Take a look in the mirror
Last week we asked you all to share aspects of your dreams, and try to identify what you think this says about you. Little by little, we keep digging in to the elements that make up our identities, and reflecting on these pieces. This learning event, we continue to reflect on our identities, but also think about where we’d like these parts of our identity to take us.
Specifically, we’re asking what do you see in your reflection? What does the mirror say about you? What narrative do you wish the mirror told? What truths are only known in the mirror? Where can the mirror possibly bring you?
Not your boring old mirror
Throughout time, mirrors have been considered by some to hold special powers and a bit of magic. We all know the story of the Magic Mirror in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I also recommend this piece by Tschida, Ryan & Ticknor that examines aspects of windows and mirrors in children’s literature.
Mirrors have also held special significance in cultures around the world. The Chinese myth of the Fauna of Mirrors suggests there are alternate universes beyond mirrors. In Greek mythology, we are reminded by the events of Narcissus and his reflection, while Perseus was able to use a reflection to defeat the evil Medusa. In Japanese myths, Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess is seized and returned to the sky after being tricked by her own reflection. In the Aztec culture, magicians would use black obsidian to divine the future from Tezcatlipoca, the god of rulership and sorcery.
In thinking about the myth and magic in mirrors and reflections, what do you see in the mirror? What do you divine about your future, or your past given what you see in the reflection? Can the mirror bring you somewhere? What does the mirror say about you? What does the mirror reflect about your digital identity? What does the mirror possibly communicate to you?
How do I do this?
Read and annotate Two Fusiliers by Robert Graves.
Review the following video by Michael Jackson.
Consider the meaning and aspects of reflection in the two texts. What common threads and elements are found across the texts? What truth do the two authors of these texts share about reflection? What is our role in this events? What role should our own reflections play as motivated by these texts? What truths and possible futures are only known in the reflection?
You might choose to use Soundcloud to record and or annotate a version of the Michael Jackson song shared above. You might also choose to remix the video using a mockup in Mozilla Popcorn.
Capture and share this reflection and share it out to the #WalkMyWorld hashtag. Keep an eye on the hashtag and favorite, retweet, and respond to the work of others.
A guiding example
Project participant and friend of the Internet Kevin Hodgson (@dogtrax) created and shared this blog post on Digital IS in which he reflected on the avatars that represent his digital identity.
Cover image CC BY-NC 2.0 Village Square
Top image CC BY-NC 2.0 Felix Nine
Middle image CC BY-NC 2.0 Felix Nine
Bottom image CC BY-NC 2.0 Felix Nine
Mentions