Life As An Artist- (Final Feature Story)
December 12, 2012
Shea and son, Caysen.
An artist is often stereotyped in a couple different ways. Some visualize a broke, hippy, getting in touch with their inner feelings, and putting it on a canvas. Others think of fine wine, and arrogant artists in a New York City gallery. However, an artist does not have to be either or. At least not for Shea Hartman-Hodges.
“I knew I wanted to be an artist around the age of 25,” Hodges says. She goes on explaining that, she had lost her job at the bank, had three kids, a husband and had already tried lots of things. She says, “At this point, I didn’t care what I did, I just wanted to enjoy what I did.” Therefore, she began studying at Morningside College, to earn a degree in studio art and creative writing.
Hodges says, “Most people told me I couldn’t get a degree in art or writing. Especially writing, because I have dyslexia. That was all more reason for me to prove them wrong.” Today, Shea sits in her downtown studio in Sioux City. When you meet her, she is happier than ever to talk about anything. Her long brown hair is down, and she is dressed in jeans and a crochet sweater. Her smile she gives is always more than welcoming. Terry McGaffin, a professor at Morningside, says, “I was set up to be her advisor for art classes. She made a strong first impression, a very positive force. Her confidence and self knowledge just leaves you in awe.”
Shea talks about what it means to be a modern day artist. She says, “When I’m asked what I do, and I reply that I’m an artist, they say, ‘OK, but what’s your real job?’” She laughs and says that she usually tells them she also bartends downtown. “People look at art like it’s just a hobby,” explains Hodges. She feels this is why it is so financially hard to keep up. Most people in the area do not buy professional artwork. You can’t buy paint and supplies to continue to do art, when no money from your work is coming in. Other struggles she has found include, finding places to show her work and knowing how to promote herself. “The huge thing I learned in school was confidence and how to take criticism, but no one taught me how to promote myself to the public” she says.
McGaffin feels that one thing Shea does best is keeping herself informed. Sitting on Shea’s desk is a copy of “I’d Rather Be In The Studio,” a book on self-promotion. She looks at it and says that its ‘her bible,’ with a large grin on her face. She does not ever regret her line of work choice. “I love my job. I don’t have to make excuses for being eccentric. Most of all, I can show my kids no matter what, you can go after your dreams,” says Hodges.
Artwork done by Shea Hartman Hodges
Feature Story- First Draft
December 6, 2012
When you think of an artist, people come to many different conclusions to what an artist is. Some visualize a broke, hippy, getting in touch with their inner feelings and putting it on a canvas. Others think of fine wine, and arrogant artists in a New York City gallery. However, an artist does not have to be either or. At least not for Shea Hartman-Hodges.
Shea is a 32-year old artist, who not only has studied fine art, but has been working as an artist for the last couple years. “There are many struggles with being an artist, especially a painter,” Hodges says, but still she feels it is an amazing career.
Even with the difficulties, Shea still manages to do her artwork, work a second job and raise her family. She feels it’s a constant balancing act, “You want to produce as much art as possible to sell, but you still need a steady income. That’s where bartending comes in for me,” she says.
Broadcast
November 15, 2012
Script:
This is morningside news, I’m Jennifer Noel. Hurricane Sandy has given the East Coast quite a shock. Here is (name) with the story.
Fierce floods and 80 mile per hour winds, hit the East Coast on Monday. Even though it was weakened, Hurricane Sandy still gave New Jersey a punch. By Tuesday, the rainfall was slowing and the storm was now a post-tropical cyclone. As a result, from the storm at least 16 people across the East Coast are dead.
Atlantic City and Lower Manhattan are just a few places the storm has caused damage. The streets were flooded into rivers 13 feet deep. Much of Manhattan’s skyline power faded. At the end of Tuesday, still most places were unsafe to travel and interstates were reduced to 45 miles per hour.
Recently Siouxlanders came together for the annual event, Pink in the Rink. (Name) has more on the event.
Sioux City’s Pink in the Rink was a big success for Breast Cancer Awareness. On Saturday, the Sioux City Musketeers wore pink for the fifth year in a row. The event rose up to forty seven thousand dollars for St Lukes’ imaging and breast screening center.
Over thirty-eight hundred people showed up at the Tyson Event Center for the event. Each ticket generated three dollars towards the cause. To keep the support going, t-shirts and pink ducks were sold at the game as well.
ME: This year’s election has brought up strong feelings for student voters. Sioux City students had a chance to vote early and many for the first time. Here is (name) with more to the story.
