Reflective Statement: Relations, Perspective, Language – A Creative Mapping
As I approach the end of Stage Two, I find myself looking back at a period of deep personal and creative transformation. The themes of Relations, Perspective, and Language have not only guided my academic development, but also intertwined with my personal journey. What began as distinct concepts have now merged into a richer, more holistic creative practice.
Relations: The Human Thread
In the beginning, my understanding of “relations” was rooted in human connection — personal histories, emotions, and memory. But as my Negotiated Project evolved, I began to see relations not only between people, but between image and text, between languages, between cultural references, and between my past and my present self. My background as a Greek speaker living abroad played a large role in exploring relational tension — between mother tongue and adopted tongue, between home and distance, between nostalgia and reality.
My creative work began to reflect this. Poems layered Greek and English, not only in translation but in etymological experimentation. I began to see words themselves as relational bridges — “Eros,” “catharsis,” “pathos,” “pandemonium” — ancient containers of complex emotional and philosophical histories. Through this, relation became the core of my work.
Perspective: Shifting Lenses
Perspective evolved next — not just visually in terms of layout or structure, but conceptually. Through poetry, journaling, and visual-text work, I realised how different voices can coexist in a single piece. The shift between sarcastic tone and romantic imagery, or between sincere longing and ironic distance, became ways to explore and challenge not just the viewer’s perspective, but my own.
The decision to work with bilingual elements, or to mimic “Greenglish,” was itself a perspective shift — allowing the reader to navigate meaning through sound, rhythm, and recognition, rather than just translation. Perspective became about empathy, duality, and multiplicity.
Language: A Living Medium
Finally, language became the most expansive and personal theme. I no longer see language as just a vehicle — it’s the material of my work. I explored how words carry history, how they transform across time, and how they can be visually manipulated to create layered meaning.
Language is now both tool and content. The mixing of Greek and English isn’t just about accessibility — it’s about play, disruption, memory, and rhythm. It’s about resistance to forgetting and a celebration of hybridity.
Conclusion
At the beginning of Stage Two, I may have seen Relations, Perspective, and Language as three separate threads. Now, I see them as braided together. Each informs and deepens the other. Relations give meaning to perspective. Perspective challenges language. Language expresses relation.
This journey has helped me find a creative language that is deeply personal yet outward-looking. It has allowed me to take risks, to explore the poetic, the multilingual, the ironic and the sincere — all within a framework that remains open to change.
Moving into Stage Three, I feel more confident not only in my creative voice but also in my ability to navigate and reflect critically on where that voice comes from — and where it can go.
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