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Rejuvenation is the act of restoring youth and giving a new energy to something. It represents nostalgia and reminiscing on good memories while creating new ones.
Your editors: Leah Bezuayehu, Linda Trinh, and Jaya Winemiller
For our eighth issue, iNKBLOT reminisces on Gen Z's childhood. With COVID 19 affecting our experience of youth, we grew up in the blink of an eye. Before becoming adults and saying goodbye to CA, we wanted to creatively reflect on our innocent and carefree childhoods one last time. We decided to combine modern trends with nostalgic memories for the aesthetic of this issue.
In the midst of our rapidly evolving world, making time for play allows us to feel rejuvenated, so it is easier handle change. This is iNKBLOT Rejuvenation.
Rejuvenation brings us back to life out with the old, in with the new.
Contributors………………...1-2 Why Rejuvenation…………………..3Dedication.………………..5-6 Make New of What’s Old………………11-12 The Sound of CornellFashionMusic………………15-16DesignManagementatUniversity………………21-22 Artist Spotlight: Ben Natan …………….25-26 The Nature of CleanHair…….………..29-30Cut……………...35-36 Artist Spotlight: EJ Jo………………39-40 My Culture………………45-46
Dear Señora Toreson, Your encouragement and enthusiasm has brought out the best in us. As our teacher, mentor, and friend, you inspire us to think outside the box and use our creativity for all aspects in life. You not only helped us grow as Spanish speakers, but as individuals. Your classes are always undoubtedly fun and let us forget our troubles and worries, almost as if we were 6 years old again. While not everyone has the privilege of having you as a teacher, your presence is vital in Cary Academy's community outside of the language department. For this, we thank you. iNKBLOT Editorial Team
The
Global warming is getting tremendously worse by the day with little time left to help reverse the possibly permanent effects. There are so many factors that contribute to climate change, but one of the largest is the fashion industry.
There are a plethora of donated clothes in the world that are waiting for their new owners. Fortunately, thrifting has been more popular lately within Gen Z as many want unique pieces at a very affordable price. Buying clothes second hand has been so sought after that there are several ways to buy used clothing items online. With companies like Depop, Poshmark, and Mercari, shopping sustainably can be done with the tap of a finger. Not only does this save consumers tons of money instead of purchasing new clothes at a higher price point, but it also prevents fast fashion from growing. Over the past couple of years, I have filled up the majority of my closet with clothes from thrifting, buying second hand online, or hand me downs from my mom and sister.
Globally, we produce 13 million tons of textile waste each year. About 1 in 2 people throw away their unwanted clothes in the trash rather than giving away or donating to those who need them. This results in 64% of total garments produced each year ending up in landfills. The clothes just sit there as they take decades to degrade, which in the process emit greenhouse gases. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. There are several things every individual can do to help reduce waste, one method being donating and thrifting clothes.
thisstitching.weaving,embroidering,andFollowingcourse,Icreated a collection of pieces to enroll in Advanced Portfolio Development for my senior year. For my projects, I decided to combine my interests for sewing and preloved clothing. I would thrift pieces or take unworn clothes and upcycle them into something completely different that I would wear. I loved the process of each project and I always found it exhilarating to compare the final product to the original article of clothing. Not only did this give me more experience with sewing and textiles, but I was able to make use of clothes that were just sitting around unworn. I'm eager to further my learning with sewing and continue my journey of living sustainably.
My passion for design and sewing started merely as a hobby during quarantine I loved exploring my own sense of style without restriction, creating any garment exactly how I wanted it. I took Fiber Arts my junior year of high school, the same year I started my enthusiasm for preloved clothing, to further explore and understand the world of textiles. I learned the basics of
“Music is to the mind as air is to the body” Plato. I agree with the self confidence boost I que up Dandelion by Jasper Sawyer on my line repeatedly: “You’re just like a dandelion, strong all through/Even better self confidence goes from nonexistent to borderline egotistical to Me when Anderson PAAK declares that “you ain’t never seen nobody Music can change my mood from crappy to happy in an instant, and smooth bass in the background to the confidence that Paak sings those old high school movies. Or the soothing strumming of the me with emotion every time I hear the song. Furthermore, because booster; it is an anger reducer, love diffuser, and energy producer. Plus, music makes everything fun! Dishes are less of a chore when So yeah, I think Plato hit the nail on the head with music; I couldn’t
the old philosopher, music is essential. Whenever I need a Spotify “Great Songs” playlist. In the song, he sings this one better than the roses surrounding you”. When I hear that line, my to the point where I feel like Silk Sonic in the song Fly as this fly”. and it’s not just because of the lyrics. It’s everything from the sings with that has me strutting around like one of the cool kids in guitar and Sawyer’s soft voice in Dandelion that overwhelms because of its versatility, music is more than just a self confidence producer.when you’re rocking out to Haven’t Had Enough by Marianas Trench. couldn’t survive without it.
