Outro Video

Intro Video

5 days of school left, 3 days until I present

Time has flown.
My presentation is complete.
I presented again today to my mother and younger brother and I wish I would have scheduled an interview with a guidance counselor or priest because that would have been perfect like with confessions and secrets and such. Stupid Frank Warren. Who would have thought this project would make me feel so bitter towards him. It's really easy to just reply "No, I won't help you" instead of lying..

Anyway, I feel proud of my project even though I'll lose the interview points and website points. I just wish I had more time, but I also am so ready for summer!

Just updating..

By the way, secrets to date: 142
Thanks everyone for the help!
I'll try to post my videos on here sometime.

Biggest Update Ever!

This is going to be such a long update, I'll try to keep it short.

I finally have Grad Project class and it's crunch time. Three hour classes are really hard to stay awake in, but so far its not horrible..

I've gotten so much work done. I redid my Foundation Questions and I have started working on notes and citing. I pretty much have restarted my entire project. I feel like even though I am behind, I am really on track. I have an entire Webliography, Solid Foundation Questions and I have bullet answered all of them, it is now just time to go back and cite everything which shouldn't take too long. Then I need to get to my Outline, but once again that should only take a second after the way I did my Foundation Questions paper.

Foundation Questions:

1. What is PostSecret?
2. What encouraged PostSecret and how does it operate?
3. What is HopeLine?
4. Is suicide a large problem in the United States?
5. What is the connection between PostSecret and HopeLine?
6. What is Art Therapy?
7. What are the benefits of Art Therapy?
8. How does PostSecret work as a form of therapy?

Essential Question: How can PostSecret be used as an outlet?

I think the Essential Question may need a bit more tweaking, but I'll talk to Mrs. Savido about it. I'm just getting more comfortable with the project. Before, I was worried there would be nothing to research or talk about because PostSecret essentially is already a project in itself and who would want to listen to someone present a project about a project? So what caused this epiphany?

On Tuesday I got to attend an actual PostSecret event held at CMU! My friend, Bailey, and I went after school to buy tickets and for $12.00 I was completely re-inspired to do this project. Frank Warren, the creator of PostSecret, spoke with us and I realized what I already had known, but hadn't thought to incorporate as much in my project which was HopeLine. HopeLine is a suicide hotline and PostSecret is one of the main contributors to the cause through donations from PostSecret viewers as well as events and book sales.

I got even more out of this event when I realized PostSecret is not necessarily just art therapy. It's therapeutic in so many other ways. You don't necessarily need to create a secret in order to get something out of it. Just looking at the secrets posted and seeing your not alone is enough for some people. There is also a PostSecret community where people can post on discussion boards and chat. The events are therapeutic as well. Towards the end of the event, Mr.Warren asked the audience to share some secrets and provided two microphones in the middle of the isles. I assumed no one would say anything deep, but after the first person started it off people were sharing really deep secrets and it was making me think of a group therapy session.

I plan on incorporating all of this in my project now and more about HopeLine. Frank Warren was really nice and I was bummed that I forgot my book for him to sign, so he signed my ticket. I briefly told him about my project and I got his e-mail, so hopefully I can interview him. I'm going to need to think hard about interview questions though, because after all of this research I feel like I know more about him and PostSecret than he does and I'm not sure what questions I would ask him that I haven't already read in previous interviews. None the less if I am able to get an interview with him via e-mail it would be the best person to interview obviously and it would make me quite pleased.

I'm up to over 130 secrets, and I plan on making a video of some sort. I also need to figure something out with my website because DreamWeaver is the devil and I'm trying to coerce Mr.Mays into letting me use my current website that I already have because I know Front Page so much more and it would just save me from extra stress. More on that later.

Right now is crunch time so I need to get back to my outline. I feel like tonight is going to be an all nighter.. Hopefully I will get this done at a decent hour.

36 Days of School Left!

85 Secrets and counting..

I'm up to 85 submissions. They have just been rolling in. I worked on my website this weekend and samennis.com is now fully devoted to my graduation project. I'm thinking about opening a discussion up since people have been commenting on the secrets via facebook and PostSecret has a discussion board. I'll let you know..

Anyway, the only problem I'm running into lately is the fact that not everyone can use photoshop or paint. I wish there was a simpler way for them to make their secrets because older people are asking me for help and it is complicated when you explain it.

Other than that, I have made posters that need approved by Zinga and then I will post them around school and hopefully this will help.

Collecting Secrets: Going Smoothly

So far I have been e-mailed 15 postsecrets.
Even though all I heard from seniors last year was "More will volunteer for your action plan than the actual amount of participants" I thought I was different.
I'm still staying positive, but collecting the secrets is taking much more nagging than I anticipated, so in the case that any under classmen read this, you aren't different!
Don't assume like I did that it will be a breeze! Just my advice.

Fortunately, this project does interest me so I'm thankful for that or else I would be miserable putting so much work into it. I started browsing songs in my music library for the video. I really wanted to use Donorah, but they use that band for all of the PostSecret videos so I wanted to mix it up. I landed on Don't Be Shy by Cat Stevens. This is not official, but I think that may work well for the video since there is a bit of instrumental.

I'm going through my binder from 11th grade now and updating foundation questions, notes etc.

I plan on figuring out questions to ask for my interview and then setting up my interview sometime after my birthday next week.

Okay, that's all!

Happy Tuesday :)

Update on Action Plan

I have been so busy pushing my action plan on every other website that I forgot about my blog. I have started collecting secrets! February 1st was the start of my action plan. I made a group on Facebook with information on how to upload/send the secrets. I've also started spreading the word/nagging to everyone at school.

So far I have had 4 submissions. 2 through the Internet and 2 hard copies that were left on my computer during school while I was away from my seat.

I definitely thought more people would have submitted by now since everyone who had asked me about it seemed interested. That seems to happen with every one's action plan.

I have posted on social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Tumblr.
I plan on starting an e-mail for my family to forward and pass on to others.
The biggest contributors to this project I'm thinking will be my school so I need to send out a mass e-mail to the student body soon.

I plan on meeting with Ms.Savido sometime this week to make sure things are in full motion.

Oh, and I may be interviewing the art teacher at the school my mother works at. I'm also searching for an Art therapist/Writing therapist since my current idea is based on how writing/creatively focusing negative energy helps you feel better vs. punching or violence.

I'm kind of rambling so I'll leave you all with that. Just keeping you up to date!