A Good Conscious Point

The Station

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision.

We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, on children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags will be waving.

Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering—waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

“When we reach the station that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 18!” “When I buy a new 450 SL Mercedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college!” “When I have paid off the mortgage!”

Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream.

It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, and cry less.

Life must be lived as we go along.

The station comes soon enough.

--Robert J. Hastings

Using Logic in Writing

One of the inevitable facts of life is we eventually grow out of childhood and into adulthood--some earlier than others. More often than not innocence and curiosity, which invoke passion and interest, are left behind. Instead, our focus becomes more narrow with each passing year as we continue to search for the pinnacle moment when all our questions are answered.

We ascribe to a life of "algorithms", based on logic and reason. I for one am glad we have not yet found the missing piece to the Logic Puzzle. For now I can at least rest assure "we are still unique" as individuals should be; we have not been stripped of this just yet.

Maybe it is a good thing that" imagination is now practical". Our unique experiences shape each and every one of us and this is the foundation for the developing of our own logic.

Even though it is true that "all catastrophes force innovation", it is a necessary part of the creative process. It gives us a reason to be creative. Otherwise it is a skill that seems to gradually diminish once we enter adulthood.

How To Take Pictures That People Remember

The Focus: Intentional Picture Taking

When a picture is taken with intention, your viewers will be that much more intrigued. By doing this you are adding dynamic elements to your work, to which those viewing will most likely take notice. A picture can be much more than just visual aesthetics, conveying meaningful messages. ideas. The objective for this kind of artistic expression is to tell a story, whether it's your own or someone else's. Applying some sort of origin or story to your photos is by no means mandatory, but it does make for a more interesting picture. The experience for both the photographer and the person being photographed becomes more of a creative collaboration.

Prior to picking up your camera, take time to think about the premise for the pictures you'll be taking. It will help to clear the mind and make room for more productive thoughts and ideas. Try using the following mneumonic whenever you take a picture.

POISE

'P' stands for Panoramic. What is the scene that lies in front of you? Take a Panoramic stance when considering the image you will be taking.

'O' stands for Object. --How does the Object interact with the subject?

'I' stands for Interact.

'S' stands for Subject.

'E' stands for Emotion.

Start by PANNING the scene of the location of the shoot. Then observe how either the OBJECT INTERACT with the SUBJECT (or vice versa)? WHat is the EMOTION is being conveyed to set a particular mood?

For example, maybe the person being photograghed (subject) is reading (interacting)a book (object). Integrating details such as these will naturally implicate a story that its viewer can interpret the story behind the image, from a more personal standpoint based on their individual experiences.

Every time you take a picture and you address these things you are also learning to develop your photographer's eye. In a way you're simply critiquing your own work and applying the basic rules related to photography.

Some important key points to remember are to carefully observe the composition of your subject, as well as consider the rule of thirds. Positioning the subject or object dead center does nothing more than make a picture just as ordinary as before. Experimenting with differnt angles and center points will help to set your own preferences related to your intention. Also, the surrounding space of the photograph should not distract the person from the the picture's main focus, rather it should enhance it.

How does the picture look when you take a step back? Is it too cluttered? Is it too empty. Always do a quick mental rundown of standard things that may be factors for your desired outcome.

And most important step to remember is to just have fun.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

LinkedIn Resume

Julie M. Heffernan

Summary
At this point in time much of my work experience relates to healthcare fields. However, I am exploring new avenues related to social media in the graduate program I am currently in. I hope to integrate my future degree with the various other disciplines I am experienced in.

Specialties
Non-profits, Storyboarding, Photoshop, Adobe CS4, HTML, usability, SPSS

Education
University of Arizona
BA Psychology
1998 – 2002

Quinnipiac University
Masters Interactive Communications

Mental Health Worker II
Yale New Haven Hospital
Non-Profit; 5001-10,000 employees; Hospital & Health Care industry
November 2005 – Present (4 years 8 months)
-Practice direct patient care within the range and scope of a psychiatric emergency department
-Involved in collaboration with a team of psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and other various hospital professionals
-Involved in helping patients through psychiatric related crisis', ranging from patients with behavioral issues to patients with chemical imbalances
Responsible for networking with other psychiatric facilities in the community related to patients treatment

