First and foremost, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mai Ohana (Pronounced “My” and yes “Ohana” like in Lilo and Stitch). I currently attend The Professional Performing Arts School in the heart of New York City’s Theatre District (right next to Times Square you can only imagine how crowded my subway is in the morning).
I am a born and raised New York City soul, currently occupying and apartment in the West Village. Let me take this time out to say that there is no place else I could ever imagine myself. There is no other venue that would feel quite as home as the city does. Apart from Drama, I am interested in perusing a career as a Graphic Designer. I am particularly interested in Typography.There is just something about language and visual art I find enchanting and Typography is the perfect fusion of the two.
I think the quote that accurately describes how I feel about language comes from the movie Waking Life.
“…But when it gets really interesting, I think is when we use that same system of symbols to communicate all the abstract and intangible things that we’re experiencing. What is “frustration”? Or what is “anger” or “love”? When I say “love” the sound comes out of my mouth and it hits the other person’s ear, travels through this byzantine conduit in their brain through their memories of love or lack of love. And they register what I’m saying and they say yes they understand, but how do I know? Because words are inert. They’re just symbols. They’re dead. You know? And so much of our experience is intangible. So much of what we perceive cannot be expressed. It’s unspeakable. And yet, you know, when we communicate with one another and we feel that we have connected and we think we’re understood I think we have a feeling of almost spiritual communion. And that feeling may be transient, but I think it’s what we live for.”
– Kim Krizan
To me this quote fully embodies everything I adore and admire about language. I guess that’s also why I’m so interested in blogging. Being able to communicate my experiences and have other people internalize it and take it for what it is, is what is I live for.
As far as classes go, I have taken one other course at FIT: HTS 154: Screen Printing T-Shirts (Although I took the class twice because I loved it so much and Linda Daly has so much to offer, so maybe that counts as two classes?). I am currently enrolled in the HAD 149: Advertising and Graphic Design Portfolio class which I am looking forward to with great anticipation.
Apart from my classes at FIT, I am currently in a new play (so new it isn’t even fully written) titled “A Spare Me” at my school and I participated in the School of Visual Art’s Pre-College summer program (taking classes in graphic design of course!). As for my long(ish) tern goals, I see myself staying in the city for college (AHHH!!) and attending art school in the city as a Graphic Design major. I’m monumentally excited for my classes to get underway.
What I hope to get out of this class is a new understanding and appreciation for graphic design, a few great pieces to put in my portfolio, and to learn a thing or two (or three or four) about the advertising world since it seems to go hand in hand with graphic design. I thank all the people at FIT for this opportunity, and hope everyone takes full advantage of their classes!
Mai