During the weeks of ( ) I played around with Dobriakov's Spectral Glossary of Critical Tourism to see how it could be adapted as thematic framings for the series of postcards. Instead of recording observations of their experience, participants would focus attention towards the practices of others between the different spectra.
I initially worked with prompts around memories of travel, using sensory exercises and questions to access and record memories within a given spectra of critical tourism.
Designed questions and test ideas, scales, visual representations of the spectra to write memories or observations.
Storytelling postcards were designed as an interactive tool for participants to use for writing practice with the literary techniques of magical realism chosen for the project. This writing form was inspired by the various visual storytelling tools and creative practices explored by Galvan and Spasojevic for Mapping Nottingham and from a suggestion from my coach Heleen de Hoon. Intuitively it felt like an appropriate, relevant, and practical tool for writing in a touristic place like Phuket. It could function as an interactive tool for the art experiences I was devising. A souvenir of the experience both locals and travelers might be able to connect with and share.
I started designing with the postcard template on canva.com and used its design tools to create the first version. (picture left)
I wanted the front side to represent the reality of the place (like a traditional postcard) so I included local viewpoints in Phuket for the titles, as well as, photos I had taken at those locations to use as the background. In the center, a big blank space is included and intended for participants to create their own unique "image" of the place through their writing, drawing, and/or mapping of their observations.
The back side is also based from a traditional postcard and is intended for storytelling practice. It includes a direction to write about the space using a literary technique common in magical realist writing. A description of the literary technique is provided for guidance. Most postcards include a stamp and I took that as an opportunity to represent each technique through a clip-art image as another way to educate visual learners.
Mimicking a traditional postcard the space meant for the address of the receiver is still included with a question asking the participants to choose who this story could be for, as a way to help the writer consider their audience, as well as, continue the conversation after the writing experience.
To allow for other possible future conversations around participants stories, an instagram tag is included at the bottom of the postcard. This was also included to aid in documenting postcards that were given out and not completed or shared with me during engagements.
