Myths & More

Success looks different for everyone. Neil Gaiman’s advice on the creative life I read Gaiman’s book Art Matters a few weeks ago, just after finishing his book Good Omens (I’m excited to watch the Amazon adaptation soon). There are a few novels on creativity that inspire me: one of them is The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The other one is Art Matters. Gaiman’s book was a reaffirmation to chase my dreams, continue writing the things that I liked, and above all, make good art. Seven ways to crush self doubt in creative work These seven rules, as listed by John Spencer, are similar to the creative tools that I use in my day-to-day life. Still, it’s easy to get distracted by everything going on in life, or the lack there-of. That’s why it’s important to set goals and stick to them. On top of that, it’s important to promote self-care and treat yourself to the finer things in life every once in a while. To reiterate Spencers seven ways of crushing self-doubt:  Don’t c...

The  Basilisk Czech: The Three Roses Original: A mother visits the local market to bring back gifts for her three daughters only to stumble across a palace rose garden on the way home. When she takes three roses for her younger daughter Mary, a basilisk appears and threatens the mother to send her daughter to the castle. After nursing the Basilisk for three days, she is told to cut off his head twice and turns into a handsome youth, who she marries. Retelling: I’ve already written retelling of this story during week 2, where Mary and the Basilisk have a strongly developed relationship and the Basilisk has a more complex character. Still, I really enjoyed this story any would like to develop it further if it became a final project, making a definitive beginning, middle and end.  The  Dragon Greece: How the Dragon was Tricked Original: After escaping a trap by his older brother, a young trickster is brought to the king and is told that his life will be spa...

The Basilisk Mary Once, there lived a mother with her three daughters in a humble cottage. A market was to open soon in a nearby town, and as such the mother planned to go. She asked her daughters if they would like anything from the market. The two eldest daughters named many things, the sort of things young women would admire. After their many requests, the mother turned to the third and youngest daughter and asked, “And you, is there anything you would like?” The youngest, whose name was Mary, only smiled and kindly replied, “I am fine, thank you. But if you like, three roses would be lovely.” And so the mother traveled to the town market and found many things, such things that her eldest daughters would enjoy. The journey back home was long, and even longer in the dark. As night fell, it became harder for the mother to find her way back, especially for someone traveling alone. Through the forest she came across a palace which seemed strange-she did ...

Image of a classic basilisk at the top of the illustration Link to to the original story. Author:  Josef Štefan Kubín (author), Josef Baudiš (English translator) Title: The Three Roses (selected reading from Czech Folk Tales ©1917 and The Key of Gold ©1922) Josef Štefan Kubín Josef Baudiš Notes: After digging around on the internet for a bit, I found that Josef Štefan Kubín (1864-1965), a Czech folklorist, was the original author of The Three Roses . Josef Baudiš (1883-1933) was a Czech Celticist who translated various Czech stories into English in 1917, including the works of Kubín.  Characters: Mother First Daughter Second Daughter Third Daughter, Mary Basilisk (Greek origin: “little king”, often depicted as a crested serpent) Castle attendants Places: Town market Forest Castle Palace garden Objects: Three roses Sword Gold keys Events: Mother asks her daughters if they want souvenirs...

Snippet from "How the Dragon was Tricked" After looking through many stories this past weekend, I found a few that caught my attention.  CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units Week 3: (Women Saints) Golden Legend: Saint Juliana Week 4: (Women Saints) Golden Legend: Saint Martha MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units Week 5: Georgian Folk Tales: The Serpent and the Peasant Week 6: Georgian Folk Tales: Fate ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units [Week 8 is review week.] Week 7: Japanese Mythology: The Miraculous Mirror Week 9: Ozaki: The Adventures of Kintaro NATIVE AMERICAN units Week 10: Tejas Legends: The Maiden Who Loved a Star Week 11: Tejas Legends: When the Rainbow was Torn BRITISH and/or CELTIC units Week 12: English Fairy Tales: The Stars in the Sky Week 13: Welsh Fairy Tales: Hu Gadarn EUROPEAN units Week 14: Lang 1: How the Dragon was Tricked Week 15: Literary Works: The Little Mermaid I’m very excited to read the stories on this list, especially the Japanese mythologies, since I...

Relatable. If there’s anything that I fall victim to, it’s procrastination. For me, procrastination can come in various forms. In the past I’ve had a lack of motivation or inspiration on creative projects. Sometimes I’m subjected to artist’s block, a variation of writer’s block. For those who don’t know or need a refresher on the definition, writer’s block is when a creative individual, either as a hobby or profession, becomes stuck or uninspired with their work, thus losing the ability to produce any new work. It’s a real drag, and nothing has ever frustrated me more than artist’s block. Eventually I was able to solve this issue after reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, which I still refer to from time to time (I highly recommend it for you creative types out there). A lot of the motivational tools I use can also be found in Caroline Webb’s article, How to Beat Procrastination . For example, when I share my ideas with other people, I commit myself to working through my pro...

