A Little Light Loren Elise CHun
A little light Loren Elise chun
D e d i c at i o n I dedicate this book to all of my peers who may have fallen under depression or feel like the world has turned against them. I hope I am able to bring a little light to your life.
Acknowledgements
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would like to thank Freestyle Academy for giving me the resources and opportunities to create this book. I am especially grateful to all of my interviewees — Joseph and Jaxon Payer, Aili Koga, Diana Quach, and Mrs. Meghan Engle — for giving me their time and answering personal questions. I would also like to thank Mrs. Olivia Lin and Mr. Greco for helping me to develop my writing and improve as both an artist and critical thinker.
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Previous page: Aili Koga
From top left: Payer Family, Aili Koga, Meghan Engle
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Contents
Preface 8 Introduction 10 Chapter One 12
Chapter Two 16 Chapter three 20 Conclusion 22 Works Cited 22
Preface 8
A
s an artist, I have always gained inspiration from the world around me, more specifically the connection between people and their emotions and behaviors. With this in mind, I chose to focus on the emotion of happiness in order to create a more wholesome project in contrast to the traditional critical literature. When I observed the people around me, I wondered why people of my age tend to fall into depression so much. I wanted to learn how someone can go from being a child filled with energy and joy to a teen with no motivation to even wake up in the morning. And so, I took on the challenge to investigate happiness in people of all ages. With this general idea in mind, I struggled to find my overall message. However, after searching for an answer, I decided that I would want my book to be read by my peers so that they can be inspired to trudge through all of the negative pressures that they may be feeling and look on the brighter side of life towards their happiness. I wanted to instill hope. This project is ironic in a multitude of ways. For one, I consider myself a realist bordering on optimist. I find it easier to look on the negative side of things, so that when something good actually happens, it seems so much better and extravagant in comparison. However, I criticized people who use this approach in my book. Quite hypocritical if you ask me. However, thinking about it now, perhaps I also made this book so that I, myself, would change. The purpose of this book was to get my audience to look on the brighter side of life. Perhaps my subconscious chose this for the sake of getting my own views to change. To anyone who knows me, I may still seem more pessimistic, however, due to my research, I have developed a belief that all of the pain which I may go through will bring just as much joy. With that, I am proud to have chosen this topic because I have a different perspective on life. In addition, while it may be hypocritical to read a book about happiness by a self determined realist, I believe it just adds to my credibility. I see myself as taking a realistic and logical approach to life. If I am able to see the brighter side of things as a realist, then surely it must be there. Like I said previously, there was a lot of irony contained in this project. For example, despite doing a project on happiness, I felt a mass amount of frustration and sadness when working on my media projects. I had told myself that I would challenge myself in design by taking more conceptual photos, something which I hope I was able to achieve in this book. I did not want my book to focus solely on one person or on my interviewees. I wanted it to focus on the meaning behind happiness and the objects which it can derive from. Every image and every graphic element in this book is me trying to portray happiness in various ways for the sake of my book being able to connect to any person who may read it. Overall, despite the frustration that I felt and the constant challenges I have faced, I can say that I am proud of my hard work no matter the reaction of the reader. As an artist, I have learned that you cannot please everyone. Even if only one person likes my book, I consider it a success because at least I was able to bring joy to one person, which is more than enough for me.
