Kelly Atkinson

March 1, 2016
Gen-X
Byrd
https://www.flickr.com/gp/140557745@N03/gd32yb
Title Page:
The name of my book is Mark my words. It is a mixture of shades of
blue because blue is a color that strongly represents who I am. This
title suits me because I always have a lot to say about most things, but
instead of saying everything that comes to mind I observe and let my
thoughts kindle before I speak. This is where the color blue comes into
play because it can be vibrant but it is also very calm and soothing.
Growing up I learned when to speak and when not to speak; as in
which conversations to put myself into. Almost like picking my battles,
because I knew some things would not ever change. Also as a woman
I believe our words can be taken for granted or not appreciated.
Traditionally things have been done the same way and traditionally
speaking that should work but men do not know if it could be working
better because they are afraid of the womans opinion. Men should
seek our advice as a new perspective to enhance the ways things are
traditionally done. The title page means a lot to me because words are
all I have, and my words are true. When I choose to speak I will make
sure my words are necessary and kind. The blue background of the
book represents a blank canvas and how pure the world, words,
thoughts, actions, people, politics, identity, and the media could be;
but our way of life seems to be becoming more tainted every day. The
title really reflects how the words I use when discussing things have
knowledge behind them; whether that is from reading, writing or
observing. The words I speak or (lack of them) can be represented in
many different ways. The texture underneath the acrylic paint on the
front cover represents how many things that have texture and body,
such as problems or stressors in my life. It has dark areas and lighter,
almost showing how there is a balance in life between the rough and
smooth times in life. The smooth represents smooth patches in my life
when things seem to come naturally and flow very easily. The
textured/ rough and layered part of the cover represents how paths in
life can be bumpy and difficult to walk through. The overall smooth
texture of the book represents that no matter what challenges I face I
will always have a smooth approach and a clean outcome no matter
how messy or difficult the path to get there might be.

Religion (page one):

Coming to Christ has had a tremendous impact on my life. Knowing
that Christ is a good Father and his love for me is overwhelming and

filled with great joy and desire in His heart and heavens is so
comforting. Christ Jesus has filled the gap in my heart and soul to
praise him and have faith that he is our creator and also our Savior. He
leads us to light and will not ever lose his righteousness and grace he
gives all creation. The two cliffs represent the problem sin gives us by
separating us from God, because he is Holy and therefore cannot be in
the presence of sin. The left side is red/ black and fire due to the
destruction sin is leading us towards on the wide path. The cross fills
the gap because I can have eternal life if I live through Jesus. The right
side has grass at the bottom and has textures to represent the depth
and holy-ness of Heaven. The sky is blue-ish and white as perfectly
represented as it can because Heaven is above the clouds and looks
down upon all of Earth and creation. There is a yellow small path that
represents the narrow path it takes to lead you to Jesus through
repentance and belief. Religion has absolutely changed me while
becoming a Christian. In the beginning it was very difficult to have
faith in God because I could not physically see him; but the evidence is
all around that Jesus Christ and the father God are here on Earth every
day. The contrast between the red and the green is sudden and abrupt
because this is how the contrast between Heaven and hell are. They
are astonishingly different and must be represented this way to show
my understanding of religion. I believe this page clearly represents
how my faith in God is proven through Christ Jesus our Lord. The
elements chosen give a clear picture of the faith I have and confidence
I have to believe in a God so holy and perfect. God cannot be in the
presence of sin so this is how Jesus fills the gap and takes our place for
judgment on the day that we die. But instead of eternal death, which
is what we deserve for even the slightest sin, Jesus will take my place
and God will judge him for my faith and repentance in Him. On this
page my religion and faith are clearly represented through two sides
and a cross in the center.

