Art: My attempt at John Baldessari inspired art & Photomontage

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing a piece of art I made inspired by John Baldessari melded with some photomontage. 

First off, you might be wondering, who is John Baldessari? Don't worry, I've got you covered.

John Baldesarri was a conceptual artist who influenced and transformed Los Angeles into a contemporary art place. He was an American artist who started out as a painter, and later on in his career moved on to photography. He combined his skill from painting and photography and combined them together to create his artworks.  He would paint with bright colours over black and white images. Here is an example of his work below: 

I already have blog about photomontage, so here is a link to it. 

On other blog post I wrote in November, I shared what my plan was regarding what I would make in Art class. 

Here is a slideshow which shows the process of my work: 

Overall, I had a great time making this piece of artwork. I am really proud of myself for making, but also creating a meaning behind it too.

What do think of my work?

Thanks for reading!

Art: Low Poly Drawings

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing a low poly drawing I have been doing in Art class. Before I show you, I'll tell you about low poly drawing. 

So, what IS low poly drawing?

Low poly drawing is a technique used for modelling for video games and digital design. It focuses on using lowest number of polygons to create an image/model. Low poly minimises the detail which goes into an image being created, so it isn't as precise as its opposite, a high poly drawing. Basically, you are creating a mesh using polygons to create an image. I can tell you now, this is much, much easier said than done. 

example of low poly drawing

For my low poly drawing, I didn't know what to 'draw', at first I was going to create an image of a photomontage I did in Art last year. I decided it was too difficult and started doing a flower instead, this was even more difficult than the photomontage. At last, I decided to do a low poly drawing of my dog, Marley who is an adorable Schnauzer. 

I thought that doing low poly drawings would be a piece of cake, I was wrong. We used Google Draw to make our drawings and paired it with a browser extension called Colour Dropper to get the most accurate colours as possible. It was quite frustrating using the 'polyline' tool on Draw as it took a lot of time familiarising ourselves with how to use it. It was infuriating drawing triangles to fill in my underlying image as I kept on accidentally double clicking, stopping the line. It took some time getting used to it, but I got used to it eventually. I am going to stop writing now and finally show you my finished product!

Ta-da! I am really proud of my drawing, I really enjoyed making it and getting consumed in the process of making it. Thanks Whaea Rowena for showing us this awesome technique!

Thanks for reading!

Creative Writing

Hi there!

On this blog post I'm going to share some short creative writing I have been doing when creativity has sparked in my brain. 

Scrolling

I could gain star alliance points with how much time I spend scrolling on my phone, travelling endlessly with no stopping in sight. 

I desperately clutch a meaningless combination of metal and glass, absorbed in a digital world.

This pseudo world, it has consumed me. How can I live without it?

"It isn't my fault", the subconscious burbles to me, but I know that it is lying to me.

Minutes upon hours wasted. Withering away, doing nothing, yet never relaxing.

I know I should stop, but it seems impossible.

It would be so much easier without it at all.

Thanks for reading!

Science: Rock Candy

 Hi there! 

Today I will be writing about how I made Rock Candy at home during lockdown. 

Aim: Make rock candy at home

Method: 

(Note: make sure you have a 3:1 ratio of sugar and water, I will be using 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water.)

1. Combine equal parts of sugar and water in a saucepan and heat.

2. Slowly add more and more sugar and mix until it doesn't dissolve any more. The water will start to look a little cloudy, this means no more sugar will dissolve. You can double or triple the recipe if you want, as long as a 3:1 ratio remains. At this point, you can also add flavouring or food colouring if you would like. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Cut skewers to a desired size (which fits in the jar you will use), then dip them in water and then in sugar. Set them aside and allow to dry fully. 

4. Once the sugar-water mix has cooled down enough, pour it into jars (or whatever you are using). Once the sugar dipped sticks are dry place them in the jar. They must be fully dry, if they aren't, when you place them in the jar the sugar will dissolve. Also, make sure the skewers aren't touching the sides or bottom of the jar. 

5. Let it sit for a couple of days or as desired and you can eat the rock candy. Once you take them out, let them dry and enjoy!

Results:

Day of making:

Discussion:

When the water and sugar are heated together, it creates something called a 'supersaturated solution'. This means there are way more particles of dissolved sugar/solute than water/solvent is normally able to dissolve at a regular temperature. By stirring sugar in hot water, the sugar dissolves faster in the heated/fast-moving water molecules.

