As an initial challenge activity we were tasked with constructing a custom avatar using objects from around our home that have personal meaning or tell a story.
Selecting and arranging personal objects to represent oneself in the public domain is both a revealing and unexpectedly thought provoking experience. I immediately thought of several objects to include, however, my thoughts soon dwelled on how these could be perceived by others. I soon dismissed these thoughts as I realised that they were stifling my creativity. I purposefully moved from room to room and selected objects that drew my attention as I felt that this approach would best represent real aspects of my life and personality. I then arranged these items into an avatar outside on the decking (see Figure 1).
In my office / studio
I feel privileged to have discovered a passion for the amazing creative adventure that is music. The guitar is where my creativity first had an outlet. I started playing aged 14 and fell in love with the instrument. I relished learning new riffs, scales and songs. I came across the concept of improvisation which fascinated me and I avidly set about learning how to solo. A few years later I started teaching guitar and I was fortunate to get a job as a guitar tutor at my local college.
In my lounge
The three Rubik’s puzzles represent my three boys. They really are a puzzle. They come in different shapes and sizes and are often found in different states. They can take a while to sort out sometimes and just when you think you may have found a solution to a problem you realise that something is not quite right. They occupy my time but I would not have it any other way. Without my wife I would not have them so I carefully balanced my wedding ring on one of the puzzles.
In my dining room
In my garage
The multimeter and tools were on the side in my garage after I had recently fixed a sensor on my car. I enjoy the challenge of trying to understand how something works and then trying to repair it. However, I really don’t like trying to repair something and then failing.
In my kitchen
My eyes were drawn to my coffee machine so I stopped everything to make a coffee. I decided to include the coffee as my virtual ‘nose’ as I really love the aroma of coffee. I get a great deal of enjoyment in the whole process of making and consuming coffee. I often draw parallels with my students about the ephemeral nature of live performance and a well made coffee. Both are essentially artistic endeavours that once consumed are gone.
In my garden
My cute little dog Evie simply had to be in the avatar. She makes my house a home and everybody loves her. I decided to place the objects outside on the decking I built a few years ago and add Evie to the top of the avatar. Fortunately, she was a very well behaved and I really feel like she complemented the collection of inanimate objects.