Salaam Alaikum!

Haha...

And welcome to my first entry. The purpose of this blog is simple. I intend to document the 10-day Creative Development body intervention I have been assigned for my first project as a second year Multimedia Design student at Vega The Brand Communications School. The documentation of this intervention forms my Critical Studies segment of the joint project.

Our module of study is named "The Body (un)comfortable" and revolves around our own human bodies, how we observe and perceive it as well as how others observe and perceive us. The aim of this particular project is to firstly unpack our own body image, locate our comfort zone, physically remove ourselves from it by means of a 10-day body intervention and then critically analyze our findings. In a nutshell, get uncomfortable with your body and document it all.

First off, allow me to tell you the characteristics of myself that I chose to exploit for the purpose of this project. I am a 26-year-old man who comes from a traditional, Muslim, Cape Malay home in Cape Town. My family is fairly religious and I, myself, am the complete opposite. I find that religion separates more than it integrates people. I'm extremely spiritual, though. I believe in a supreme force at work beyond our comprehension and I live my life according to my beliefs. This, however, is not congruent to the teachings of my religion. So I am seen as somewhat of a rebel in my family. I especially tend to rock the religious boat with my rebellious attire and radical hairstyles. I mohawk, I accessorize, I fashionize. That is how I have always been.

THE INTERVENTION

The choice of intervention was pretty simple once I evaluated this particular facet of my persona. So for the next 10 days I am going to acquiesce. I am going to embrace and embody my polar opposite body image. I will become what they want and make myself supremely uncomfortable in the process. I will mow my hawk, unfashionize and I will dress down into traditional Muslim garb. Accessories denied.