I initially focused my senior project thinking on environmental sustainability and awareness. I wanted to dedicate my time to the research, exploration, and documentation of a specific issue but I was having trouble narrowing down my ideas. I also struggled with tweaking my idea to keep it covid friendly because I wanted to be able to travel and take photos for the documentation aspect of my project. 

I eventually decided to brainstorm new ideas that would better fit my isolated lifestyle in Long Island. My almost 8 months of isolation gave me a chance to connect with myself. I spent a lot of my time learning about different topics that interested me, reading the news, listening to podcasts, etc. I found that I have a real passion for learning and I intend to channel that passion into this project. 

My idea is to craft an individual study that will introduce me to the pillars of philosophy. I’d like to focus my study around a specific book I checked out of the library that provides an overview of philosophical ideas around art, beauty, aesthetics and nature. Because I don’t want to limit my study just to this book, I’ve checked out others that will give me an understanding of other pillars like ethics, logic, and political philosophy. These would mostly serve as introductions to other pillars that I find interesting but in the interest of narrowing down my project I’ve chosen to focus on philosophies around art and aesthetics. I’ve also checked out a few books on the works of philosophers like Kant, Marx, Confucius, Emerson and Plato which I believe would help further my understanding of more commonly known philosophical ideas without broadening my project too much. I also have a few that focus more on the history of philosophy and philosophical ideas that will give me a holistic understanding of the basics.  I hope to use various forms of media in my study in addition to books like podcasts and articles. 

I plan on documenting my learnings through a journal. I don’t want this to be an extremely formal project because I find that a more casual learning environment helps me stay motivated. I plan documenting my findings in the journal throughout the process. The journal will consist of notes and observations as well as my thinking on how certain concepts apply to my life and the world around me as I experience it. I then plan on channelling my thoughts into photography which I hope will result in an artistic and creative demonstration of my growth. My focused study on the above mentioned book about the philosophy of art and beauty will likely be my biggest inspiration for my photography. I’m isolated in Long Island which will give me the chance to go on meditative walks on the beach, dunes, my neighborhood and more. I will use those walks and other excursions to channel my thinking into photography. I find that when I learn something that excites me, I can easily channel that into inspiration for my work. This is what I’m hoping I can do with this project. I have access to my film and digital cameras which I’ll use to document both people (perhaps my family or friends) and the outside world (environment, strangers, etc.). 

I plan on creating a book with some of my writing and my photos as a display of my project. I would pair my thoughts in writing with the pictures I took when I was inspired to show how my thinking changed throughout the process. 

My main goal with this project is to expand my critical thinking and knowledge through my study of philosophical ideas. I plan on studying anthropology, sociology, and psychology in college and I’m certain that this learning experience will prepare me in some ways for my courses. I hope to carry my knowledge with me and apply it to whatever I do in the future. The somewhat holistic approach to philosophical concepts will give me a broader perspective on my learnings and hopefully I won’t find myself trapped by limited interpretations. Part of my learning process will be to read and understand the information and then come to my own conclusions about how these topics impact my life and the people around me. 

If things go south and I can’t use photography to document my process, I’ll stick to writing and possibly try collaging. I don’t think I’ll run into any issues with my project because I can do everything I mentioned with covid precautions. In case I don’t have access to the library I have a kindle that I can use to read and take notes. I’m also looking to see if there’s an online course that could be beneficial to the process. My alternate ideas for my senior project was to do a sustainability study by growing my own food at home. I’ve worked at a farm for 2 years so I have access to materials and I know I’m interested in the subject. I’m hoping to study environmental courses in college as well and I know that this alternative study would help me prepare for those. I plan on making a little “how to” booklet as my final presentation for the sustainability project. 

Essential questions:

How can I apply what I learn through my individual study to what I’ll learn in the future, whether in college or generally in life? How could I use what I learn in my future studies and work with politics and activism? How can I use that knowledge to engage in important issues across the board? How will I ensure that I keep an open mind throughout my independent study? How will I ensure that I don’t limit myself during this process?