I’m uncomfortable with any culture that encourages you take on an entire identity, rather than to express a facet of your own identity (“maker,” rather than “someone who makes things”).
Chachra, D. (2015, January 23). Why I am not a Maker. The Atlantic.https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/01/why-i-am-not-a-maker/384767/
This passage stood out the most because it made me stop and think about the true meaning. It took me a while to really interpret the difference between “maker” and “someone who makes things.” I was stuck on this sentence because I could not overlook that they both had the same meaning but different interpretations. I could not interpret the words until I applied it to my life. Whenever I meet new individuals at gatherings, the common questions I hear are “What is your major?” and “What school do you go to?” It seems like I am characterized by these labels and the discourse associated with them. Honestly, it was not something that bothered me until it became repetitive and that what people associated me with. As Chachra says, being labeled as a maker makes it seem like that is your only role, like you are nothing more that that; being labeled as “someone who makes things” allows you to have your own idenitiy while still being a maker. I prefer the label of someone who studies computer science versus a computer science student. I am interested in and intrigued by other subjects and interests and am not limited to CS. This also makes me think about how I want to express myself and the other aspects I want to include in my own identity instead of taking on a whole identity. There is also a responsibility and expectation associated with labels that I am not interested in. It puts too much pressure on individuals to fulfill this role that is not necessarily needed.
When it comes to this class, I am interested in exploring all the areas of this Digital Arts & Humanities. There are some areas that I am more interested in, like 3D modeling and ArcGIS. I have utilized ArcGIS a few times for school projects, but it was a couple of years ago, and I am interested in using the story map feature again. I have always thought 3D modeling was fun to explore, but I have never started the journey. I am excited to explore different sides of the digital world other than coding. This will help me understand what sides of the digital world I am interested in and want to persue.
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I completely agree that defining someone as a “maker” instead of “someone who makes things” seems restrictive. Being defined by a few qualities or interests is difficult, but on the other hand, it is helpful when meeting someone to learn about their main interests/traits in order to better understand them. It is a tough line to walk, but I agree that knowing all facets of a person is much better than just knowing some of their defining qualities.