As the water cools down, the large amount of sugar particles remains in the supersaturated solution, meaning there's now more sugar than can actually stay in the liquid. This leftover sugar falls out of the solution as particles. They connect with other sugar particles and a rock candy crystal will start to grow. 

The sugar-dipped skewer is a key part in actually getting the crystals growing. The dried sugar acts as 'seed' crystals when you place it in the supersaturated solution. As all the sugar particles start to settle, they join together, forming crystals with other molecules of sugar. You can see this crystallisation happen on the sides and bottoms of the jar, and of course on the skewer. Until you take out the skewer, the molecules of sugar will continue to crystallise on the string and other crystals giving you rock candy.  

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed this experiment. Unfortunately, for me it didn't work on my first attempt so I tried again and it worked. However, crystals grew everywhere in the jars I used apart from the skewers which I found funny. Even if they didn't end up growing, I liked checking on the skewers everyday in the morning.

Thanks for reading!

Breaking News: Volcanic Eruption at Hornby High School!

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about a model volcano I made in Science over the past few days.  I tried to create a model version of a volcano in Hawai‘i, U.S.A. called Mauna Loa. This will be a mega blog post, featuring what should be 3 blog posts. This will be divided into three sections, here they are below: 

- Mauna Loa research

- Making the volcano

- Elephant toothpaste research

Mauna Loa research

Mauna Loa is located on the main island of Hawai‘i in U.S.A. It is the largest volcano in the world, it is classified as a 'shield' volcano because of its broad shape, similar to that of a shield. 

Mauna Loa is a special volcano, because it is the largest active volcano in the world. It has an elevation of 4,169m and is larger than all the other volcanoes on Hawai‘i combined. 'Mauna Loa' translates to 'long mountain'. The name fits the volcano brilliantly, since it extends 120km from the southern tip of the island to the eastern coastline. It is a certainty that it will erupt again. 

Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984, the eruption lasted from March 25-April 15. The volcano caused earthquakes up to a magnitude level of 6.6. The eruption started at 1:30am on 25.03.1984, luckily, a military satellite detected a strong infrared signal at the summit of the volcano. Minutes after this detection, residents reported seeing a large red glow at the top of Mauna Loa. Within a matter of days, the lava flow from Mauna Loa was 6km from Hilo city, the largest population on the Island of Hawai‘i. Luckily, it didn't reach the city, otherwise, it would have been catastrophic. 

Making the volcano

To (try) make a model of Mauna Loa, I used the following things:

- Newspaper (lots of it!)

- Cardboard box

- Glue mixture of flour, water and salt

- 750mL plastic bottle

- Paint

- Paintbrush

- Reference picture

Method: 

1. Print out a reference photo. After doing this, we were allowed to start building our volcano. I cut out a section from a cardboard box to make the base on which my bottle and volcano would sit. 

2. I made glue using flour, water and salt to stick my bottle to the centre of my cardboard. 

3. I gathered newspaper and started to rip it into smaller sections. Then, I scrunched them up into 'balls' and dipped them into my glue mixture and stuck them onto my cardboard. I made a ring around my bottle, and spread out from there. I started to pile up more scrunched newspaper, trying to make it narrower so my volcano actually looked like a volcano.

4. After a couple days of drying, I started to form my volcano a bit more. I did this by ripping up newspaper into strips, dipping them into the glue mixture and pressing them down on the scrunched up newspaper. I did this because I had to make a surface which would be easy to paint and look more realistic. I covered my volcano fully using the strips and let them dry. 

5. My final step of making the model of Mauna Loa was to do some painting. I used three colours: green, light green and white. I did do some mixing to create lighter versions of the green paints. Firstly, I painted the lower section of my volcano dark green, I started to fade it as it got closer to the halfway point since my reference photo of the volcano depicted it having an 'ombré effect'. Then I started to paint the upper section, using a mixture of white paint and light and dark green. I blended it with the dark green part and faded it as it got closer to the top for my next section. I made another green which was lighter than the previous for the last section of the volcano and used the same colours again. I painted the volcano using this colour until I reached the bottle. Lastly, I added white paint right around the bottle, and partially spread it down the sides of the volcano since I was feeling quite artistic at the time. 

Here is the end product of my volcano, before it erupted: 

Elephant Toothpaste 

Now that I had a volcano, it needed to erupt and look cool. I used elephant toothpaste to create my lava for my volcano. 

