70 Days In

November 10th
Personal Reflection

This project has thus far been a daily adventure, though some days are certainly less exciting than others. Some days finding a face means multiple hours of visiting different locations before someone is interested and willing to participate. Other days I’ll be at an event with mutual friends, and I can easily meet someone new without deviating from my day’s plans. I prefer the later not only because of the more relaxed nature of the interviews which follow, but also because when at events, no one is planning on leaving suddenly so you have time to have a conversation before and after the interview. Whereas attempting to stop someone on the street or in a coffee shop, you never know where they’re coming from, where they’re going, and how long they’ll be around. I try not to stop people who look very busy, in the middle of a book or conversation- because personally it irks me when people do that. Which of course also limits the pool of available individuals in a given setting. I also find myself settling into ruts to make it easier to balance the combination of school, work, this project and a social life. Meeting friends of friends, visiting certain coffee shops where I know people will linger, lingering after events, taking my camera everywhere, and mixing in random friends and acquaintances to the project on the busier weeks. I’m actually surprised at some of the things I’ve learnt about friends while doing this project. More evidence to the fact that there’s always more to learn. Plus the hodgepodge of questions is such that I do find myself learning or at least being interested by everyone who’s answered. In addition I’ve found the best part is not the interviews or the photographs, it’s the conversations immediately afterwards. Anyway, that’s my two cents for now.

And I’ve decided any time I post updates about my end of the project, I will now include the song of the week.
Song of the Week: Hopeless by KT Tunstall.