- Margaret Dion
- Engineering Major
- mdion2@elon.edu
- Mentor: Dr. Kyle Altmann
Motivation
I wanted to start this project as a way to show myself and my peers that your imagination is an important skill to cultivate and care for, and that it is just as essential to practice being creative as to practice doing your math homework. We often think of imagining fantastical scenarios as a children's activity, which we should grow out of to become more practical, decision-making adults. However, I think having a sense of wonder and the ability to see what the world could look like, keeps people curious, drives progress, and makes life mystical and unique. Being creative and thinking fantastically is scientifically beneficial for your mind and body, and I believe, is an essential part of being human. Therefore, I wanted to create something that helps me practice my own imagination skills and inspire others to start their own creative journey.
My first prototype consisted of a small scale model of my project with elements that I wanted to include, such as a backboard for the nightstand, moss, mushrooms, vines, and leaves. It was made out of cardboard and clay and painted with realistic colors because I believe I wanted to make it look more realistic than magical. This changed once I started working on it more.
My prototyping phase continued by playing with the elements that I wanted to include in my final product. I found a lot of 3D prints online that I thought applied to the theme of a magical forest. One is a flower that was modeled using a fractal, which I thought was fascinating. I printed branches and frogs and fairy doors and lizards. Whatever I found that I thought would look cool I printed. I decided that it would be super fun to have a lot of odd things placed around the table that people to look for and find. This is also when my idea transitioned from making the table look like a realistic piece of vegetation to a fantastical one. I wanted to showcase all the fun and weird things that I had found and the funky designs I had decided to incorporate, mixing the more lifelike with the more bizarre. For example, I printed a lot of mushrooms, but no two are alike and none could pass for natural mushrooms. However, they each have their own unique personality and fashion sense with bright colors, dots, and stripes. I loved letting my mind run wild with new ideas.
After printing all these 3D prints I sanded down the table I had acquired to remove the varnish as varnish stripping it would have been a messy process full of chemicals. I also bought more supplies from Michaels to add more realistic vibes to balance out the creative chaos and strive for harmony. Below is a picture of how I wanted to incorporate these pieces with the table.
I thought about what I wanted to paint on the table for a while and I realized that I wanted it to be something abstract that would not take to much away from the rest of the parts I was adding. So, even though I am a known perfectionist who struggles to force herself to color outside the lines I freehand sketched the shapes that came into my brain. It was a great exercise for me to grow more confident in my artistic skills and also be okay with uneven lines and asymmetry. I learned to embrace the uniqueness rather than freak out about the fact that the sides are not mirror images. Sometimes it is hard for me to let go of the perfect image in my head, and that is why I hesitate when starting new projects, in case they do not turn out how I wanted. The whole thing was a freeing experience and a low-stakes way to prototype what I wanted on the table, as I could erase and start all over if I desired.
- PLA for printing mushrooms, branches, a frog, a lizard, a bird, etc.
- 3D printer for the same reason
- Second hand nightstand to give it a new life and give back to the community
- Vines and moss from Michaels
- Acrylic paint, paint brushes, and palet
- Orbital sander to remove varnish
- Hammer and nails to afix moss
- Hot glue to keep mushrooms and smaller pieces in place
I bounced ideas off a lot of people over the course of this project, especially my mentor Dr. Kyle Altmann. Tangible resources that I can list include https://www.printables.com/, https://www.thingiverse.com/, and the Maker Hub Staff at Elon University.
In the future, I am going to continue to make more projects that pop into my brain. I learned a lot about myself, including how I can improve my creative process and realizing what mental blocks I have when it comes to physically starting a project. I want to put more focus on developing my imagination and encouraging other people to make stuff too. Even if you think it is dumb or not practical, creating things is so good for your mental health and should be promoted and practiced everywhere. This was just the first step to prove to myself that I can create something I find cool so I can help others jump over the same hurdles I have now gone through.