Being alone is underestimated. People often avoid alone time. Why? No one wants to admit to oneself that they are unable to be alone. Being alone is inherently uncomfortable. It is this discomfort that makes it so incredibly valuable.
I discovered my identity this past year through alone time. This video shows the seemingly mundane process of unveiling identity through alone time.
My video is meant to be understood from a perspective outside my own, someone else’s view on my individual experiences. I never hold the camera from my point of view but rather that of the “videographer.” The outside perspective is an important component of my video - were it shot from my own then I would not truly be completing the “mundane” tasks I claim to be, rather I would be shooting a video.
Similarly, I do not show my face for the entirety of the video. This unique perspective I take on in my film reflects the notion that such genuine alone time does not concern the physical experience or appearance, but rather our mind, identity, and view of ourselves.
Finally, my video has no music, no conversation, no voice-over to mask the ordinary sounds — the rustling of clothes, background conversation, clinking of glasses — associated with my mundane tasks. Instead, I chose to amplify these ordinary sounds. The exaggerated sounds should make one uncomfortable, reflecting the discomfort genuine alone time produces.
I end the video with a clip of me in my room listening to loud music while on my phone. This is to show the difficulty which comes with alone time. I eventually always resort back to finding distractions which allow me to escape from my own mind, becoming more absorbed in my music than my own personal reflection.
It is uncomfortable to have no distractions. We humans often try to avoid alone time. Why? Because it is uncomfortable to face our identities, the true mundane, the elimination of entertainment. Yet, it is not until we do so, that we can discover ourselves.
At Parsons I created two videos. The first was a video that identifies a “subculture” of monochromatic outfits. This was a graded assignment during my time at Parsons. This project was notable as I dove right into taking many photos of strangers, none of whom spoke English.
This video is the second video I created on my own time outside of Parsons as a re-cap of my trip.