Early voting came even quicker for college students in Sioux City. Students came from every secondary school to cast their vote. Emily, a student from Morningside, who voted, thought there was a lot of pressure this campaign to be apart of the election. Emily says,
Many students were voting for the first time. Most felt like it is an important event that students and young adults need to participate in. Jamison, a first time voter from morningside says, “blah blah blah.”
Three Stories
November 8, 2012
ME: In today’s news Hurricane Sandy has given the East Coast quite a shock. Here is (name) with the story.
NAME: Thanks Jen,
Fierce floods and 80 mile per hour winds, hit the East Coast on Monday. Even though it was weakened, Hurricane Sandy still gave New Jersey a punch. By Tuesday, the rainfall was slowing and the storm was now a post-tropical cyclone. As a result, from the storm at least 16 people across the East Coast are dead.
Atlantic City and Lower Manhattan are just a few places the storm has caused damage. The streets were flooded into rivers 13 feet deep. Much of Manhattan’s skyline power faded. At the end of Tuesday, still most places were unsafe to travel and interstates were reduced to 45 miles per hour.
ME: Thank you Jane. Recently Siouxlanders came together for the annual event, Pink in the Rink. (Name) has more on the event.
NAME: Thanks Jen,
Sioux City’s Pink in the Rink was a big success for Breast Cancer Awareness. On Saturday, the Sioux City Musketeers wore pink for the fifth year in a row. The event rose up to forty seven thousand dollars for St Lukes’ imaging and breast screening center.
Over thirty-eight hundred people showed up at the Tyson Event Center for the event. Each ticket generated three dollars towards the cause. To keep the support going, t-shirts and pink ducks were sold at the game as well.
ME: This year’s election has brought up strong feelings for student voters. Sioux City students had a chance to vote early and many for the first time. Here is (name) with more to the story.
NAME: Thanks Jen,
Early voting came even quicker for college students in Sioux City. Students came from every secondary school to cast their vote. (Name), a student from Morningside, casted her vote and says, “blah blah blah.”
Many students were voting for the first time. Some feel that there is a lot of pressure with the election being a close one this year. A student from WITT, (Name), says, “blah blah blah.”
(I need to do some interviews, so that is why I have “blah blah blah” and (Name)).
Science Story
November 1, 2012
Farmers Cause Earthquake. Story Here: ScienceStory
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345937/description/Spanish_quake_linked_to_groundwater_pumping
Couple Shooting (Broadcast)
October 30, 2012
Saturday, a domestic scuffle resulted in the shooting of Laurette Kenny Brunson. Richard Brunson, 50, shot his wife on the day of their wedding. The bride has three children, who were in the house at the time of the shooting. A neighbor describes the events at the time of the incident- WCorse.
The groom fled the scene of the crime. Another neighbor gives a description of the man-MCorse. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Laurette Brunson is now at the hospital in satisfactory conditions, but refuses to talk to the media.
Interview A Stranger
September 20, 2012
Looking around for someone to interview, I decided to go down to Eppley. Students there are usually outgoing and willing to talk to anyone. Walking in the basement there was a young lady sitting on the chairs just outside the gallery. I walk up and excitingly say, “Hello, perfect stranger!” A young girl, with long brown hair, smiles back at me as I sit beside her. I asked if she would spare a couple minutes to chat with me. Puzzled, she looks and me and says, “Yes, is this a survey?” I explain that, no this is not a survey, but I’m looking for someone to tell me their best knock-knock joke.
She laughs and I ask jokingly, “But first, just to be creepy, can I ask your first and last name?” She gladly replies, “Emily Deming, D-E-M-I-N-G.” I go on and have her tell me her best knock-knock joke. Emily laughs and begins, “Knock-knock.”
Myself: “Who’s there?”
Emily: “To.”
Myself: “To who?”
Emily: “To whom.”
I give a chuckle, and she openly admits that she has a passion for english. I ask, “So, are you an english major?” She tells me she loves english but has currently declared herself as a music education major. Emily goes on to say she is only a freshman and I tell her, “Well you have plenty of time to change your mind then.” I thank her for her time and wish her luck with all her homework she was working on.
Self Critique
September 13, 2012
I know often times I have to watch for run on sentences. My thoughts get long and sometimes that problem leads to grammar issues as well. Basically, I have to read through a post several times to make sure there are no added words I don’t need.