Thanks, Pokémon NPC.  I am familiar with most of the tools that we will be using for this course. For instance, I already use Google Docs for my assignments and my personal creative projects. Having Google Docs as an online resource, I can use it on the go anywhere and anytime, and I can look at my documents from my phone, laptop, or any other device. Websites that I use for inspiration include Pinterest, Tumblr and Wix, and in the past I have bounced back and forth between Canva and Adobe Illustrator for graphic design, depending on the project. Though I haven’t used it for years, I am getting the hang of Blogger. I’m unfamiliar with Diigo and Twine, but if tools like these can be beneficial for this course, then that may change very soon. 

Neil Gaiman, from his book Art Matters . Art by Chris Riddell. Regarding the course as a whole, this is the first time that I will take an online class for a whole semester. It’s new territory for me, but so far it’s proven to be efficient. I’m excited about the readings and retelling various stories featured in the course. Some of the extra credit options grabbed my attention as well — for example, the Wikipedia Trails sounds like a fun assignment, since delving into research is a hobby of mine. I also want to be able to interact with the class more since we aren’t meeting in person on a weekly basis, and I’m always down for some extra reading when I have the time. Overall, it seems like I’ll have my work cut out for me this fall!

Source I’ve never heard of Carol Dweck before this article, though I am familiar with the term growth mindset. Coined by Dweck, there are individuals who, with an optimistic mindset, will believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. While this is a valid argument, it is not the first time this idea has been mentioned, and frankly I found Dweck’s statement to be condescending. The key point that I believe in, as noted by Paunesku and Kohn, is that educators shouldn’t focus solely on changing a student’s mindset, but rather challenge the academic system itself. The bigger issue is that most schools, especially in the U.S., have fallen into a routine of teaching certain subjects and expecting the highest performance of students by their grades, when they haven’t stopped to think about whether or not the material being taught nationwide is useful, interesting or even beneficial to students.  College is different from compulsory educ...

The artist herself Hello and welcome! My name is Natalie, and I’m a senior majoring in art at the University of Oklahoma. If you read my previous post, then you’ll know that I was born and raised in Texas, hailing from the great city of Dallas. I like good art, good food, and good people. My goals include becoming a professional illustrator, a comic artist (the kind that draws, not the kind that does standup), and maintaining a stable income to support my current/future dogs and cats. A crane spotted at the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden You’re probably wondering why I’m taking this class. In short, I’m a nerd. Outside of art, I like reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and good-humored romance. I also like reading up on things, including non-fiction books, biographies, autobiographies, and endless Wikipedia articles. And when I’m not reading, I’m usually playing video games. Airplane view while heading back to the U.S. from Japan But I am an artist. I like to try...

Image Source LGBTQ+ Stories by Natalie  https://sites.google.com/view/lgbtqstories/home I really liked this series, and not just because the author and I share the same name. I enjoyed reading fairytale stories an LGBTQ+ theme, giving the protagonists satisfactory or happy endings. It’s a nice nod to classic fantasy with the addition of queer representation that was subtly written. My personal favorite was How Britomart Won the Day , which is similar to the original Stories from the Faerie Queene by Mary Macleod (with the exception that Britomart is nonbinary.) The Dragon Under the Yew by Hayley https://sites.google.com/view/thedragonundertheyew/home Not the ending I was expecting, but a good twist. There were some parts of the story that I felt would be stronger if written earlier or later in the story, though it doesn’t take away from the plotline as a whole. I also like the author’s research of how true events inspire stories, art imitates life, and so on...

I was born and raised in Texas, so naturally I have a soft spot for the city that I grew up in. Dallas has a special place in my heart that has only grown stronger with age. I’m particularly fond of North Dallas, with its charming neighborhoods, scenic parks, fine eateries and endless shopping locations. The downtown arts district is also lovely, being home to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (my alma mater),  the Crow Collection of Asian Art, The Dallas Museum of Art, the Meyerson Symphony Center, the Nasher Sculpture Center, The Perot Museum, and much more. Yours truly, at the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, TX Fun fact, I studied abroad in Japan for about six months this last semester through OU. Japan is absolutely beautiful in the spring, especially where I was based — Kyoto. Believe it or not, it was actually hotter there due to the stagnant humidity. Even so, it was beautiful, completely pristine and endlessly exciting. I...

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