Critical Care Unit-Clerk/Multi-Skilled Technician
Griffin Hospital
Non-Profit; 501-1000 employees; Hospital & Health Care industry
September 2005 – January 2006 (5 months)
-Transcribed patient medications
-Assisted medical staff with patient bedside duties

Program Counselor
Vista Vocational and Life Skills Center
Higher Education industry
July 2005 – November 2005 (5 months)
-Assisted students with life skills related tasks (i.e. finances, problem solving)

Child Protective Specialist II
Youth, and Families Child Protective Services
Higher Education industry
March 2004 – April 2005 (1 year 2 months)
-Allegation screening and investigating allegation of child abuse and neglect
Carried out child assessments related to child safety along with any other imminent risk of harm
Attend court hearings related to the abused child or children

Case Manager
COPE Behavioral Services
Higher Education industry
October 2002 – March 2004 (1 year 6 months)
-Monitoring and documenting clients' compliance with medications, attendance to therapy groups and medical appointments, and employment attendance.
-Advocating for individuals who are seriously mentally ill and/or substance abuse related issues.

Group Home Staff
Catholic Community Services
Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry
February 2000 – July 2002 (2 years 6 months)

Independent Study
University of Arizona
Higher Education industry
September 2000 – May 2001 (9 months)

A Story of Truth

At this point in my life I am pretty sure I want to incorporate photography to some degree into my professional career, I am just not sure yet in what capacity. Photojournalism covers an array of topics, tailoring to specific audiences. At times it is mind boggling to think of how much power and influence the media has. Photography has become a highly used tool for controlling and manipulating the media. Visual influence has become an integrated part of our everyday society. Nearly all modes of communication, from flat screen television sets and net books to magazines and newspapers, are grazed with images that consume us, both pleasing and horrifying to the eye.

It seems like the most talked about news these days either relate to celebrities and their publicized "private" lives. I think that is an oxymoron. I started to wonder if the paparazzi were considered photojournalist. The suppose the two do have similar characteristics, but when I think of any form of journalism I'd like to think it always tries to obtain the closest version of the truth. Paparazzi i are the polar opposite of this. Knowing the truth is not relevant to getting the job done. Whereas with photojournalism I imagine that uncovering the raw truth through a visual expression is main objective to the profession.

Their seems to be this relentless craving for this need for attention that exists, which is evident through the media's contents I chooses to make public. It is almost as though our personal lives are not fulfilling unless their is some shock value attached to it. Hence, the reason for the popularity of reality shows. Drama continues as long as different media platforms continue to supply and distribute.

Have you heard the latest hollabaloo surrounding Miley Cyrus? Celebrity Gossip Blogger: Perez Hilton apparently posted an inappropriate photo of the 17 year old tween singer, and may possibly be considered child pornography. Besides the fact that the young star seems to be just fine exploiting herself to the public, with racy music videos. Miley Cyrus's recent music videos for song 'Can't Be Tamed' portrays the star as this seductress black bird in a cage, who provocatively plays with the other fellow bird friends of hers. Besides being an odd concept, the contents of the video minimizes the implications connected to this sort of behavior, especially for young females.

In a Huffington Post interview Cyrus is quoted saying, "when you're 11, the word you would use to describe someone is definitely not sexy, and as you get older I think you grow into that. And I think I've done that but that's not my schtick. That's not what I'm trying to do to sell records. I want people to buy my record because of my music." Statements like this, along with her actions is suggestive to young women coming to age that sexual element is correlated--saying it's okay to explore and experiment. It is important to address the potential consequences that all forms of media has on the general public, because people are so easily influenced.

Often the paparazzi are the ones to take these scandalous photos we see in the news. The truth is
these images that once shocked us seem to have only desensitized us even more. So you see it is unnecessary to continue photographing for shock value, because it has no real relevance in a
world where we've become immune to these types of images.

Just as celebrities have a responsibility, so do photographers. The things we choose to photograph tell a story. The question is: is it going to be a photograph that tells a story of truth or one that bends the truth? I think in this day and age-the truth may actually be more shocking.

My LinkedIn Resume

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/julie-heffernan/20/5ba/888

Niche Searching

The term: niche remains to be this abstract idea I am unable to wrap myself around. Determining a niche is more difficult than I thought it would be. I wondered if everyone had a niche or if it was just for those in marketing. Even though I am not sure what my niche is, I am going to do my best in coming up with some interesting topics for future discussions.