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I ntr o d uctio n 10
A
The Light
re you happy? It’s a simple question, and yet, once you actually think about it, the answer becomes much more complex. I know I am not the only one who, when asked how I’m feeling, will answer with “I’m fine.” It is a common phrase that comes automatically to all people. But that phrase is vague and ambiguous. More importantly, it is often a lie, especially for teenagers. Being a teen myself, I see what is hidden behind the words and actions of the youth population. Psychologist Dr. Jean M. Twenge found that “50 percent more teens in 2015 versus 2011 demonstrated clinically diagnosable depression” (Twenge) in addition to suicide rates more than doubling for both males and females. The blame for this rise can be attributed to technology, social media, competition, whatever you please. Our society is becoming tarnished with war and rampage right before our eyes. We live in a time with high societal standards, competitive education, school massacres, fearful diseases, poverty, and hunger. Author, Charles Einstein, beautifully summarizes this cloud that traps us in his book The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Possible: “The pain from that, and from all the invisible violence of the Machine of industrial civilization, is more diffuse. It pervades our lives so completely that we barely know what it is like to feel good. Occasionally, we get a brief respite from it, maybe by grace, or through drugs, or being in love, and we believe in those moments that this is what is supposed to feel like to be alive. Rarely, though, do we stay there for very long, immersed as we are in a sea of pain” (Einstein 18). If we are trapped in this “sea of pain” what hope is there to escape from this suffocating chrysalis which we have created for ourselves? Much of this sea derives from the competition in schools or for jobs as well as the high standards created by the media. However, competition is a necessary part of improvement and to eliminate social media is utterly impossible with its ubiquity. So how do we find the light at the end of the tunnel? The thing which we must realize is that there is always light. In every sad memory or day, there is a little spark of light just waiting to be noticed. As psychologist Robert Biswas-Diener stated, “happy flourishing people don’t hide from negative emotions. They acknowledge that life is full of disappointment and confront them head on…” (Diener). I believe there is hope. I, who am under the same pressures of school, societal norms, and life, have noticed the little spark of light that shines in the darkness. I am here to guide you to that light as well. It is time to take a journey through the human life. To look to the future and regain our wings of hope that will carry us to the light. As Charles Einstein stated, “it is better not to obscure the despair, because real hope lies on its other side… True optimism comes from having traversed the territory of despair and taken its measure” (Einstein).
Happiness means contentment. Finding positive things in each day. I mean not all day is good, but you can find something good in each day. Meghan Engle
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C h a pte r O n e 12
The innocence Soon Lost
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hy is it that we feel nostalgic when we think about our childhood? When we are young, the world seems bigger and brighter. Life just seems happier. But why is this? According to journalist, Melissa Sher, it is because children take risks, they live in the moment, and they express themselves without a care in the world. Children are known to be simple minded and innocent. I decided to test this theory by interviewing 11 year old, Joseph Payer, and 9 year old, Jaxon Payer, on what makes them happy. At first I asked them what they thought the definition of happiness meant to which Jaxon responded, “happiness means like you’re so excited like you’re going somewhere or your going to see you grandparents or you’re going like to a vacation” (Payer). A very simplistic answer if you ask me. When asked the same question, Joseph said additionally that “it means to have a great time or do something you really like doing” (Payer). This question was very open ended and, as you will see in my later interviews, will stand to have a variety of answers. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, but both of these answers provided gave me a look into the values of many children. In their interviews, both children seemed to express that family and friends are a big part of one’s happiness. In Jaxon’s definition of happiness, he talks about seeing his grandparents. I had later asked Joseph what makes him happy to which he responded “being with family and friends” (Payer). He also later responded to the question of what makes happiness with the simple answer of people. In addition, Jaxon’s idea of a perfect life was simply “playing games with friends” (Payer). Humans are social beings, but interaction and communication are most important during one’s childhood. Meghan Engle, an art teacher at Mountain View High School and mother to 2 boys said that the most important thing to maintaining a child’s happiness is ultimately “unwavering unconditional love… always being there for them and having an open mind to communication…” (Engle). When talking about her happiness as a child, she also mentioned family extensively starting out her answer to if she was happy with “I had parents that loved me and a sister…” (Engle). Social interaction is key for children because, to them, the world revolves around them. They need someone who will watch and listen to them. They need someone to whom they can express their thoughts, ideas, and accomplishments to. A child is happy because they are expressive. They are not afraid what others think but wish to be in the spotlight of others’ thinking.