Aim: Make elephant toothpaste

Method: 

1. In a measuring cylinder, measure 30mL of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Pour it into a beaker. 

2. Put a couple drops of food colouring of your choice into the beaker with hydrogen peroxide. Also add a couple of squirts of dish soap. 

3. In the measuring cylinder, measure 30mL of water. Pour it into a SEPERATE beaker. 

4. Take two spatulas of potassium iodide and mix it with the water until fully dissolved.  

Results: 

Discussion:

As mentioned above, hydrogen peroxide is also known as H2O2, meaning it has two hydrogen (H) atoms inside it and two oxygen (H) atoms inside it, meaning its make-up would look like this: 

Hydrogen peroxide looks like normal water or H2O, but adding an extra oxygen atom onto it and turns into an oxidant. This hydrogen peroxide is extremely powerful and isn't sold to the general public because of this. 

The special ingredient in elephant toothpaste is the potassium iodide. It acts as a catalyst or something that speeds up a chemical reaction, in this case it was the hydrogen peroxide breaking down. When the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, it splits up into water and oxygen. The soap bubbles we see erupting from the volcano are filled with oxygen. When the bubbles start to appear, they also give off steam, meaning the elephants toothpaste has not only made bubbles, but an exothermic (heat) reaction too!

Conclusion:

I found this project so much fun! I had a blast getting to make my volcano and trying to make it look like Mauna Loa. My favourite part of making it was probably when I was painting it, I enjoyed mixing the colours to try make the most accurate colour match I could. 

I also enjoyed making the two separate solutions for the elephants toothpaste, I really enjoying doing experiments with chemicals in class and learning how certain ones will react with others. 

My favourite part of this project was seeing my volcano erupt. I felt really proud of myself for putting my work into it and it was really fulfilling seeing it finally erupt!

 I also enjoyed researching about Mauna Loa, it is a such an interesting volcano, which looks colossal. Knowing such a great volcano could erupt is shocking and makes everyday issues like not charging your phone or forgetting your lunch like specks of dust compared to what Mauna Loa could do. It basically brings you back to Earth in a sense. Overall, this project was fun beyond words and will always remember it!

Thanks for reading!

English: My Creative Writing

 Hi there! 

Today I will be sharing creative writing I did in English class using a sentence starter from The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton in 1967. Here is a link to my work.

Thanks for reading!

Science: Yr10 Project ideas

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing what I am doing in Science as end of year projects. We are going to create two projects this term, I am going to create an exploding volcano and an Earth structure model.

I am going to create my volcano based off of Mauna Loa, a volcano in Hawai‘i, United States of America. I will need to create an accurate model of Mauna Loa, giving information about it. I will also need to create elephant toothpaste to create 'lava' flowing out of my volcano. I'll need to take pictures of my progress and give my method for how I made everything.

For my second project, I am going to create an Earth structure model. For it I am going to create the Earth, featuring all the layers and tectonic plates too. I will do a write-up of what I did to create my model, as well as some information about the Earth too. 

Thanks for reading!

Wānanga: Personalised Passion Projects

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my Personalised Passion Passion Project with you! Here it is below:

Thanks for reading!

Art: What I have been doing so far

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing what I have been doing in Art class so far this term. We have done: 

- 10 minutes of drawing outside with different art supplies

- Propaganda research 

Since Term 4 has started, after arriving to class, we go outside to draw what we see with various art supplies. We stay outside for about 10 minutes, drawing what is in front of us as best we can and majority of us go back since we have finished, while some people stay since they haven't completed their artwork. Below is a slideshow I made show-casing what I have drawn:

We have also been doing research about propaganda in class, seeing what images are try to tell us and make connections with them. At first, we did thumbnail sketches of posters trying to sway people's opinions, some were posters from movies and others were old war posters. 

After this, we created inspiration sheets with cuttings from newspapers and stuck them onto large pieces of paper. We made links between images and tried to see what connections we could make. We then started to make thumbnail sketches by combining images from our inspiration sheets with the first thumbnail sketches we did or with our imagination. Here is a slideshow showing my work:

I am currently working on doing photomontage inspired by Hannah Höch to make my 'cake trapped in a box' and will then go over it in colour, inspired by John Baldessarri. 

What do you think of my work? 

Thanks for reading!

Science: Solar & Lunar Eclipses

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about lunar eclipses and solar eclipses, something we have recently learnt in Science class.