I thought about things I am interested in and it boiled down to photography, people and their life story, traveling, and art. Right now my dream job would be a photographer for National Geographic. I figure I could create photographs into beautiful pieces of art. The subjects' would be from all over the world (this is where National Geographic might help me with this component). I can combine all my favorite things into one profession.

I suppose a marketing niche would be photography. Although I am not sure how specific one's niche would have to be. Would I have to identify with some subcategory of photography? These are all things I will have to look into more in depth. I am content for now because I am a little closer with finding my niche today than I was from yesterday.

Thesis Mode

When I saw this week's lecture topic: The Thesis, I easily recalled the days in school I struggled in writing a substantial thesis statement. This being said I couldn't say I was very thrilled to delve into my next writing assignment. As procrastination grew throughout the week it became clear I wasn't going to learn anything if I wasn't practicing. I realized the only way I was going to improve this artful skill in thesis writing is by using it in regular practice. I just have to start somewhere with something.

The first step in determining one's thesis it is to narrow the focus of your paper to a single idea that expresses your standpoint. This also requires looking at the big picture of things and deciding what is worth arguing one point over the other. I have always found it difficult to make decisions. The reason for this I was told once, stemmed from the fear I had with commitment. This fear of letting someone down or letting me down eventually had to be addressed if I wanted to accurately express myself to others.

Decision making, an inevitable part of life, contributes to our self growth through the choices we make everyday. Once we claim our own personal stance on some issue, then we can start to understand other's viewpoints, as well as them understanding yours. A good thesis is setting the stage for other's to participate to some similar idea. As a result we become active participant's to a constant changing thought of idea.

The Other Me

All of us have googled our names at one time or another, curious as to what might pop up. Before entering graduate school (which I've now been in for about 5 months now) the only Julie Heffernan that would consistently come up was: this fairy painting artist that happen to have my same name.

So a funny story about the first time I found out about this other Julie Heffernan. I thought it was pretty funny at the time.

When I was in 5th grade my dad says to me one day, "Jules look you are in the New Yorker". Surprised I responded with, "I am?" Excited to find out how I got in a prestigious magazine like The New Yorker I quickly went to the section where my name was supposedly mentioned. And then I found it. There in print was my name.

While feverishly reading all about the art work I had done, I was overcome by a sense of pride. I then remember saying to my dad, "Wow, I can't believe it. My art teacher must have submitted this picture I made in class". Then my dad just says, "Julie, you know that's not really you?". I say, "It isn't?"

This story portrays a little bit about my personality. Some say it's gullibility, while other's say I am more naive. I believe it is more of a tendency I have to want to believe what people say is genuinely true. And also I think it's a little bit of a learned behavior with which over the years I've observed in my mom.

Since creating my blog(s) for school and becoming a member of various social networking sites, google is able to identify me with some thing. I feel like I have taken the first step in making my mark in the internet world.

Is Their an Upside to Having a Bad Persona?

For many the popular choice for communicating with one another is via the internet, whether it is in the privacy of our home or on our personal cell phone. This way everyone that is everywhere can always stay connected. Geographical location no longer determines one's accessibility to the rest of the world. Because the chances that someone can access the internet, even for free, is a given. In conjunction, free information, whether true or not, has gone rampant. Practically anyone can publicize anything they want over the internet, which is exactly what people do.

In recent years, airing out our everyday dirty laundry has gone from being a social phenomenon to being just another fact of life that we've sensitized to. Today's ease in broadcasting capability gives privacy a whole other meaning. We've literally adjusted to a lifestyle in which privacy realistically does not carry too much weight. Although, it is desired to establish a good persona, if someone were to develop a bad persona it wouldn't be the end of the world and easily turned around and rendered.

Once a good persona is established it is a good idea to sustain and maintain this reputation. The intended audience listening will naturally fall into this relationship with you--connecting and building a stable foundation from the very beginning. In the fast paced world we've become accustomed to, we've also become a society that lives and craves in the "now". Therefore, any damage done regarding persona's does not have to become the end of the world.

