Response to Effie Rieper's Visit

The discussion with Effie Rieper was very eye-opening and informative. In comparison to the talks I have participated in the past, this one was definitely the most real and inspiring in terms of encouraging me to work on my own type of art. I really enjoyed seeing their work progress over the years and how they disrupted art in a multitude of ways (and continue to do so). I think what struck me most about the entire presentation that Effie gave was the authenticity Effie spoke with. I haven’t ever really seen anyone who has had this level of experience come forward and be so straightforward about their experiences. It really provided me with a true insight as to what the creative and technological career world actually looks like and how to approach it the best way I can.

Personally, I connect with music immensely myself so it was really gratifying to see an artist who has experience in an endless amount of aspects of art who has been able to take sound and music and connect it to their work in so many ways. I have been feeling pretty lost career wise because I know I want to work somewhere in tech with coding, but I also have a desire to design and work with graphics and other forms of media. This visit really helped me in stressing far less about finding a job and encouraged me to find the art that excites me. Clearly large corporations aren’t everything they are made out to be. A six-figure job doesn’t necessarily mean success. Being proud in one’s own work and being able to call it your own art as Effie did when referring to their current art, reflects how proud and happy someone can be when they’re producing projects which truly encompass who they are as a person.

I have always been unsure as to what it means to be a creative technologist and how people are able to combine so many different passions and ideas into one concrete career or passion. However, watching the videos about Effie’s thesis and apps that Effie has worked on are great examples of how remixes of one’s own ideas open doors to an endless path of new projects and ideas. I look forward to carrying that with me and beginning to remix my own art to inspire myself for further projects.