Solar eclipse in Maba, Indonesia

A solar eclipse happens when light from the sun is blocked by the moon, preventing it from reaching earth. This creates pitch black darkness during the day, however it is only for a short period of time. The place where a solar eclipse happens will be completely dark. The last full solar eclipse happened on March 9, 2016. This eclipse was fully visible in parts of Indonesia and it was partially visible in Australia, south Asia, and east Asia. The next solar eclipse is supposed to happen on December 4 this year in Antarctica, while the next one in New Zealand is due to happen on 22 July, 2028. Below is a diagram of a solar eclipse:

 

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is blocked by the earth and it disappears, as the sun's light cannot reach it, therefore, making the moon unable to reflect light. So, while it is night time and there is a lunar eclipse, the moon will temporarily disappear. The last lunar eclipse in New Zealand happened on 26 May, 2021. The next lunar eclipse in New Zealand is going to happen on 19 November, 2021, however it will not be a full eclipse, only partial. Below is a diagram of a lunar eclipse:

Thanks for reading!

Science: Volcano Research

 Hi there!

Kīlauea erupting on 26/10/2018

In Science class, we have started learning about Earth Science. Today I will be sharing my knowledge about Kīlauea, a Hawaiian volcano. 

Kīlauea is located on the largest island which makes up the islands, Hawai‘i. It is the southeastern most volcano on Hawai‘i. It is a shield volcano, it is called this because it looks like a broad volcano which looks similar to a shield. 

Kīlauea is special because it is home to Pele, the Hawiian volcano goddess. Chants and oral traditions tell of lots of angry eruptions of Pele after the arrival of the first European on the island, a missionary named Rev. From topography, it appears Kīlauea is only a bulge on Mauna Loa, so it was thought to be a neighbour and not actually a separate volcano. Research shows Kīlauea is a separate volcano which produces its own magma plumbing system, more than 60km below the surface. 

Not an image of the current eruption

Kīlauea is currently erupting, it started on the 29th of September 2021. There isn't any damage as the lava is still in the crater and only affecting one vent. However, this is good news for the scientists who research Kīlauea. The volcano summit colapsed in 2018, so it is the first time since the 2018 that lava has been seen at Kīlauea since then. 

Thanks for reading! 

Science: Hedgehog Research

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my knowledge about hedgehogs. 

Hedgehogs or Erinaceus europaeus are animals that primarily live in forests. They are instantly recognisable due to their prickly spikes. They are mammals and are also carnivorous creatures, eating slugs and sometimes even rabbits. Their bodies can span 12.7cm to 30.5cm and their tails span 2.5cm to 5.1cm. They generally weigh around 400g to 1.1kg, according to National Geographic. They are nocturnal animals but don't spend a lot of time out at night. They will usually scavenge for food 2-3 hours after the sun sets, they do this again about 6 hours later. 

How do Hedgehogs show M.R.S.G.R.E.N.? 

Movement - Hedgehogs show movement because they can move from one place to another easily with their 4 legs. They also have claws that help them grip the ground.

Respiration - Hedgehogs do use respiration. They can turn the food they eat into energy. 

Sensitivity - Hedgehogs can sense changes to their environment, for example, they are able to sense when it is night or day and use this to decide when to go scavenging. 

Growth - Yes, hedgehogs do grow. They start very small, but as mentioned above they can grow up to 30cm or so. This doesn't just apply to their body, their spikes grow with age and their brains develop to help them have a better chance of survival.

Reproduction - Hedgehogs reproduce, they are considered endangered in Britain.

Excretion - Hedgehogs urinate and get rid of stool often. 

Nutrition - Hedgehogs eat other animals to live and grow.

Adaptations 

Prickly spikes - The spikes of a hedgehog help it repel predators. When a hedgehog becomes frightened, it will use its strong back muscles to curl up into a ball, keeping its underbelly tucked and safe while its spikes are poking out. 

Colour - The colours of a hedgehog's spikes and fur help it blend in with its environment, therefore making it difficult for predators to spot them. This also helps them to prey on animals too. 

Poison protection - Hedgehogs can make special saliva which makes them immune to certain things which are normally poisonous. They sometimes lick their spikes to spread the poison as a form to protect themselves from predator attacks.

Claws - The claws of hedgehogs are very strong, making them good for digging. 

Predator and Prey Relationships

Hedgehog and the Weasel - In this relationship, the hedgehog is the prey and the weasel is the predator. The weasel has adapted its technique over time and has become quite masterful over time. 

