General Thoughts - Andrew Taylor

At this point in the class I feel at least fairly educated about memorials and shrines, although significantly more so for memorials. I think we've spent far more class discussion time focuses on memorials over shrines, though I would prefer it that way just from a personal secular bias. I think the sub-section of memorials I find myself most heavily educated on is iconography. This is probably due to a lack of inherent artistic talent, so I find identifying symbols that always carry the same meaning/significance much easier than deriving significance from factors that differ from memorial to memorial or shrine to shrine, such as geographical placement or design of access points. On a side not that I'm pretty sure doesn't fit in the blog post assignment (but I believe still deserves to be said) the research required for the 8 page essay has been one of the most educational aspects of this class. This essay has been my first experience being able to really self-select the topic of an essay as large as 8 pages, and the 6 source requirement required me to really delve into my topic in a very enjoyable manner. I can honestly say I'm surprised with my newfound ability to observe and analyze memorials and shrines, specifically considering my previously held lack of faith in my artistic abilities. My growth of skill in this regard should serve as a testimony to the class, which somehow always maintained a balance of interestingly fun while simultaneously being challenging.