The Eye of The People or The "Photographer's Eye"

It is sad but true, photography has become somewhat of a trade of the past. The social media has a lot to do with the stripping away of photojournalisms' reputability. Countless magazines fill the stands of photographs of celebrities taken by the paparazzi. Mainstream society has become obsessed with the private lives of Hollywood's biggest star's. The paparazzi hold the key to accessing this otherwise private world. So, are the paparazzi considered photojournalist, and are their photograph's an artistic expression?

Photographs allow us to always remember a certain memory of someone or something. In some cases they maintain a legacy, but today photographs have become somewhat of a disposable thing. Practically anyone has the capability to shoot, edit, and develop pictures from home. So long are the days of Dark Rooms, a time when specialized skills and knowledge still were required.

The paparazzi are driven by money and money alone. This takes their photographs from an artistic viewpoint to more of a marketing viewpoint. Paprazzi are not independently expressing themselves through the photos they choose to take. Furthermore, they do not choose what to photograph, the people do. Paparazzi just deliver the goods.

Celebrities are people, which then make people the primary subjects' of these photos. So, are people then art? People are in a way pieces of art, but they should not be used as the primary sourse for today's art. I think we are astounded by each other and whether or not it is considered art truly lies in the photographer's intentions for taking the picture in the first place.

My Niche Search

The Webster dictionary definition for niche is a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it; "he found his niche in the academic world". To me, the word niche associates with someone who has a strong sense of themselves and once they find their niche, it's like the person's finally arrived home. Finding a place to identify with has always been a challenge, which I attribute it with being adopted. Even though this is just a small part of who I am, it has had siginificant influence over my life, positive and negative.

Despite putting myself in every type of possible environment, I have yet to discover a true niche. I tried finding it in college where I joined various clubs. One these club's was the Asian American Club, which I only attended one meeting and that was enough for me to know I did not want to return. What I am going to share with you next may sound funny, but I had never been in a room full of so many Asian people. My desire to be "part" of a cohesive group has always been strong, but whenever the opportunity arose it only left me feeling uneasy.

The fact that I was considered the "minority" growing up, it only engrained this yearning to always be part of something, like a niche. At the same time the notion of "groups" is not in line with my own beliefs. Part of me feels that I would only be segregating myself into a distinct group that are selective of its members. The very thing that has caused me to feel like I am an outlier, which has been something I've become more accepting of in the recent years. So in "picking my niche", I would have to say I am still trying to find one I can identify with.

Biosketch 2 Sentence Rendition: Take 3

Julie Marie Heffernan is an Interactive Communications Graduate student at Quinnipiac University with a Bachelors degree from the University of Arizona. She is a Mental Health Worker in the Emergency Crisis Unit, who also loves photography and sketching.

Biosketch 1 Paragragh Rendition: Take 2

Julie Marie Heffernan is an Interactive Communications Graduate student at Quinnipiac University. She earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2002. She is also employed by Yale New Haven Hospital, where she is a Mental Health Worker in the Emergency Crisis Unit. Areas of interest includes photography and sketching.

Biosketch Formal Rendition: Take 1

Julie Marie Heffernan is an Interactive Communications Graduate student at Quinnipiac University. She is also employed by Yale New Haven Hospital, where she is a Mental Health Worker in the Emergency Crisis Unit.

Previously, Julie earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2002. Followed by various jobs, with the intention of find her niche in the working world. Julie recognizes the significance of having a job that you enjoy, oppose to having a job just for the sake of income.

Presently, I feel confident I have found something that will lead me to something I will enjoy doing. The area of interactive communications has sparked a genuine interest and I look forward to see where the field may bring me.

Areas of interest: photography and sketching.

BioSketch Re-Write

The process of proofreading can be quite arduous at times, but it is an important step to include if you want to write good. It identifies any grammatical errors before submitting your final work. Sometimes proofing requires several re-writes and this is obviously the part no one really loves to do.

Reading something over and over becomes monotonous. I've learned that taking a break before each proofread session gives your mind time recharge; allowing for more creative juices to flow. This also addresses' the issue of time. Make sure their is enough time to proofread and edit. While scanning your paper for any errors, read out loud. I find that I catch more errors this way.

In effort to write better biosketches in the future I plan to identify grammatical errors I commonly make. For example I tend to write exceptionally long sentences, therefore, this will be one of the errors I want to look out for when proofreading.

