Done for stage 1 of my personal project. And now I gladly embrace stage 2, the research process. In the second process, I’ve learnt and valued the importance of having to do my research, it helps me to understand and moves me a step closer towards my destination.
My research allows me to understand myself better. Such as my different preferences, my views on certain issues and the advantage of enhancing my knowledge even though I may feel it’s least important in this process. As investigation and study of materials and sources helps me to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Therefore, my next step was planning how to embark on my personal project. I sat down and planned my next step on a piece of paper. By writing my plans and thoughts down, helps to remind myself, and it also reassures I would not forget. Giving myself datelines are also helpful as it pushes me to complete my self-given task.
Ways I would tackle this step. First, I would gather inspiration. Information and ideas from magazines, Internet, television and even famous fashion designers where ever or whatever that inspires me to create something out of nothing. Next, I would plan my route slowly and carefully. I’ll start by making small creations (eg. designing a shirt, recreate shorts, start my own blog shop, experimenting on sewing and learning more about cloths). Lastly, completely sew a dress.
My process for stage 1 was definitely easy but as for stage 2, I faced many challenges and problems. I realized I did not gathered sufficient information from my research. I had too many things to grasps and understand in this new interest. Trying to complete this personal project was harder than I thought. I must say that I had my struggles and I’m in the process of overcoming them. I hope in this journey, I would be able to learn perseverance. So, I will finish my personal project with great achievement and a sense of satisfaction. As I do know that this project is crucial for my future and me.
I encountered three major problems in the midst of the stage 2 process journal. They were issues of time management, feeling lost at what to do and the difficulty in making my dress. My first challenge was time management. I did not have the abundance in time. In addition, I had numerous commitments such as family time and church responsibilities. Also, the upcoming major at that time I had to prepare. These made me choose to study and neglect my personal project. And this was not helpful, as I have accumulated a lot of blog post throughout each week leaving me with endless number of blog post overdue. The next problem I faced was feeling lost with my plan. Caught in between my final decision of choosing if I should or should not design the dress because it was too tedious. I did not know where to go, what to do and how to continue from where I stopped. This made me feel like giving up on the entire project. Lastly, the most difficult part was to do create the dress. As, I had no experience in dressmaking. Sewing w as a major issue for me, as I did not know how too, drawing the proportion of the dress and the body was also a problem. Facing all these challenges made me want to discontinue my personal project entirely.
I think that there could be lesser problems if I have planned my time wisely and weigh my decision carefully. However, I realized I think of better ideas when I put my mind and heart at it. From the beginning I should have draft out a timetable and follow them accordingly and strictly. If I did I would have solved all my initial problems by now and things will be a lot easier for me now.
The unsolved problems cause a backlog of work. My personal project is affected by laziness and my lack of self-discipline. For example, I have a lot of things to learn and find out. But I would delay visits to the fabric store, Spotlight. Or even easily I would be too lazy to Google for more information pertaining to my end- product. Hence, my knowledge about the things I need to know were not broaden thanks to my idleness. The shortfall my courage was also an issue because I was too scared and insecure to ask for help even though I was dying to know how to know what I wanted to do.
What I eventually came to terms with was that my personal project was about how to I create clothes. As time passed, I realized that I was lagging far behind my classmates and how I had to catch up with them. I talked to a few of my classmate about my ideas and needed help to reorganize my thoughts and posts. I managed to come up with a conclusion with their help and expectations of what I could achieve and what I could not such as designing the entire collection of clothes because that was out of my league. Instead, I would just create only one piece of garment.
I managed to come up with a few research materials that were borne out of sheer desperation of time. I thought it through and came to a clear final conclusion. The benefit that I would gain from coming up with a solution was that I would be able to continue doing my personal project. Which means the faster I get things done, the faster I would finish my personal project. The faster I finish my personal project; I would be able to focus my time and energy on my “O” levels. As I do know that this project is extremely time consuming and I have to concentrate on my studies. I do think this is absolutely a vicious cycle. If I can’t get the first thing done, I cannot carry on with the next and nothing would be completed. Hence, the benefits to the solution would be completing my personal project on schedule.
Based on content wise in my personal project, I would not grade myself because I do not fully understand the standard of a good blog post about fashion design or how good my planning of design would be. Whilst for effort, on a scale of one to ten, I would grade myself a three. Comparatively in stage one I would have given myself a seven. In the research process I did not put any effort or my time into it. No hard work was displayed throughout my blog post or my given assignment such as this. This report I am writing is two weeks overdue. I was severely lagging behind the given assignments and datelines. Therefore, I do not deserve a higher grade. According to the personal project system, I do not think that I have reach the required target of my desired grade. However, now I am turning the tables around. I will give my best in every shot. I will be re-editing my process journal posts. Making it more complete and putting effort and time into personal project. I wish to hit the personal project grade of at least a 2 or 3. So that I may have a chance in this direct polytechnic admission because I cannot comprehend how much I want this.
Research is key. For the reason I need the knowledge to complete my personal project. To explain how I did the things I did or why did I do the things I did because certainly there is a reason behind every doing weather is it big or small. From the report given, I must say that the personal project is of paramount importance. Having to create a dress from scratch without any hint of familiarity or understanding. Therefore research for me was essential. If not, I will not be able to produce a garment. With the help of my research, I managed to decide what dress will I design and how would I create it. Therefore I do agree that research is positively effective.
I guess that the best lesson I have learnt from the process stage would be perseverance. In the midst of the personal project, I found myself wanting to abandon my personal project. However I keep reminding myself how this personal project would make such a huge impact in my life if I got in my desired course, Apparel Design. Knowing that the cut off point was far beyond my capability to achieve. This made me to press on. I learnt that nothing comes easy but with perseverance you’ll reap what you sow.
If I should advise a junior, I would say that he/she should choose a topic particularly towards his/her interest. Next I would advice them to draft out a timetable and stick closely towards it. I would also suggest doing more planning and researching in the first year instead of the second. As most likely they would like to concentrate on their studies in their major year. From what I have learned, I would tell them perseverance is fundamental.
“Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1286);
I found this quote and I liked it a lot because it applies to me. First I have to do what is necessary which is to finding more about sewing and cloths. Next is doing the possible, which is to begin sewing my dress. And finally the impossible, maybe one day I would be a well-known fashion designer. Who knows?
Overall, stage 2 for me was rough. It feels like running on sand. It’s hard to run and you are not going anywhere or progressing. I still got a lot more to catch up and complete. I got to find my muse and the zealous spirit where I first started. But I am glad I have gotten this far.
