Pay it Forward

Joinville from my window

We have all heard of various Pay it Forward (PIF) projects where you do something for people and they in return do something for someone else.

As a part of the US-Brazil Connect program I am required to complete a PIF project focused on culture or language. As an artist, I naturally chose to create and share some art. I am still working on this project and plan to for a little while, since my response to Brazil will be quite in depth and large and I still am not sure where it will go. I also expect my creative response to continue for some time.

My Project

I am creating artwork based on my experience in Brazil. Much of this work is in progress and still in sketch form. I have also been journaling a lot about Brazilian culture, my experience and Portuguese.
As of now some of the topics I am exploring include art, music, African diasporan culture, relationships between men and women, women’s roles, women’s beauty, religion, non-suggestive physical affection and more.

Joinville Rooftops

Artwork and Sharing

I created several drawings while I was in Joinville and had them in an exhibition in Brasilia for a month after. I am now taking these drawings and sharing them on YouTube and in my Blog. I will be uploading one or two short videos per day and creating a post every other week, so it is difficult to say when it will be finished. As I post them I will share them on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

How To Follow My Brazil Response

I also have linked several blog posts to US-Brazil Connect's website.

The part for this assignment that has been completed so far can be seen on my Art+ Blog and on my YouTube Chanel Felicia Follum. Check back regularly to see new additions. You can also see my art responses to India and other travel. Check in the side bar.

 

24 Hours: No English

Its been 24 hours and my brain is kinda freaking out. I'm exhausted and feel like I am a major pain in the ass because people have to explain everything several times and the tension and the frustration and knowing I'm bad at Portuguese is is making it more difficult to understand, speak and recal what I do know...

Por outro lado, eu gosto la experiência porque é unique e eu sai que eu vou crescer mas que todas las otras situações em Brazil. Eu vou aprender mais português. Os pesoas tem muitos patience comigo também. Elles são fantásticos. 

My portuguese is atrocious and its frustrating because I want to connect with people deeper but I can't because the words must be simplified so much. Even my thoughts in English are being dumbed down.

meus pensamentos em português são ideias complexas. Eu adoro la experiência é acredito que eu vou aprender muito coisas sobra la Brazilian cultura so observando. E eles falan que meu português é bom pra dois meses. E eu mais o menos concordo. Tenho muitos feliz e sorrisos quando uma convenção é swave. 

I miss home (mostly my husband) and I miss spicy food, eating with my hands and taking my shoes off indoors. I miss Laramie and am sad that there is a possibility that I may never return. I am sad that I'm not yet in Washington and I'm sad that Jim is stuck there without me.

Saldages é minha palavra favorite en la idioma português. E eu penso que é descritivo de a cultura beleza. Uma cultura com muito emoções linda e sentimental. As pesoas aqui é carinhosos e dulce. Eles pensam com suas emoções. E eu gosto disso. Tenho saldages pra meus amigos en Santa Catarina e eu terei muitos pra pesoas aqui, pierto de Brasília, e todo o país.

Challenges make you stronger.
Viagem é cultivo bonito. 

Looking at Brasilia

*I ended up going 5 days and it was amazing...eu tenho cinco dias sem inglês e é foi muito bom! Obrigada amigos Brasileiros! 

E mais uma coisa. Disculpa meio mal em português...Eu escrevi este no meu diário/jornal, depois de um mês de practca português :p 

For those of you who speak both languages...I didn't intend on the two different tones...it just happened as I journaled and switched languages...

Typography: English vs Devanagari

As a graphic designer whose strength lies in typography and a love of type and words, I am stoked to get better at both Hindi/Devanagari and Urdu scripts.

by Folography.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

This is great! I absolutely love that I have a book at home that goes through these same terms with the English alphabet. There are of course some slight differences. Such as English doesn’t have a link but rather ligatures (mostly used in old English) and we have serifs rather than noses, cusps and hooks.

Caps and lowercase letters are also common in English making the x-height useful in a different way making the ascenders and descenders a bit more dramatic in Hindi. This is graphically the one aspect of Hindi/Devanagari script that I am not excited to work with.

I still have a long ways to go before I can start practicing with Urdu script and really using the Hindi alphabet.

Te read more about Hindi/Urdu/Devanagari be sure to check out HindiForChristmas.blogspot.com, my blog about how I am learning the Hindi language.  To see more of my India inspired art and more script check out my India Inspired Art section of this Blog.

The Hinglish Project

The Hinglish Project typeface is absolutely gorgeous! I hope you enjoy the beautiful design as much as I do as a graphic designer.


Hindi is a difficult language to learn. Well at it appears that way at first. The Hinglish Project typeface is an excellent tool to help people familiarize themselves with the beautiful script.



As you may or may not know I have been practicing Hindi (which you can learn more about at HindiForChristmas) for a couple months now and hope to be able to read by December. Be sure to subscribe to see how I am using Hindi in my artwork as well.

Like my Facebook page and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more updates and videos in response to my time in India.