The first submission of my biosketch is a bit wordy and veers away from the idea of utilizing a biosketch more as a type of resume. With this said, my biosketch may have been to informal. These are a few things I edit, in addition to simplifying exactly what it is I want to convey to my audience.

What to or Not to Write About

Selecting a topic that is interesting to its readers can be harder than you think. Their are two things that are important to address: 1. Grabbing the attention of a wide range of individuals (all with different preferences) 2. Sustaining your own attention with a good topic choice.

So how does one go about in refining the many choices for topics that exist. While this post is all based on my own personal opinion, I feel that it could possibly help out someone out there in the world. Some ideas are:

-Write about your own personal experience. No one tells a better rendition of a story than the person who actually experienced it first hand.

-Make sure your writing is presented as readable material. This means avoid long and dense write ups. You want to maintain the reader's peak interest.

-Keep it simple. Remember be concise and compelling.

-Be genuine. Your readers will not only appreciate the honesty, but also build a better report.

-Write about something you feel very passionate about. This makes the task of writing flow more easily. Oppose to forcing ideas on paper just to meet a deadline, which also sometimes gives your writing a negative or bland tone.

-Once complete think up a clever title to entice readers to read more.

I hope these simple tips helped someone out in selecting a great topic that works for them. Or at least narrow it down to a few choices or less.

A Look Into A Photographer's Eye

The topic of interest I selected focuses on the subject of photography. I always hear a good picture is all in the "photographer's eye". I plan to define what this phrase means, from not only my perspective but from other photographer's as well. As an active student and enthusiast of photography I feel it is most appropriate for me to cover a topic of this genre.

Since I've become more serious in photography I have learned to appreciate varying tastes of both photographer's and non-photographer's. With so many things to photograph, more creative ideas we can learn from one another can flourish. Photography enables me to express my creative side, as well as appreciate the the art of photography even more.

Today, the internet makes it easy for us to narrow our personal preferences as much as we want to. This convenient tool for filtering out the things we think we don't like also potentially has consequences. If we never exposed ourselves to other things besides what we thought we liked, our interests would always be narrow, eliminating any opportunity to expand intellectually.

The photographer's eye supports a diverse outlook on our world today. What may be aesthetically unpleasing to one person, may be eye candy to someone else. This idea supports a culture that continues to diversify itself in so many areas. My hope is that in the process of researching and writing on photography's interpretive elements I also will learn something new about my photographer's eye.

Peer 2 Critique: Addressing First Writing Sample(s) & Presence

A Critique of Lisa's Writing Sample(s):

I really liked reading Lisa's posts, revealing something new about the writer. I even think now I understand the meaning behind the blog name. The writer's post: 'Still down and Out (temporarily in Westchester) was a humbling piece, because I think the contents of the post is something we all share in common at some level or another. Furthermore, I appreciated the writer's candid reflection of the negative impact the economy's downfall has had on her. This personal account conveys characteristics of resilience as well as perseverance during a much difficult time for her and so many others.

Besides liking the writer's stick figure self representation, I thought the post: 'Hello World, It's Me Again' was a fun read. I liked how she created a list of things about herself. The list shows her sense of humor. I was impressed with her major in college was Political Science. I took only one political science course in college and I loved it, but it also slightly intimidated me. I think it was because most of the class were a Political Science major and many just seemed so confident in everything they said.

I have always attributed trivia to being quick wit, which I've always wanted to be good at. I attribute this shortcoming I have with the fact that I had to watch Jepordy almost every night growing up since it was my Dad's favorite show. He always seemed to yell out the right answers before Alex Trabeck even finished reading, and anyone else had the chance to answer. To say the least I think it's affected my speed for recall. I bet the writer loves to watch: Cash Cab (a fun trivia show).

I thought the writer's style is clear and concise. The only suggestion is to just make sure to do a quick skim through before submitting. I just noticed some typos that's all.

Presence:

Lisa's online persona has an element of realism, with a genuine vibe to it. I sense she is someone who is well rounded and also well grounded for that matter. I believe a lot of people will relate to her work because her content she chooses to write about are easily relatable to. Many people just want to be understood and know they're not alone in what they experience. Identifying with your audience is the foundation for establish trust between you and your audience. This is the feeling I get after reading some of Lisa's writings.