During my college search, I came across the Fashion Design and Management program at Cornell University. This curriculum focuses on the processes used to design, manufacture, and market apparel and textile products. Students get the opportunity to explore design, materials, production and supply chain, marketing, communications, and entrepreneurship. I've always been interested in the inner workings of running a business and I recently started my sewing journey, so I was elated to find a school that offers business courses intertwined with fashion courses. To apply, I had to create a brand which I included pieces from my Advanced Portfolio Development class.
To me, Fashion Design Management is combining the context of fashion design with the fundamentals that propel a brand. I find that design is so much more than simply creating and assembling, it's a form of communication and expression one that is forward thinking, thoughtful, and thought provoking and I'm excited to further hone in on the art that I've learned so far. I also understand that design can't exist without funding and strong business practices behind it, from supply chain to finance.
I discovered my passion for fashion, not just on a consumer level, but a creative level during quarantine when I picked up a sewing machine in search of a creative outlet. In my sewing journey, I learned the importance of sustainability and am working to learn to incorporate it into my designs. In my exploration of sustainability, I interned for an Instagram vintage shop which introduced me to the fundamentals of business that propels a brand which I found deep interest and curiosity in as well. How does the supply chain work on a larger scale when sourcing second hand pieces? Are business and design ever able to exist purely apart? I'm excited to explore and find answers to my business curiosities while furthering my design skills in Cornell's Fashion Design Management Program.
When did you become interested in art?
I think I'm most proud of how much progress I've made this year. I was working on art all the time up to 9th grade, but for most of my freshman and sophomore years I didn't really work on art much at all. I stopped seeing improvement for a long time. Working on my portfolio really forced me to work on my artwork, and towards the end of this year I really found my art changing. I explored lots of new mediums and improved skills I already had. I feel like after finishing my portfolio my art improved so much as a whole, and I'm really proud of that because I know the time that went into it.
What are you most proud of in the portfolio?
Describe your ideation process: I spend a lot of time sitting around and staring at a wall while I imagine different pieces. For my portfolio, I had a sustained investigation, so I tried to think of experiences related to my topic and how best to show that. Usually around a few days of trying to come up with something, an image of what I want to make will pop into my head. It'll be in full color, composition and everything and suddenly I'll know exactly what to do. From there I'll select the medium to use based on what I think would match this image I have in my head best. From there I just try to replicate my idea as closely as possible. As I'm working on the piece, I'll occasionally make changes to some minor details, but for the most part once I get started I don't work much more on any ideation.
What is your main inspiration? Honestly, for many years I'd say I didn't have too much inspiration and only a goal. I wanted to create pieces that were technically strong and impressive. I wanted people to look at my art and say "wow he's good" haha. The past year or two that really changed. I remember "Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)" really being a moment that stood out when I think of that change. It's basically just a pile of candy that viewers are encouraged to take from. Félix González Torres made it to represent his partners worsening health and eventual death after being diagnosed with AIDS. I remember being really impacted emotionally by that piece, which surprised me a little. It wasn't visually impressive, and it didn't require a lot of work from the creator, but it somehow moved me a lot more than any other piece I'd ever seen. I think around then I realized I wanted my artwork to reflect that. I wanted people to feel something when they saw my artwork, not just think it's "good".
I've always been interested in art, but not consistently. I'd say up until 8th grade, any form of art is how I spent most of my free time. When I got to high school though, I felt like my focus should change to academics, and I definitely lost that for a while. The past year is the first time I'd every considered art as something more than a hobby though.
Best music artist? Definitely Mitski. I think that's probably the most generic answer I could give, but I genuinely think she's one of the most talented artists out there. To me, each of her songs feel like an individual piece of art, not just something catchy. Next project? The next step for me is my college portfolio. I became interested in art school this year, and I know there's a lot of work to be done for my college portfolio. I feel like there's a lot more creative liberty with that, so I'm really excited to implement some of my new skills into my portfolio.
I grew up using chemicals and relaxers to straighten my hair; however, the rise of the second wave of the movement swept me up in its current and made me aware of how ingrained and normalized Eurocentric beauty standards are in society. With the rise in the movement, advertising of shampoos and conditioners tailored to natural hair and representation of black hair in the media increased, and, to show my support, I decided to go natural myself. In addition to challenges I faced dealing with my transition from straight to very coiled hair, I experienced different acts of microaggression from my classmates who, going to a predominantly white school, weren’t familiar with black hair. The incessant questions and the constant unwanted touching and petting of my hair made me uncomfortable but also reminded me why I went natural in the first place. I want to increase representation of black hair and bring awareness to hair discrimination because while some may feel as though it is a minor issue, hair discrimination leads to larger issues of systemic racism in the US.
If we
women?acceptappreciatehowwomen’sacceptappreciatecan’tandblackhair,thencanweandblack
The natural hair movement for black women began in the 1960s in the US, but its second wave started in the early 2000s. Prior to the movement, Eurocentrism and white beauty standards made having straighter, smoother hair more desirable.
Hair is a form of expression. When I'm feeling mature or professional, I let it out in a fro, and when I want to experiment with color and part of my personality, and just like with my clothes or shoes, it's
Growing up, I used chemicals to straighten my hair, and I never also straightened their hair. So, I assumed that having straight hair was just the price I'd have to pay for beauty.