Happiness means like you’re so excited like you’re going somewhere or your going to see your grandparents or you’re going like to a vacation Jaxon Payer
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Children are hungry caterpillars. Like caterpillars, they follow their instincts and live impulsively. They continued moving forward, even when things get in their way, because they become focused on only the task at hand. Children live simple lives filled with little worries. Their minds are occupied with miniscule tasks like eating— literally as Jaxon’s answer to what makes happiness was “rice and spam” — or playing video games. They live carefree in the moment, unable to see too far ahead. For example, when asked about what makes him happy, Jaxon responded “playing PS4” and that playing foosball with his family who were, at that time playing, was what he wanted most and what scene he would find happy. This once again shows the simplicity of a child’s mind and how their minds are often preoccupied with the present to where the future is of no worry to them. Joseph too, responded with video games, saying that he wants other stuff, but that video games were the only thing he could think of at that moment in time. To children, the future seems very far away. There is a certain innocence that comes from their naivety and ability to live in the present without worries of the future. Children tend to be more optimistic, more hopeful, because they still believe there is light in the world. Children are able to see what we teens and adults cannot, which is the magic or light of the world. According to Diana Quach, a junior at Mountain View High School, children are more hopeful because they are not exposed to “the darkness of the world.” She states, “we don’t learn what happens politically as a child or how to pay taxes… as a child I didn’t need to worry about that stuff” (Quach). Generally, children do not concern themselves with the matters of the adult world. As I said, they live in the present. Children do not have that pressure that teens feel to decide what they will become as adults. Their lives are not yet driven by actions which they believe will benefit them in the future. They also do not contain the mindset of adults who focus on the stability for both their future and the future of their children. It is as they begin to become exposed to the more negative or realistic aspect of the world that they begin to become less optimistic. Meghan Engle agreed saying “I think children are definitely sheltered and that’s intentional. The psychology and the brain development, young children can’t comprehend the tragedies of the world” (Engle). We tend to shelter children from the world, waiting until they’re mature enough so that we can allow them to enjoy their childhood. Mrs. Engle also talked about her experiences out of country in Africa where they have very little compared to the children in the US and yet still have that innocence. “Children in East Africa with nothing play with a stick and a rock and they have so much joy and love in their hearts so it’s not about materialistic things, consumerism, possessions, devices, it’s about just opening your heart to unconditional love” (Engle). The innocence of a child is what makes them so bright. Their ability to live in the present without fears or worries is something which teens and adults lose. Their ability to love with discriminating allows them to enjoy their life before it is time for them to say goodbye to their lively garden. They continued moving forward impulsively. Taking risks and putting themselves out in the open, letting themselves be vulnerable to the world of predators around them. And as the hungry caterpillars continue to engulf the world around them, they slowly allow themselves to be confined by the societal norms which leads them to their suffocating teen years.
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Previous Page: Payer family picture book
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C h a pte r T w o 16
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The stresses of Adolescents
omething grand happens when you reach your teenage years. No longer are you that innocent and naive child you were just a couple of years ago. Now, you have begun to discriminate. You have begun to distinguish the differences between people and this has lead you to view the world differently. The world no longer seems so vast and your dreams seem further than ever. But why is this? Why does all of this happen? To get a different perspective besides my own of a teenager’s mind, I asked my friend, Diana Quach. To her, it seems that much of the change in a person’s mood when they become a teenager is from the stresses of school. She states, “In elementary school, I remember most of my classmates being very happy with what they were doing during that time… but nowadays you go around high school like Mountain View, where I constantly hear people talking like ‘oh I probably failed that test’” (Quach). The teenage years are a vulnerable time. They are a time where people actively seek to find themselves and build up their future. The stresses of high school and the pressures created to get into college and become successful really detriment the emotional state of teenagers and leave many into depression. Mountain View High School teacher, Meghan Engle, agreed with Diana saying that “I think there’s a brain and physical development stages and adolescents have their own stuff they’re working through. Hormones, pressures and society… someone in their teen years with maybe pressure from your parents or your parents or teachers or the siblings, friends, people tend to retreat into some sadness or depression or
anxiety” (Engle). School adds a lot to the weight of a teenager. The teen years are the times where school and learning really matters. It is a time where they begin to become stressed about their grades because, to them, bad grades leads to a bad future with no career and no money to survive. They not only have to find themselves, but plan their future. The adolescent years are when every action defines their future. Every A in school is another step towards a better college, and hence, a better life in the future. All of this begins to slowly overwhelm as they begin to suffocate under the pressure from their parents, peers, and future. Mrs. Engle also included the impact of social media and technology. She states “I didn’t have so much influence of devices and media. I know that people are happy with that, but there’s this kind of pressure today, where people have that ‘fear of missing out’ because a lot of people portray their best selves via social media and websites and blogs versus the real deal” (Engle). It is known that human beings are social animals, hence it would be thought of that social media would increase our happiness because it would increase our social connections and improve our abilities to allow us to contact other people. However, social media also lessens real face to face contact which is necessary for humans. Psychologist Jean M. Twenge found that the state of teens began to drop as phones became ubiquitous. She states “I’d found that teens were spending less time with their friends in person and more time communicating electronically… teens started spending less time face-to-face and their psychological well-being plummeted”(Twenge).
