As a fairly new blogger, I gain massive amounts of experience every day. I am starting to learn how to use my blog more effectively to make it promote itself as well as me. I am becoming an extraordinary writer while doing it as well. Take a look at my first posts, and compare it to my newer blog entries. The difference is astounding to me. So basically this is a giant learning experience for me.
Unfortunately, I have a lot to learn, not just about blogging, but everything else. Today, I made a crucial mistake that is related to a mistake I made a few days ago when I missed my classes. I was able to make it to my 9 o’ clock class, which is my media production class. Today’s class was a continuation of Tuesday’s. It was mostly about the elements of art, which I mastered in high school, so I didn’t listen anyways. It is hard to listen to a teacher that says “Uhhhhhhh ummm uhhhhh” after every other word (I should give him some leniency though. He is Thai, but that does not make him a stupid person. In fact, he makes a lot of money from media production.)
When we got to the actual production session in the course, we were assigned an element. I was assigned “Line.” Simple enough. I just had to draw images that were made of lines. The kicker was we had to provide art to a specific audience. This reminds me off a post on how selfish your audience is, which I know see is applicable in art. Anyways, I was assigned “Generation X.”
Oh, this is where it goes downhill for me. Remembering those old, old, old Pepsi commercials from 13 years ago (1995) that had the slogan and something about Generation X in it? Well, I was 7 at the time and all I could remember was that phrase. So I thought it was like, a kids thing. You know? Emos, Goths, and Punks. Oh, if you are from this “generation x” you are either laughing your ass off, or unsubscribing from my blog. I hope it is just the first.
It was not until after I had turned in the assignment that I realized that Generation X was made up of hippies. I looked up Pepsi Generation X in Google Image search, and this is what I find:
Britney Spears in a hippie outfit. Generation X is a term coined for those hippies born in the 1960s to the 1970s. Yeah. Whoops. Way to know your audience, Justin. I am hoping my professor is confused as to what the difference are between Generation X in Thailand and that of Americas. Chances are, he is not, and I just failed an assignment. Big oops, but something that should have been completely avoidable.
If you don’t know, do some research. Research is definable by any type of way you can gain information. Had I gotten over my confidence and my other personal issues (I am a bit shy, and I didn’t want to come off as an idiot to the class) I would have done some research and asked the teacher what Generation X is classified. Instead of “Emo hair”, smeared make-up and writing LOVE IS PAIN with a black heart, I would have been drawing flowers and swirls with psychedelic colors, dude. LOVE IS PEACE would have been a more appropriate answer to the subtitle.
This applies even if you do “know.” As shown by my example, you may think you know, but you could be wrong. Look up some facts before you take a wild guess and post them on your blog. Provide your readers with real content, or they will prove you wrong and leave you. Ask for the facts if you can’t find them through traditional sources of research. Had I done this I wouldn’t feel like such a dip-head.
I’ve learned my mistake, and I will be applying this to just about every part of my life, school, work, and of course you will be seeing much more accuracy on this blog. Ever make an embarrassing mistake like this in school, at your job, or on your blog!? Step up and let it out. I sure feel a little better now that I have shared this.
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