Convergence Culture is Creative Culture

I am leaving inspired from a recent visit to a hard to describe outsider artists mecca in Wisconsin titled House on the Rock. I am uploading a video I made from the House on the Rock (I can not explain this place, but I can say that it has the worlds largest carousel (featured here). You just have to come visit.

In addition, I feel enlightened and inspired in regards to the debates around New Media. My students in the Graduate Art Therapy program were able to use videos and various new media outlets for their presentations in their Media and Materials class. New media and the internet were a huge part of our discussions this semester. My semester highlight was making in class animation videos in I-Movie, working with a visiting artist Lesley Gena. The students amazed me in their creative work (45 to 60 second animated movies that were unique and creatiev). I neglect not posting these events earlier, as I think it is not until now that I can see how to fully use this blog. It is only upon post semester high energy pace (welcomed stillness) that I have been able to fully appreciate how much I have applied this class to my role as an art therapy educator. It was an exciting semester. Art therapy's role in our current culture remains to be seen, but my students were wrestling with and embracing the shifts in technology. Art therapy has been uncertain as to how to fully use new media and how it fits as a creative means for expression. I also was able to give a brief lecture on participatory culture in response to a seminar at Mount Mary called dynamic discussions. The topic of the day was "Are you stupid?" and related to the impact of technology on the brain. I feel smarter in many ways and yes a bit stupid too. Such is life these days, such is the process of cracking open in the doctoral journey. But, at any rate, I was able to connect Jenkins with my interest in brain research (particularly mirror neurons). I am not sold entirely on participatory culture, but I do like the concept of its utopian ideals of user generated content. In my view a culture of convergence is a creative culture.
It will be fascinating to see where the cloud takes us. I for one have no intention of getting off the cloud and I am excited about the ability to connect with others in soo many ways. As a research tool, I do not feel new media impacts me greatly at this point, but I anticipate this will change and is largely a reflection of being locked in already with my process and methods. The ethical issues around email and new media are very rich and need to addressed more frequently. We are clearly in a time of transition where what it means to connect, to be close, and to be friends mean new and different things. Who better to address these fuzzy complexities than clinicians? I can also say that hours in front of computer screens and feeling plugged in has constantly has started to take a toll on me, even a times causing anxiety. It seems like there is just so much to keep track of from passwords to log ins, to multiple accounts and platforms. Convergence is still very hard for me to manage. Considering I didn't have an email in 2000, I feel I am doing well and quite amazed at how much time I spend in the cloud. Amazing. I think we look back at this time and say "That was the real shift". What stories will I tell my grandchildren?