Politics (page two)

Politics are everywhere and even when I believe politics will not arise
they always seem to appear. I chose to represent my view of politics in
an actual representation of governmental politics and policies. I
believe there are two dominant sides in the U.S. political spectrum
which are the Democrats and the Republicans. I have two cliffs on
each side of the page showing that the views of the Democratic party
and the Republican party are much different and in competition. The
cliffs are painted with a target of blue and target of red on the top of
the foundation. Then below (where the rocks would be) it is brown like
a cliff would be. Through the connecting pages there is a yellow bridge
because although they are different they have similar views. The
bridge is collapsing and falling in the middle, because along the way

political views always seem to leave out certain groups of people. The
names of people oppressed are falling off of the bridge toward the
bottom of the valley/pit, which is everyone else. I am absolutely
voting in November I believe the only way to get what you need and
stand up for others including yourself is to do your part. I will
absolutely do my part and make sure I vote when the time comes. I do
not wish to share my own views on politics thats why I am sharing
both sides and the flaws I see when they come together but also
diverge. Things were meant to be similar but also have different sides
that differ in opinion. But to have a successful government system and
political stance in America we cannot afford to keep leaving others out.
Women make up more than half of the electoral voters since
somewhere in the 70s. If we did not have such an influence on the
candidate who was elected people might not vote. But we DO have a
voice by choosing who is elected. My problem is that I dont know who
we can trust anymore and if we actually have a reliable and
trustworthy candidate for this election. I view politics as people
arguing over things for sometimes an unnecessary purpose. Theres
politics in literally everything. Theres politics surrounding any decision
that requires more than one opinion or decision. If someone is
unhappy about something they will make it loud and clear that their
opinion counts and is usually more important than someone elses.
This page shows a neutral view/stance for politics but show how
frustrating it is to be the fallen pieces if you will in the decision
making process.

Media (page three)

The media is everywhere you cannot escape it at this point. Whether it
is Facebook, twitter, Instagram, the news, or a talk show. The media
can be communicated through means of telecommunication, print
media, newspaper of record, broadcast media, television, talk radio,
the internet, and basically everything. People are exposed to an
extensive amount of media even from a very young age. Sometimes I
think my brain would be less cluttered if the media was not as
prevalent in my life. The media can make your other thoughts cloudy
because if you hear something over and over you will eventually know
it and act this way. I chose to represent this idea of the media by
constructing a face and then having the top of the head removed and
the brain be exposed. There are words where the brain would be to
show how encompassing the media is and how it has an effect in my
everyday life. The words are showing how the pressure of the media
can make you believe things about yourself. The first word the eye
comes to is Handmade showing that as a person, we are basically
crafted by our society. Then below there are more words such as
more beautiful, pressure, work, HOT, need, be fit, and NEW. These
words carry a lot of weight and are constantly thought about by women

across the globe daily. The face depicted is painted all sorts of colors
over it to show how distracting from your true self the media is. The
red bandage over the mouth represents that we have no voice in the
media that the pressure to be perfect is taking away our sense of self
and confidence. The pink (blush) circles represent the make up we
wear and how we are becoming a product of society especially through
means of making ourselves up to be the prettiest one and best looking
woman. Basically all of our thoughts and actions were formed or at
least greatly influenced by the media. The eyes are black but filled
with images of the media and its almost constructing who we believe
ourselves to be. In the background of the face there are pictures of the
perfect image and words that describe perfection. Media affects
me not in a way that I think bad of myself but in a way thats
distracting. I find myself busy doing things and if I get a notification
about a breaking story or something on Facebook then I find myself
looking at it. I could read articles on Facebook all day, mainly because
there are so so many of them. My opinion of the media is that it is
corrupting our society and world as we know it. The media is putting
its opinion into everything that everyone does. I could not imagine
being a celebrity and any time I wear the same pair of jeans or decide I
want to wear a hat that day, that my thought process and decisions
are going to be analyzed and broken down. The media puts things in
the spotlight that are unnecessary and it is corrupting our world and
making everyone lose faith in humanity and respect for each other.