In 7th grade, I saw an abundance of natural hair on TV that gave care ads showing black women "rocking the fro"; shampoo actresses embracing their unique curls and braids. Seeing the hair in my decision to join the movement. However, transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair is a journey. a combination of curly roots with straight ends. It was a long process, ends. And just like how the chopping of my hair was a clear cut Whereas before, no one had given a second glance to my hair when classmates about the whys, hows, and whats of my newly natural questions to be harmless and curious inquiries, they made me feel boundaries of what society said my hair could be. It didn't help hair is a more complex beast than relaxed hair and requires different Now though, being five years into my hair journey, I can say that learned that I need to be patient with myself and my hair. For most going natural, I've changed it entirely from how it once was. So, understand that there are going to be bad hair days, and good ones chop off my hair because my natural hair shows that I am proud,
professional, I slick my hair back. When I'm feeling funky and fresh and style, I play with different protective hairdos. My hair is a it's how I express myself. never questioned it because all the other black women around me hair was the norm and that the damage caused by the chemical gave me my first glimpse into the black hair movement. I saw TV shampoo and conditioner brands tailored to natural hair and black hair industry acknowledge and promote black hair made me quick journey. I had to let my hair grow out without relaxing it, making process, and eventually, I ended up chopping off my relaxed cut change, so too was the way people viewed my new hair. when it was straight, I now had to field questions from natural hair. While I knew that my classmates intended these feel like I had done something wrong by going against the help that learning to manage my new hair was a struggle. Natural different products and a different routine. that the microaggressions and the challenges were worth it. I've most of my life, I've been used to my hair being one way, and So, it only makes sense that I'd face a learning curve. I've come to ones too, but at the end of the day, I don't regret my decision proud, confident and that I reject the notion that I need straight hair
Describe your ideation process: I think of a topic that I want to go with that’s ambiguous and think about what I first think of when I consider that topic. For example, Covid I think of masks. From there I see what colors I associate best and then thumbnail the paintings. I usually have multiple variations of planning on a subject and pick/ combine which one will be incorporated in the final.
When did you become interested in art?
What is your main inspiration? My main inspiration in terms of people is Maya Lin. I love how she thinks about sustainability, her art reflecting the way of the world and literally building structures around nature and flow. In terms of what inspires me in art it’s probably landscapes and nature. My specialty is in landscapes and it always feels natural for me to go back to it.
What are you most proud of in the portfolio? I’m proud of my piece on workaholism, especially because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to create something more cartoonish and abstract. I like my balance of color and the composition. Best music artist? My favorite music artist is Childish Gambino/ Donald Glover. Next project? My next project is not set right now but I have a couple of ideas working. I think the one that I’m resonating with is an exploration of how a color can feel and look in different ways from different perspectives.
I was always interested in art. I grew up around a community that prioritized creativity and ability. My older brother would play piano and I would paint what I heard and give it to him. I was always into building and constructing things and then drawing over it, and eventually I started learning techniques and entered amateur competitions in 5th grade, so in that regard, my actual involvement in art began around that age.
One of my cousins said this to me a couple years ago when I was visiting Nigeria with my family. My mom had just asked me if I was going to be eating okra soup and fufu, a common Nigerian dinner dish, and after I replied yes, my cousin looked at me like up until that moment, he didn’t actually believe I was in fact Nigerian. I’ve always had a strong connection to my roots. I grew up with two Nigerian immigrant parents, and I was raised in a large, Nigerian, church community. I’m surrounded by my culture’s food, music, fashion, customs, celebrations, and traditions. But, in addition to my Nigerian side, I also have my American side, the part of me that was born and raised in America. Growing up in a predominantly white American environment, it can be difficult bridging the generation gap between my upbringing and the upbringing of my parents and other, older members of my community who were raised in Nigeria. I feel invested and connected to problems specific to black people in the US while I feel my parents’ generation can distance themselves from the struggles of black people in America because they grew up in Nigeria where issues like racially biased police brutality were not an issue. Growing up in America has allowed me to connect to problems that wouldn’t have resonated with me otherwise.
My Nigerian side motivates me in meaningful ways too. Like many immigrants, my parents went through many hardships to get where they are. They both came from big families where money was tight. They moved to a foreign country by themselves, worked hard to get through school, and started a business together from scratch. They instilled the values of hard work and persistence in me, but also the value of cultural pride, because despite all they faced, they never lost their pride in their Nigerian culture. I believe that pride is a very strong motivator because when you have pride in something, you don’t want to let that thing down. My pride in my Nigerian culture pushes me to aim high because I don’t want to let my Nigerian heritage down and tarnish all that my parents worked for.
So, in reference to my cousin’s surprise over my enjoyment of Nigerian foods despite being “American”, I’d like to clarify that I am not American. I’m also not just Nigerian; I am both. I gain a unique perspective from being able to connect to both sides of my identity such as being aware of systemic racism in the US, but also seeing the underrepresentation of African American culture and having the pride in mine to showcase it when I can. Labeling myself as just one or the other would mean neglecting the crucial parts of me.
“You eat fufu in America? I thought all Americans ate were hamburgers and pizza?”
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