Also, I’m constantly wanting to be creative which can lead me off topic as well. Once again, I just have to go through and remove things from places they don’t belong. As for journalistic writing, I need to improve putting things in order of most important to least important. When I first start to write I think of introduction first (overview of what I’m talking about) and then everything else. This is because I’m use to writing speeches and essays.
Room Description- Final Draft
September 10, 2012
I always walk in approximately at noon. The place is packed at this time, which bothers me, because I feel like a herd of animals at the trough. It always seems people are staring, mostly because everyone likes to see if they know the person walking in. I know this, because I do the exact same thing. Sleek wooden chairs surround all the tables and are often hard to maneuver through because Bucks is so busy.
There are a set of tables and chairs that I call an island. They stand alone in the middle of the room for people who want to be undisturbed to study, watch shows or eat lunch. That is my spot. The chairs at the island are much to tall for me to reach. I stand on my tiptoes in order to get on one. As I unpack my things, my computer, iPad and books, the aroma of fried goods fills the room.
It is very loud, which sometimes makes it hard to study when I have homework like today. However, it’s nice to be able to have a study area and someone who isn’t me to make lunch, all in one convenient spot. TV’s are on at a low volume, because there is music playing on the speakers when they are not calling people to the window for their food. They are playing all the current hits on the radio, which makes it hard to not sing along. I carefully take my tangled, white headphones out so I can begin to tune out the world.
Since its lunchtime, the line to order food is long. When it finally shortens up, it’s time for me to decide on something to eat. Once again, I must wonder around the mess of chairs and people. On my way, I faintly here someone calling, “Hey Jen!” I slowly turn around in the doorway of the little closed off room, where students go in to talk to the cashier. It’s my friend Emily. We chat briefly about life, school and work but quickly continue on to our own routines. When I reach the counter to order, the cashier seems nervous. More than likely, she is new because I have not seen her working here before. She is young, blonde-haired and wearing a little paper hat that all the café workers are wearing.
Finally, I get back to my seat and start to look at my homework. There is a table of four, with a few upper classmen boys. They appear to be part of one of Morningside’s many athletic teams. All of them are wearing cutoffs and gym shorts, while chatting excitedly about game scores, plays and upcoming events. I usually tend to tune those types of conversations out.
A few tables over is a much larger group of very studious looking people. A few professors and advisors are also sitting at the table with folders. This for sure is some type of meeting. All the students are engaged in the conversation, chatting about different promotional ideas for the group. Once again, I only listen to them briefly and return to my own studies.
Before I know it, it is already 1:30 p.m., and it’s time to head to my class. I slide off the tall chair and begin to gather my things, placing them in their proper spots of my book bag. About that time, I always run into one of my guy-friends, who I walk to class with after my eventful time at Bucks.
Interview
September 5, 2012
New Lead:
A Sioux City girl tells about her exciting journey to get to her college career. Starting back in the year 1992 in Sioux City, Iowa, Lauren Michelle Sorenson was born just one week before Valentine’s Day, on February 7. After about two years of waiting her sister finally had a younger sibling. She spent most of her childhood in Sioux City until the age of ten, when her family decided to move to Africa.
When asked what it was like to live in Ethiopia, Lauren simply replied, “It was completely different than living in Sioux City, because in Africa you wake up to monkeys literally banging and jumping around on your roof.” Sorenson continued her education in private and boarding schools while she remained in Africa. Finally at the age of thirteen, her family decided it was time to end their missionary work and head back to the states.
Lauren graduated from East High School and then first enrolled at University of Northern Iowa for two years, before transferring to Morningside College to study corporate communications. She decided that the smaller school was more suitable for her college career. Some of her favorite pass times include snow skiing, being on the school radio station and lifeguarding for the last six years.
ORIGINAL LEAD:
In the year 1992 in Sioux City, Iowa, Lauren Michelle Sorenson was born just one week before Valentine’s Day, on February 7. After about two years of waiting her sister finally had a younger sibling. She spent most of her childhood in Sioux City until the age of ten, when her family decided to move to Africa.
When asked what it was like to live in Ethiopia, Lauren simply replied, “It was completely different than living in Sioux City, because in Africa you wake up to monkeys literally banging and jumping around on your roof.” Sorenson continued her education in private and boarding schools while she remained in Africa. Finally at the age of thirteen, her family decided it was time to end their missionary work and head back to the states.
Lauren graduated from East High School and then first enrolled at University of Northern Iowa for two years, before transferring to Morningside College to study corporate communications. She decided that the smaller school was more suitable for her college career. Some of her favorite pass times include snow skiing, being on the school radio station and lifeguarding for the last six years.