So, when I applied to Parsons way back in December, part of the application is completing what they call "The Parsons Challenge." The directions were obnoxiously vague. They were to take time to notice three cohesive things in your life that you typically overlook and do three separate art pieces on them each with their own 150 word description.
At this point in my application process, I had already finished and mailed in all of my other schools and I was not really even considering going to Parsons anymore, but my parents "advised" me to just mail it in and see what happens. So for weeks I considered what I wanted to do for the Parsons Challenge and none of my ideas really satisfied me. Too cliche, too confusing, too basic, or too much effort for what I really wanted to put in (see my last post).
Finally, like most things I do, it came down to the wire and I knew that I just needed to do something,
anything to send in and have my parents stop bugging me-- I mean, have it be done so I could greatly improve my chances of getting into Parsons....
One day I just sat down and started drawing (something I rarely ever do because my drawing/painting leaves a lot to be desired) hoping inspirations would just strike me down like lightning so I could get the whole thing over with. After playing with really symbolic and cheesy ideas with weird connections and explanations to my life (taking way more than 150 words to explain) I decided that I would fudge the system a bit. Starting with a man named Mitch, I made up fictitious characters in my life and accompanied them with ridiculous stories about their odd lives and why I typically look over them in my day to day life. The drawings are nothing to write home about and my descriptions are a little rough, but when it was all said and done, I loved what I'd come up with. As basic and flawed as they were, something had to have worked because I ended up getting into Parsons, so that counts for something, right? See, kids-- you too can pull metiocre grades all through school and still get into college because "You're an
artist!"
All of this to say, I had kind of forgotten about them until a few days ago when I found them amongst all of my other stored documents that are slowly collecting dust in the dark files of my laptop and I decided I would post them over the next few days.
Here's Mitch:
"My neighbor’s name is Mitch. He’s 52 and single. He drives a champagne colored Buick and smokes cigars in the morning. His mustache is as much apart of him as the Charles Bronson Signature Collection cologne he wears everyday. At night he dons his gold chain necklace and his white yacht captain’s hat and goes out trolling for tonight's lady love. I wonder if he’s ever really loved someone, but either way, I don’t think he minds because the widowed 60 something’s that he brings home every night take quite good care of him. His debonair good looks and irresistible manly demeanor only add to his million-dollar smile and fake tan. Whenever he see’s me, he gives me a look and a wink that is not only endearing, but also slightly concerning. It’s a look that says, 'Watch out for guys like me.' I think I’ll take that advice."
