Hope Fletcher Portfolio
Values
Hope
Words To Live By
My first STEAM assignment of my junior year was about my values, what's important to me. We tested ourselves on the theory of basic human values so we could better understand what those values were.
Maybe I’m lazy for choosing this, but I believe I was named Hope for a reason. Hope has kept me alive, it’s what you hold onto when you have nothing left. In a world full of darkness, look for the light.
Hope
I planned on showing my value of Hope and 'Light In The Darkness' with a Dreamcatcher because they're important to me and my family. They are to be hung above a bed where they can be touched by light and allow the good dreams to pass through, catching the nightmares. My Uncle gifted one to me during a time I struggled with nightmares, that gave me Hope.
The main color of this Dreamcatcher is black, the darkness, which would be best represented in the web. After researching different ways to knit the web, I decided on a spiral Dreamcatcher because it's tightly knitted and leaves little space in between the twine, I also thought that the spiral design flowing out from the center implies that place is powerful. The center is the only part of the web I'll leave open, allowing the light to shine through, representing Hope, the light in the darkness. I later added LED sequins around the center to create even more light in case the web itself didn't show that enough.
Hanging from the rim of the web I would tie some of the feathers my chickens lost from molting and paper cranes. I learned how to fold paper cranes in elementary school after reading a book about a hospitalized Japanese girl. It was a common tradition to fold 1,000 paper cranes for someone who needed healing to give them Hope. That's stuck with me, and I often give them to people as a thank you. I folded them with plain white paper because a white bird also symbolizes Hope.
Out of 4
3.5
What does the project do well to capture the value and skill chosen?
"It has a light in the middle."​
What suggestions do you have to improve this project?
"Brighter lights."
3.75
What does the project do well to capture the value and skill chosen?
"Shows representation of both light and darkness."
​What suggestions do you have to improve this project?
"Make it a little more clear that the lights in the middle represent you."
-(They're not supposed to represent me!)
3.5
What does the project do well to capture the value and skill chosen?​​​
"Hope."
​
What suggestions do you have to improve this project?
"Add lights kind of night lights."
4.0
What does the project do well to capture the value and skill chosen?
"The LED inbetween the weavings."
​
​​​What suggestions do you have to improve this project?
"Larger scale project."
3.75
What does the project do well to capture the value and skill chosen?
""The LED."
​
​​​What suggestions do you have to improve this project?
"The detail in the stitching."
Reflection
I think my Dreamcatcher project has been a success. I achieved all of my plans and even added to my original idea to make the project more difficult. It looks just like what I'd imagined this Dreamcatcher would be. Although, I am a little worried that my idea of Light In The Darkness wasn't easily recognized. A lot of this project was symbolic to me, like the Dreamcatcher and paper cranes, but not everyone would know about their symbolism. I might have been thinking about myself too much rather than how I was going to spread my idea to my peers and audience.
If I had more time, I would've done two more things. First, I'd put more thought into my audience and how I can represent my idea of Light In The Darkness to them. Second, I would've liked to make my Dreamcatcher more traditional. I was taught that the circle of a Dreamcatcher is made of braided red willow and the netting sinew. Creating a traditional Dreamcatcher is still something only me and a few others would find value in. Despite that, this project had a lot of meaning to me, and I plan on making a bigger and more traditional Dreamcatcher for my Home.