I’m Dana :)
In this space I’m sharing:
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01. My Roots
(what made me)
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02. Gathered Learnings
(where I’ve been)
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03. Cultivating
(where I’m going)
Scroll to your heart (or attention’s) content…
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01. My Roots
what made me…
Colorado soil began to shape how I interact with the world.
Mud pies were my first expressive experiment.
From there I noticed patterns...
I instinctively gravitate towards working with my hands; being present in the process.
My soul is fullest when my body is enveloped
in nature.
The connection between art & nature offer depth to my reality.
My family instilled the belief that everyone deserves access to opportunities.
I value harmony in all things.
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02. Gathered Learnings
where I’ve been…
I 💖 a good process
Miro boards, sticky notes, and emojis are my natural habitat.
I 💖 Weaving
I am continuously drawn to playing with fibers and appreciate weaving especially for being a craft that holds culture, tradition, legacy, knowledge, soul.
Functional textiles are particularly captivating; the tangible nature allows for dimensional connection (between beings, nature, history -- like a portal).
Practicing with Saori looms reminds me to 'make' without expectations and allow the materials to intuitively come together.
As an organized, thoughtful optimizer, this is a welcome nudge to let go and not center myself as the maker or person driving a vision. Instead, it can be a collaboration where the materials have space to speak; like how sculptors reveal the soul trapped within stone.
*What is Saori?
I 💖 Speculative Research
I thrive in ambiguity and imaginative spaces. Collecting qualitative research centered on people's experiences inspires creativity and informs potential realities.
This speculative research project;
The Future of Running Footwear allowed for investigation & imagination of future running footwear possibilities that meet needs of runners that are currently overlooked.
The Future of Running Footwear
Process Overview
Immersive Prototypes
Building on the learnings from the diary study, the focus groups invited runners to step into an imaginative space that activated their senses & introduced future running footwear experiences.
With closed eyes a descriptive script was read to them, painting an experience to consider while standing on different materials.
Following this, they were asked to redline and document their reaction on a mood board (including moving images) that visualized the described experience. This created clarity around their interpretation of the concepts and desirability.
Concept A:
Imagine you are deep into your run, you are breathing heavy and distracting thoughts start popping into your head, testing your motivation.
Now look down at your feet, your shoes are slowly pulsing, signaling to you the optimal breathing pattern for your stride. You mimic the pattern and feel that your breath is synchronized with your feet.
I 💖 Evolving Methodologies
As a values-driven researcher, it’s imperative to critically examine methodologies and their historical context.
To align and orient the team, we completed a Social Identity Map.
Understanding the layers of our identities allows us to acknowledge the power and privilege we bring to the research. Many factors influence the way we interpret information.
As an exercise to check our bias, the team reflected on these categories and how power could be present in each.
Full group reflection
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03. Cultivating
where I’m going…
I 💖 Artistic Research
This Pebble Diary was an artistic research practice focused on following creative & emotional intuition. The intention was to explore other ways of 'knowing' to deepen relationships with self & nature.
Pebble Diary
Process Overview
I 💖 Experimental Data Viz
Here is visual interpretation & documentation of my personal experience pebble listening...
Nick-Name:
Serenitas (latin for Serenity)
Description of Essence:
Matte white with specs of variation; this stone holds optimistic stories about love in friendships. It's encouraging in it's positive spirit
Hypothesized Magic:
Purifies and heals
Nick-Name:
Cirrus (wispy clouds)
Description of Essence:
Like a swirling desert storm, this stone is a dancer and knows much about motion. It holds stories of mingling elements.
Hypothesized Magic:
Predicts the weather
Nick-Name:
Stracciatella (sweet treat)
Description of Essence:
Speckled to perfection, this stone glitters with knowledge of indulgence. It demands attentiveness and values cognizance.
Hypothesized Magic:
Offers micro-pleasures for others to delightfully stumble upon
Nick-Name:
LBD (little black dress)
Description of Essence:
Sleek and sexy in it's refined simplicity. This stone exudes confidence.
Hypothesized Magic:
Accentuates and heightens passion and sensuality
Nick-Name:
Erwin (meaning sea friend)
Description of Essence:
Green hues exude health. This stone is an artist of prosperity between the sea and land.
Hypothesized Magic:
Ability to make things thrive & flourish in their existing environment; cultivating ecosystems
Nick-Name:
Maggie
Description of Essence:
Two colors collide, dividing this stone in halves. It's warmness is comforting and irresistible.
Hypothesized Magic:
Ability to bring things in opposition together; creating common ground and empathetic understanding
Nick-Name:
Lima Bean
Description of Essence:
Smooth and curvaceous like a seedling, this stone holds knowledge of sustenance & growth. It knows how to provide for the collective.
Hypothesized Magic:
Provides physical and emotional nourishment
Nick-Name:
Luna
Description of Essence:
Subtle details draw you in. It's smooth yet bears dimples and lines, reminders of burdens carried.
Hypothesized Magic:
Helps beings see the beauty in imperfection
❤️🔥
Love Letter
I 💖 Experimental Methodologies
I am eager to continue pursuing research methods that honor other ways of knowing.
This Guide for Pebble Listening is an example of experimenting with methods.
With this highly individual artistic research practice, there are no rules beyond following intuition and approaching the exercise with an open, curious mind.
Looking Forward
My curiosity is craving further exploration on humanity's relationship with space at different levels; particularly reciprocal relationships with nature that displace and reorient humans to acknowledge and respect other ways of knowing. I am forever seeking intimacy with landscapes that enrich my existing understanding of the world and help me to imagine hopeful futures.
Some (of many) questions
lingering in my mind...
How would society function if we valued the knowledge of other beings; plants, fungi, moss, animals, insects, soil, rocks, and weather systems, etc.?
Has the pace of modern life stifled meaningful connections? How have our value systems shifted from indigenous lifestyles, and are we benefiting from this shift?
Is it possible to evolve as a race in a way that does't de-value recipricoal relationships with our world? What does that look like?
Could a common language be re-learned which honors objective & subjective ways of knowing; mind, body, emotion and spirt? How might we stretch our vocabulary and interactions?
Areas of interest
There are many areas I’d like to continue to explore…