Interpretive Themes by David Larson & Thinking ‘Bigger Than Me’ in the Liberal Arts by Steven Tepper – Response
I found both of these readings very insightful in different ways. The reading on thinking “bigger than me” was interesting to me in the way that, coming from an art student, thinking at a different level (not only on myself) instantly made me think about the messages I am expressing in my art. The quote, “(…)We can help students break with routine, get outside of themselves, and have “bigger than me” experiences” (Tepper B27). Rather than being in a closed environment, shutting out new ideas, we could open up to new ideas and experiences; we are limiting ourselves as artists and human beings if we do not. We are able to express ourselves more and share our ideas on a much greater scale when we can think about things beyond ourselves and critically look at and perceive the world around us. This leads me to the next reading, Interpretive Themes, which I find is connected in many ways to BTM thinking. I believe that the “bigger than me” thoughts lead to exploring and thinking about interpretive themes and the expression of an idea. BTM thoughts seem to be an exploratory thought that can be found in the minds of curious and artistic individuals, but it takes articulated thought(s) and well thought out words to create an interpretive theme and present it in a way that is educated and succinct. This is no way an easy task, but when it is skillfully created, the theme guides the reader or presenter to their next thoughts and outline universal concepts in works, art pieces, and reports. Thus, the significance of the work is valid to a great majority of individuals and creates new frameworks of understanding.