Communal Identity (page four)

I believe that all aspects of life intersect and things we cannot see are
working together to make things a symphony of high ideals in our lives.
Forces besides the scientific pressures and theories are always working
with us. Our community actions shape what happens to us everyday.
As well as our faith that transforms us and in return creates a better
community. I chose to represent community in my picture by having a
bunch of different shapes that overlap and also form new shapes. The
different lines and textures represent how there are many types of
people and things in a community and when they come together we
create something beautiful. The circles are all different sizes and are
connected by different lines at times. The triangles represent different
elements of life and how it might be piercing at first but when chaos is
added it can add depth and create other things to arise. They also
represent the peaks in my life and how all of the little things in life add
up to what can be a highest peak in ones life. The concentric circles

are what shape our lives. Community has always been very important
to me, because I was always so wrapped up in it with everything that I
did. When I was 5 I started softball and all of the parents and families
came together to watch our games. Even when there was a rivalry the
parents would come together if something like an injury came into
play. I always had my softball community growing up. Then when I
was ten I added volleyball into the picture as well and I added another
family/ community into my life. You start to recognize people form
other teams and get to know the parents even if you are competing
against each other you are all a part of the one things that keeps us
together which is the sport. I started track in high school as well, as if I
didnt already have enough sports going on, and added another
community. I have always had a strong sense of community due to my
sports teams, home town where everyone knows everyone, the
country club I work at, my neighborhood, my moms tennis community;
honestly small groups of community have always been so present in
my life.

Earth & the Environment (page 5)

I have definitely always felt a connection with the Earth. When I am
outside or engulfed in a nature scene so incredible where the land is so
green and its all your eyes can see for miles and miles; it is something
I absolutely feel a connection with. In the U.S. we tear down an
abundant amount of trees every year, or even every day for that
matter. It is saddening to me to see how the majority of people do not
care about the environment. We tear down trees just to build sky
scrapers. Dont we have enough? Why does everything have to be
bigger, better, faster, stronger. It doesnt and the sooner we realize
that and try to become one with Earth and the nature, the happier we
will be. People can be so quick to throw trash out their window but yet
so sad when they see a picture of an animal dying or being strangled
by the plastic soda ring holders that they probably did not recycle. The
trash we put on this Earth is too abundant and is killing people and
most importantly Mother Earth. In other countries there is so much
trash that people find themselves living at the dump and digging
through everything to find worthy items to sell for clothes and food. It
is astonishing to me how as a country we can focus on who wears what
tie to the debate more than we want to focus on how many people are
dying or in danger for their lives. There are so many issues with the
environment and I feel like the problems are communicated decently
through the media. But what is not happening is we are not informed
of how we are going to solve this problem or having people of the
country contribute to the decision making process. I chose to
represent this page by one half being a tree and one half being a sky
scraper. The tree is much greener on the farthest left of the left page.

As it gets closer to the binding of the book it starts to turn black and
slightly on fire. Then on the skyscraper side it is grey tiled and has
flames coming from the ground up. The middle of the binding has
flames from both sides coming out. We are so quick to save a burning
building but we intentionally set trees on fire. Where are our morals?
We are destroying a world that God created to make more room for
more buildings and its quite disgusting to me to see where we are
headed in our beliefs as a country.

Gender Issues (page six)

I believe that gender issues are present even though I might not
physically understand or relate. I have a brain therefore I can try my
best to relate to someone elses problems. I cannot judge what I do
not experience or understand. Which also plays a role in how men
view women. They try to control us and debate between them about
what rights we have when they couldnt ever physically understand
what it takes and what it is physically like to be a woman. The center
of the page has a face constructed with magazine cutouts of peoples
faces all coming together to make one face. Over the faces an
inequality/feminist lens is placed over the face where the eyes are.
This is representing how the world view would change if we could see
people for who they are and accept unique differences. In the gender
issues at hand people need to be more accepting. A large part of our
problem is women judging other women and men judging other men.
We have always lived in a binary society so its hard for other people to
accept things other than the binary. As a society we are slowly
developing but people just need to be more accepting of things other
than what they know. It might not be our problem but when did we
lose respect for each other not to respect someones feelings or
opinions about something. It might not be what we know or what we
like but it does not mean it is wrong. As women we have come a long
way and it also means that people ae becoming more accepting of
women having more power and really just equal power to man. We
cannot forget not to leave out other groups when fighting womens
oppression though because there are more problems than just man vs.
woman. It is tough to accept something if you dont understand it but
having a larger perspective is always necessary. The picture I created I
think is a good representation that gender issues come from all types
of people and it doesnt matter what one looks like they may be going
through something as well. This page also presents the issue of rape
because in a magazine I found an article saying if you are raped you
need to forgive and forget. The issue of rape is also playing a big role
in women and gender issues. It also shows that as women we need to