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As teens begin to interact with their peers, they begin to start trying to find themselves, but are blocked from fully maturing due to the pressures they feel from both school and society. Mountain View High School Junior, Aili Koga, also finds phones to be detrimental. She states: “While I do think social media has given us a platform to make connections and have a bigger voice in society, I also think it presents everyone with even more competition. 24/7 we’re bombarded with pictures of people with perfect looks and perfect lives. No one really shares the ugly parts of themselves on social media and as a result many viewers are left feeling jealous and maybe a bit unhappy with themselves. We’re constantly comparing ourselves with other people and I think it adds more stress.” (Koga). Social media and technology has caused a sort of competition among teens. A competition to have more followers and more likes. A competition to become more popular. This pressure to be liked by others is greatly felt by teens as they are at their most vulnerable age. It causes them to hide their true selves and confine themselves in an inescapable chrysalis. There is a common instinct among teens: the need to hide one's true thoughts and feelings. In her interview, Diana Quach said that “smiles are just a facade of happiness that people put on” (Quach). Smiles are often masks to hide the pain inside. However, that does not mean that it is wrong to smile when you are feeling down. There’s that quote of “fake it till you make it.” As cynical as that quote may seem, in this case, it is quite helpful. Dr. Laura Markham who studies cultivating happiness in children says that a wonderful tool to achieving happiness is to smile. 18
Previous Page: Diana Quach
Diana Quach
“Smiling makes us happier, even when we initially force it. The feedback from our facial muscles informs us that we’re happy, and immediately improves our mood” (Markham). So something that teens can do is to smile. Diana Quach thinks that “if you have the strength to smile, then that’s saying something about your because you can achieve your happiness through the pain that you’re going through under that smile” (Quach). Smiling even when you’re down shows you that you are strong and will give you a more positive outlook on life. Sure it can become a mask that you put on, but embrace that mask in order to free yourself from your confines of social media and school and mature so that you can break out of your chrysalis and fly towards your dreams.
Smiles are just a facade of happiness that people put on… if you have the strength to smile, then that’s saying something about your because you can achieve your happiness through the pain that you’re going through under that smile Diana Quach
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Chapter Three 20
A
A brighter Future
s you begin to face the reality of the dreams which you thought of as a child and teen, one may think that you would become disappointed as happiness is often defined by reality divided by our expectations. Authors Amit Bhattacharjee and Cassie Mogilner wrote that “young people actively seeking to define themselves find it particularly rewarding to accumulate extraordinary experiences that mark their progression through life milestones. On the other hand, once people are older and have established a better sense of who they are, the experiences they view as self-defining are just as likely to include to the routine daily events that reveal how they like to spend their time” (Huffington). As we continue on from our teen years and find who we are, slowly settling down into our responsibilities, our lives seem to lose its excitement as we reach the time of true independence. According to Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson, “ Social psychologists describe this change as a consequence of a gradual shifting from promotion motivation -- seeing our goals in terms of what we can gain, or how we can end up better off, to prevention motivation—seeing our goals in terms of avoiding loss and keeping things running smoothly” (Halvorson). As people transition into adulthood their values switch from the focus of advancement and promotion to more stagnant values like security and stability. From this, one would think that the excitement of life faced in your twenties would fade and leave you empty. Psychologist Jean M. Twenge found that “adults over 30 are no longer happier than their counterparts… one reason for this shift may be a collective rise in how well Americans expect their lives to go” (Twenge). This follows the phrase that happiness is defined as reality divided by expectations. As discussed in the previous chapter, we build these dreams for our lives during our childhood and adolescent lives. These expectations seems so high that looking at adulthood, it seems inevitable for people to become disappointed with their reality. However, this does not hold true for all adults. Teens should not fret about this inevitable sadness. Teacher, Meghan Engle, has learned otherwise. In my interview with her, she had stated that she believed the thirties were the best years. She discussed how a main factor to a teen’s stress is their pressure to get good grades and to get into a prestigious college. She then explains that a person has normally gone through the process of school, college, and finding a job by the time they’re thirty. And therefore, they can relieve themselves of the stresses they faced, causing the thirties to seem like happier years because you can look back on those years and reflect on how you were able to conquer it all. Happiness follows the common philosophy that there is a balance to everything. You need to experience the stresses that you feel as a teen in order for you to fully appreciate and achieve the happiness you gain as an adult. For many, being an adult means freedom and independence. It is the time where you rise from the confinements and pressures you faced as a teen. No longer are you trapped by your expectations. Now you have found your career and are able to break through the barriers and fly to the rest of your future.
