Who am I? What am I?

Ahmed Ansari writes:

While ‘decolonisation’ has recently become common parlance in the political language of the Left in the United States, there has been little effort, whether in the academy or in public discourse and praxis, in reflecting more deeply on what it means and what it entails given the cultural and social complexity of modern cosmopolitan societies in the ‘Global North’ or ‘West’.

This really resonated with me and is the main reason why I chose this class. The term ‘decolonization’ itself has been thrown around in everyday conversation and the context it is used in can sometimes be misleading and misunderstood. It’s why I’m both nervous and excited for this class. I look forward to getting a better understanding of the term itself and all the other subjects/topics it opens up for discussion. However, it makes me nervous to delve into a topic so important and heavy and vast. The fear comes from either knowing too much and not being able to do much with the knowledge, or not being able to actually understand some things in a less surface level way. I hope the knowledge I gain from this experience can help further my practice not only as an artist and student, but as an individual who can impact this world in a constructive way. What does this ‘constructive’ look like?

Identity was the main subject of our first class exercise. We all filled out three different types of ‘questionnaires’ individually before coming together to share our experiences during the tasks. I like this approach of identifying ourselves and questioning the ways in which we identify ourselves. It’s something I’ve personally (and subconsciously) have been dealing with ever since I can remember. These exercises have forced me to consciously think about my position and status in this world and how to function forward in this world with intention.