Hedgehog and the Slug - In this relationship, the hedgehog is the predator whereas the slug is the prey. Hedgehogs will use their pointy snout and great sense of smell to sniff out slugs to eat them. 

Thanks for reading!

Science: Animal and Plant Cells

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my knowledge between the difference of animal cells and plant cells. 

Here is an image of an animal cell:

Cytoplasm - Cytoplasm is a jelly-like material which surrounds all the cell parts inside of the cell membrane. Cytoplasm was considered to be a fluid-like substance. However, after recent research it is similar to glass-like liquids. 

Nucleus - The nucleus is a part of every cell. The nucleus is a 'storage unit' which holds the chromosomes, DNA and genes of the animal. 

Cell membrane - The cell membrane is a thin layer of protein and fat which protects and keeps all of the cell parts inside. It helps support the cell and give it integrity. 

Mitochondrion - Mitochondrion or mitochondria (plural) is a rod-shaped organelle. They are called the power house of the cell, because they play a crucial role in releasing energy. 

Here is a plant cell:

Cytoplasm - Cytoplasm does differ from an animal cell. As mentioned above, cytoplasm is a jelly-like material which fills a cell and protects and supports organelle in the cell.  

Nucleus - Every organism has a nucleus, plants aren't excluded from this! The nucleus stores chromosomes, DNA and other genetic material.

Cell membrane - The cell membrane is still a thin layer of fats and protein which encase the organelle of a cell. It makes sure everything in the cell doesn't leave and become damaged. 

(Cellulose) cell wall - The cell wall is the outmost part of a plant cell. It gives the cell structure, as opposed to an animal cell which doesn't have much integrity. It separates the exterior environment from the organelles in the interior of the cell.  

Mitochondrion - Look above for description. 

Permanent/large vacuole - The term 'vacuole' means 'empty space'. In a plant, a vacuole cell quite large, taking up to 80% of the cell up. The vacuole stores nutrients to feed the plant, it expands and shrinks regarding if it has enough water. We can see this in the form of a plant drooping and looking lifeless (vacuoles are shrinking) or a plant which looks full of life (vacuoles are expanded). The vacuole also help give structure to the cell. 

Chloroplast - Chloroplast is the organelle which makes green plants green. It is responsible for photosynthesis and are found in the leaves of a plant. 

Thanks for reading! 

English: Dilemmas Essay

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing an essay I wrote in English class based on dilemmas, our focus for this term.

For my topic, but decided to write about how literature teaches us to deal with dilemmas and used three stories to show this. The stories I chose were:

- The Doll's House by Katherine Mansfield

- Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

- The Bear by William Faulkner 

Here is my essay. 

Thanks for reading! 

English/Film Study: Coraline Notes

Hi there!

This blog is from September 2020.

Today I will be sharing notes I took while watching Coraline.

Opening Scene: 

What happened: A doll flies through a window and gets turned into a Coraline lookalike doll. This is done by the other mother, only her hands are seen making the new doll.

Camera Shots/Angles: 

- close ups: we see the finer details of the doll and how it was made. 

- no wide shots: we don't see everything in the room, we don't find out who is remaking the doll. 

Music: 

the music is eerie, scary and suspenseful, there aren't real words just made up ones which are sung by children. It sounds like music box

Colour: 

green, black, dark, old, aged, muted, old fashioned, looks like it was made a long time ago

Lighting: 

artificial lighting: lamp, natural lighting: from the moon. Gives off a dull/dim look, it feels spooky because of it

The Real World:

What happened:

feels old, run down, abandoned, faded paint, peeling paint, 

dead environment, not looked after, 

cold weather, wet, grey, misty

Camera Shots/Angles:

Wide shot: shows the house in context

Music:

background noise, diegectic noise: sounds that happen naturally

Colour:

muted, dark, faded,cloudy, surrounded by trees, spooky atmosphere, wild feeling

Lighting: natural, sunlight reflecting through the clouds, dim, makes setting feel unpleasant. 

Character Comparsion:

Real World:

Describe: cranky, working, strict, they care but don't show it. Don't look healthy- black bags undereyes, pale skin, washed out.

Costume: worn, faded, baggy, casual, lazy home clothes

Lighting: cold, dull mix of natural/artificial lighting,  makes it feel isolated, dark, lonely.

