This project is about liminality and transition, the catalyst originates from COVID and how we dealt with the transitioning period in the past year.
I started by reflecting my 2020 and what was meaningful to me during this year. I thought about my solo quarantine and how much I have enjoyed various activities during that time. Making designs, paintings, reading, and going on walks were things that I did to nourish my body and mind. Walking specifically, has helped me tremendously to stay active and keep my mind off things.
During quarantine, I don’t always have a place in mind when I walk. Unlike the normal times, I always knew where to go next. Now I go for a walk just to get out of the house, I realized that I didn’t have a destination at all. Roaming aimlessly to let my mind go on its own, it is quite pleasant.
I started turning this vague idea of wandering into visuals.
I started with illustrations and transforming my question of purpose by playing with typography, the word “purpose” starts to look like a pattern.
The randomness of the pattern and the fact that I am playing with chance, reminds me of a pinball game. So I started to think of my project as a game, with no win or lose.
I thought the reference of pinball was cool. But one eventually looses as the game ends, which is not the point of my project. In the meantime, I was self teaching p5 js which opened new doors for me.
I realized maybe labyrinth is a better metaphor for life. You don’t know the destination, and you don’t win or lose, you just wander around. I started designing a labyrinth game, which I call: Drop the Ball. The game is pretty self explainatory, you drop the ball through the open lid with random holes on it, and see where it lands, then you just roll around. In English, drop the ball means that you are making a mistake, but I would like to think otherwise. Dropping the ball means to roam, to put our effort in and see where life takes us. The joy and surprises that life brings is beyond our imagination when you just play the game with no expectations.
The production starts with laser cutting, then gluing everything together.
In the meantime, the p5 js was getting fun. Here is a little game that I made as the digital part of the project.
https://editor.p5js.org/crystaldu98/embed/6x8I69vpS"
To link the physical to the digital work, I made a QR code so people have direct acess to the URL.
Here is the final product
To wrap up this project, I made a video to go back to the original idea that led me to where I am now. Also, thanks to my dad who inspired me by telling me to seek less and roam more.