come together and support each other because if we ban together

theres no way anyone can stop us.

Citizenship (page seven)

Citizenship in my opinion would be the state of having membership
almost to a country. People are concerned about who has the
membership to the U.S. but sometimes they do not consider why
others may need the membership and offer it to them. To be a citizen
of one country you must follow their rules and conform to their way of
life. My picture is a target on the left to represent places I have been
and also places I would like to go. There are maps in the background
of he right page to show that leaving your mark can be anywhere.
Being a woman you must push extra hard to put your footprint into
things. Citizenship can be represented in many different ways but I
think this reflects how I view citizenship. In the U.S we have it easy in
regards to a lot of other places where women and girls fight for their
life just because they are a woman. I think watching Girl Rising really
influenced my picture here because I have not seen a good
representation of how bad girls are treated and what we are fighting
for until this. It is important to appreciate where you are and do your
part because someone just like you with less resources and availability
is wishing for exactly what we have. We have a much better place to
express freedom of speech and representation compared to most other
countries. We obviously cannot allow everyone to live here because it
would soon lead to destruction. But we should give aid or support to
other countries by helping with more than violence against them. The
violence we portray in reflection probably hurts the girls more.
Citizenship also makes me think about traveling and how many places I
have been and where I would like to explore next. The maps in the
background of my page mean a lot to me because they will represent
where I have been and where I would like to go. The target really
stands for not letting myself forget where I came from and my goals in
life. No matter where I go I wont lose my beginnings because my foot
will always be planted where I came from. Leaving your mark on
people and places can transform you and also help others. I take my
citizenship very seriously in that I will be great and I will make a
difference in my life as well as others.

Passions/Hobbies (page eight)

I enjoy piano in my free time and it has shown through the things I
have accomplished with piano. I feel most alive when I am at peace

with playing. In eighth grade I found that I had a deep connection with
how the keys felt and the sound and rhythm of the piano. I began to
play and it came so naturally to me I advanced very quickly and began
to compete. I competed for a few years to earn the highest you can
earn over this period of time. I won first place in this competition from
the National Piano Teachers Association. They all collaborated, being
teachers around the country, and decided the top 3 people and then
we had to complete three large pieces and perform them and I ended
up placing first. I owe my passion and success to my wonderful
teacher Joel Dobkin. He was accepted into Julliard when he was eight
years old and became a prodigy and performed all across Europe. He
was a legend of his time just only did not want all the press that a lot
of famous composers had. He received a lot of credit and he wanted to
repay others by teaching instead. He was so transformed by his
teachers at such a young age he thought he should help others find
their passion as well. I am so passionate about a lot of things like
juicing, nature, exercising, school, Jesus, and so many more but I think
piano led me to find my passions in life. I have presented my passion
of piano by painting a piano and creating other designs behind it. Also
on the right page there is an animal because I have a connection with
animals and all of my dogs and nature. I think It is important to share
your passions with the world because you really dont know who you
could be inspiring. I know I could not have found my passion without
Joel sharing his with me. It is really a cycle of your life for what you fall
into because it all depends on your experiences and who you come
into contact with. I am very lucky to have known someone as great as
Joel who had a passion he needed to send off.