Colours: pale, bone-dry, only colours which are bright are the cat's eyes and Coraline.

Music: use of diegetic sound, no music. 

Other World: 

Describe: 

Energetic, bright, friendlier, look like they have time for Coraline, Other Father waiting for Coraline, Other Mother cooking. Fit, rosy skin, more alive.

Costume: 

Bright colours, fitted clothing, fashionable, fancy, newer

Lighting: 

bright, artifical, saturated, warm, happy, relaxed, welcome feeling.

Colours: 

Bright, warm, eye-catching, vibrant, warm tones, place where you want to be, Coraline blends in better

Music: 

Happier, dad playing piano, Other Mother always humming, slightly eerie, minor, a little creepy

Real World- Neighbours:

Describe: odd, weird, eccentric, dismissive, nutty, keep calling her by the wrong name even though she corrects them, too wrapped up in themselves, talkative, self-absorbed. 

Costume: 

worn clothing, old, baggy, Mr B.'s clothing is too tight and small, Miss Spink, & Forcible, clothing does fit well, not presentable, 

Lighting:

dull, foggy, cold, mix of artificial and natural lighting. makes it feel like its not a nice place

Colours:

more colours, but still dark and faded, still a lot of whites/grays, 

Music: 

each has their own music, Mr B- ompah, Miss Spink & Forcible salsa/old-fashioned.

Other World- Neighbours:

Describe:  things Coraline didn't like about them in the real world changed it the other world ,call her Coraline, look younger, more appealing, more put together, vibrant, brighter, colour, Wybie can't talk. 

Thanks for reading!

Science: Lemon Power

Hi there! 

This blog is from August 2020.

Today I will be writing about what I did in Science.

Voltage: 

Voltage is the energy that electrons get from a power supply. Voltage is used to make electrical components work, like light bulbs.

Current:

The rate of flow of electrical charge across a point.

Aim: To create voltage out of a lemon.

Method:

• Roll the lemon out so the inside is liquidy
• Stick a piece of zinc and copper into the lemon
• Connect the lemon up to a voltmeter

Results:

Discussion: We rolled it out and released all the acidic charged particles. This allowed them to move around and create a current. The copper and zinc allowed the charged particles to move around, which created a circuit.

Conclusion: This experiment worked. With one lemon, the voltage was 1 volt. With two lemons, the voltage was 2 volts. With 7 lemons the voltage was 2.3 volts, almost the same amount as a triple A battery. 

Thanks for reading!

Mental & Emotional Wellbeing

Hi there! 

This blog is from late July 2020. 

Today I will be talking about Mental & Emotional Wellbeing. 

Questions: 

Q: What is the Te Reo Maori term for Mental & Emotional Wellbeing?

A: The Te Reo Maori term for Mental & Emotional Wellbeing is Taha Hinengaro.

Q: What is your understanding of Mental & Emotional Wellbeing?

A: My understanding of Mental & Emotional Wellbeing is being able to cope with stress even though it may be difficult. I also think of it as being able to express/acknowledge my emotions, whether they are happy or unhappy emotions, also to be able to control them too. It helps you think critically and communicate/share your emotions. 

Little Reminders

The 'Tiny Habits' video from Melon was about starting out small with self-improvement goals, and adding them to existing habits you already have. 

Example: While brushing your teeth, think of three things that you are grateful for. It's as simple as that!

What have I learnt from this picture?

I have learnt that if you focus on negatives instead of positives you will only experience negative things in your life. 

Facing Fears

The 'What we can control' video from Melon was about acknowledging that life can be stressful and that some people can be a bit annoying too. But, knowing that there are things we can control about our life, such as who we are friends with and how we react to these situations. We can also decide how much time we give to them too, how we act and what we say. Keeping our mind focused on what we can change will reduce worry and help us out a lot. 

The 'Belly Breathing' video from Melon was about how we can calm down in potentially stressful situations. It went through a tutorial and it went like this:

1. Go to a quite place.

2. Place one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest.

3. Breathe in through your nose, slow your breathing down and count your breaths, feel your stomach rise and fall as you breathe, imagine it as a balloon, your slowly filling the balloon up with air and then slowly squeezing the air out of it. 

What have I learnt from this photo? 

I have learnt that worrying is a completely normal emotion. I have also learnt that it is just my body telling me that I need to take a moment for myself and take some deep breaths as well as that my body is telling me that my mind is trying to protect me.

Thanks for reading!