Child of the West

Hey readers! Today I'll be talking about what it means to be a child of the west, and how I feel identifying with that group.

What are two ways you do or do not identify as a “child of the West”? 

As an American, I feel that I am apart of the more developed world. I am not stating this in a condescending way, but saying this in a way that I am part of a culture that is constantly advancing and finding new terms of technology. As an American, I feel that I wake up everyday in a safe and secure environment. Not all people in this world have this feeling, and I think that part of our culture is having this kind of setting. Although many Americans are hungry and on the streets, which is the harsh reality, much of our country is flourished and constantly improving in terms of infrastructure and at times, government. Not all people have nice cars and sturdy houses, but in the overall scheme of things, I find that America is a relatively stable and somewhat wealthy country. As I take part in education, I often realize that this is a right I am born with as someone of the west. Education is one of the greatest luxuries that one can receive, and I am extremely lucky to have the right to learn and be educated. "Child of the West" is a term that kind of confuses me, but I believe that it has to do with living in a structured part of the world. I am born with certain rights that allow me to live a normal life, which many other countries around the world don't allow people to have. I identify as an American, someone who lives in a modernized part of the world, and it's something that I don't take for granted.

Outside Identification, Inside Realization

Hello fellow readers! Today I am blogging about an identity mask that I have created, and why I incorporated everything that I did.

The front of my mask is made up of a series of colors. I added a blue ribbon from one of my winnings to represent my love for riding, and gems to show how I am unique. On the side, I have decorated my mask with black & white striped and pink tape, which brings out the creativity I love to show. Here I have placed sea glass, to represent the place I came from, Nantucket Island. Along with the glass is a penny, which is the luck in my life that has enabled me to do what I have. The logo of Instagram is placed in the middle of my mask.  I chose to do this because the app has really influenced my ability to know what is going on in the world, and to share what I love with it. With some 4.2K followers, my influence in the photography world has flourished, and its something I'm very proud of. I chose to use bright colors on the front, as brightness allows for creativity, which is something very important to me. While I may be sarcastic at times, I find that always being positive is a saying to live by.

On the back, my mask is more reserved, but still somewhat colorful. The black and white tape wraps around to this side, but does not completely cover over every open space. I intentionally did this because on the inside, I'm a person who needs to have an open area in order to create. A crammed area never leaves room for exploration. Along with the tape, I have placed pictures of people who I admire. These people would include musicians such as Shawn Mendes, Zedd, Harry Styles, and Liam Payne. I look up to these people because they have truly carved themselves a path into an incredible career. On the bottom, I placed a flower, because few know my love for nature. More than most things, I love to find a new place (with my camera intact) and document it. My sister always says to put the camera down and enjoy the moment, and shes probably right, but I feel that a picture is a memory you can look back on, no matter what happens in life.