the different methods:
You can sign up to the Facebook Page and upload to the wall
Follow me on Twitter @Project_Memory and message me with your memory and image (Twitter have given back my account!)
Record a 60 sec memory to Project Memory Intervue
Join the Project Memory Flickr Group

I look forward to seeing your memories soon and for them to be part of a digital artpiece.

Facebook, Flickr and a Twit on Twitter

I have managed to get myself suspended from twitter within around 30 minutes of setting up my project memory account. That makes me a complete Twit rather than the tweeter I was hoping to be. Unfortunately, I didn't read their rules properly and started to manically try and promote Project Memory to everyone. Within 20 tweets, they had suspended my account. At first, I had no idea what was wrong, then the email came through. I have begged them for forgiveness and have pleaded my ignorance, however, so far, nothing has changed. I may need to start again with that route.

Setting up my Facebook page has been a bit of a steep learning curve. Although I am very familiar with Facebook, being an admin for a page is very involved. It's a bit tricky when you set up your page on Facebook on how you are going to promote your page. I also wanted to get to 25 fans quickly so I could get the unique URL. Luckily, I have a few friends on Facebook and contacted them pretty soon after the page was set up. After reaching the golden 25 fan mark, I nabbed the project memory URL http://www.facebook.com/ProjectMemory

It is lovely to see some people joining up who I do not know and for them being so open and frank with their memories. Some are very touching. The images that some people are submitting now are truly beautiful.

I have also created a group on Flickr, for those of you with your photo or video memories already on there, you can join my group, Project Memory: http://www.flickr.com/groups/projectmemory/ You need to place your memory in the description area and then join the group and submit. The same rules apply and you cannot submit more than 3 memories in total to any part of the project.

Hopefully I'll be featuring some memories on here soon. If you haven't join the project, or you want to know more about it, please go to the Project Memory Facebook page and click on info.

The idea that sprung up on my i-phone notes....

Since getting my i-phone, I have been addicted to using my notes. Any idea that springs into my head gets quickly fingered into the notes. Sometimes its a postcode for the sat nav, to dos or even shopping to pick up on the way home. I started a new note recently of ideas for my final year project. Now I know that I'm not starting it until end of next year, but I was inspired by the degree show I went to last Thursday. The third years are graduating this year and I went along to see their projects. There were exhibits from all over the creative arts and it was truly inspiring. I took a special interest in two rooms. The first being my class, Multimedia Design. I've been with this particular group for the last 2 years and will miss them lots now they are graduating. I was really proud of what they achieved and the artefacts they have produce in such little time. There were interactive pole dancing, multi touch tables, games, websites, hacked Kinects. I also loved the photography room. I love how a photo can take a snapshot of time. Can give different impressions to each person viewing it, yet can be so personal to the owner.

Many of my projects over the years have been personal to me and I've used achieve family photos before. I also created a short film in my second year based on memory. You can see it here:



I find it very easy to get engrossed into a project when it has a personal meaning to me. So taking all this in, I had this idea of Project Memory and I typed frantically in. It's now started and there are loads of memories on the wall already I'm getting excited on what I can create. I will setting up polls later on to get the people involved with the project to have some input on how their memories will be used. If you have a video or photo that you would like to share, come and join me here:
http://www.facebook.com/ProjectMemory

What I'm all about - Project Memory

One of my memories: "1985, London - This is me with Edie and Bettie, the lovely next door neighbours. As you can see I'm sporting a lovely bowl cut inflicted by Mum. They were lovely neighbours and put up with my Dad knocking through to their lounge whilst trying to make our living room square and me trying to learn how to play the trumpet like Sonia out of Eastenders! They were also the oldest lesbian couple I knew of, although I didn't click that they were a couple until I was much older!" http://www.facebook.com/ProjectMemory

Being a mature part time student, my undergraduate degree in Multimedia Design is going to take me six years. Most people would see this as a disturbing concept, but I always try and see the positives in life. There are a quite few advantages for my situation. Firstly, I have time to allow my studies to sink in, to let my brain mull over what I have learnt, this also helps to keep me updated with the changes in my subject area, for which there are many! I started my course learning Action Script 2 and now learning Actionscipt 3. Secondly, I get to meet many wonderful, interesting and creative people over this time. Not only my fabulous fellow students, but I also get to know my lecturers really well. I have built up many good relationships and friendships and have learnt many things from very interesting people. I also get to have a NUS student card for six years, bargains and discounts galore! More importantly it allows to plan ahead and this is where Project Memory comes in.

I am currently collecting memories from people, visual memories of either photos or video. People can join my Facebook page Project Memory and upload up to 3 images or videos with a year, location and the memory that media evokes. You can join in the fun on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/ProjectMemory
 
If you do join, and share a memory, you will also be participating in eventually a piece of digital art/multimedia artefact. I’m planning to use the memories for my final year project, that commences in September 2012 and will be in the final year exhibition in June 2013.
I hope to see your memories soon. There are already a few people sharing so take a look into a strangers head and look at their history.