“Insert Mrs. Engle’s Quote Here”
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C o nc lu s i o n 22
T
Fly forward
hroughout this book I have tried to instill the idea that there is hope for the future as you conquer the depression you face as a teen. However, this only constitutes for long lasting happiness. What about your current happiness? How can you be happy currently or help children to find happiness when they reach their adolescent stages? Sometimes it is the little things in life that counts. As I had said earlier, there is something we can learn from children, and that is to live in the present and appreciate the simple things in life. Junior, Aili Koga, stated that “having good conversations, getting some early morning exercise, eating fruit or salad, having dessert, and being with family” (Koga), are all little things that make her happy. All of these have been proven to be true. By taking care of yourself you will surely feel better and conversing with family and friends is something which all humans thrive off of. Overall, it is best to remember to look on the brighter side of life. As hard as it may be, you should not put so much focus on the negatives of the world as our society has begun to do. You look at the news and you see threats of war or shootings or a natural disaster. However, by focusing on those, you will become oblivious to all of the good that is happening in the world. Teacher, Meghan Engle, stated, “Happiness means contentment. Finding positive things in each day. Not all day is good, but you can find something good in each day” (Engle). There are little pieces of happiness in each day. Perhaps it is a joke someone told or a coin found on the street. Whatever you find, appreciate it. As said earlier in this book, you must traverse despair to truly appreciate joy. And that is what is wonderful about humans. We are able to trudge through all hardships that come after us. Yes, they may become overwhelming at times, but we overcome them. We are able to get through the rain and fly towards the future. As said by author Charles Einstein, “however compelling the cynicism, a childlike idealism lives within us, always ready to believe, always ready to look upon new possibilities with fresh eyes, surviving despite infinite disappointments” (Einstein).
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Wo r ks c ited 24
Einstein, Charles. The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Possible. North Atlantic Books, 2013. Engle, Meghan. Personal Interview. 20 Mar. 2018. Halvorson, Heidi Grant. “How Happiness Changes With Age.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company. 28 May, 2013. www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/how-happiness-changes-withage/276274/. Accessed 15 Feb. 2018. Koga, Aili. Personal Interview. 16 Apr. 2018. Markham, Laura. “Teaching Your Child the Art of Happiness.” Aha! Parenting. www.ahaparenting. com/parenting-tools/emotional-intelligence/happiness. Accessed 3 Mar. 2018. “Study Reveal Surprising Link Between Age and Happiness.” The Huffington Post.TheHuffingtonPost. com. 12 Feb. 2014. www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/age-and-happiness_n_4773484. html.Accessed 27 Mar. 2018. Payer, Jaxon. Personal Interview. 3 Mar. 2018. Payer, Joseph. Personal Interview. 3 Mar. 2018. Quach, Diana. Personal Interview. 8 Feb. 2018. Quach, Diana. Personal Interview. 13 Apr. 2016. Twenge, Jean M. “Why So Many of Today’s Teens Are Depressed.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. 25 Aug. 2017. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/our-changing-culture/201708/ why-so-many-todays-teens-are-depressed. Accessed 15 Feb. 2018. Twenge, Jean M. “Young People Are Happier Than They Used to Be.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company. 5 Nov. 2015. www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/11/the-age-happinessconnection-is-breaking-down/414349/ Accessed 15 Feb. 2018.
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Loren Chun is a junior at Mountain View High School and an animation student at Freestyle Academy. She loves to sketch and observe the world around her. While she has an interest in philosophy, she hopes to pursue art, more specifically animation, as her career. She tends to be very reserved and introverted, however she enjoys deep conversations with her friends and family and is always open to listen to people’s problems. She often tries to empathize with people while staying true to her own roots and hopes to be able to take people’s stories and put it into her art.
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A Little Light Loren Elise CHun