Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (1:20 p.m.) Happiness Group Journal | Page 12

there seems to always be a
never-ending number of tasks.
The phrases are temporary
reminders of actions that people
deal with on a daily basis. They
include tasks such as “Finish
paper” and “Take out trash”.
Simple drawings accompany some
of the words. The list appears as a
work of art itself. These
light-hearted sketches are a
reminder that we should try to
seek enjoyment when doing even
the smallest of tasks. We often
make everything out to be a
chore, and thus, negative aspects
of our lives. Some words and
phrases on the list are crossed out
with messy, uneven lines. The
sloppy character incites the idea
that we do not have to dwell on
each task and that we need to
move onto more
important responsibilities. By
placing the to-do list around the
calendar, we hope to elicit the
idea that the content adds to the
overwhelming and stressful
response felt by the calendar. All
responsibilities engraved on the
to-do list are short-term,
temporary goals that we all hope
to achieve on a daily basis. As a
result of the interim nature of the
goals, the list appears much
simpler in design than the
calendar. We hope that the
audience empathizes with the
crumpled disposition of the list
and understands that these
additional, short-term tasks also
create frustration and stress in
everyday life. The content makes
it difficult to experience complete
happiness. Even the simplest of
tasks, when arranged in bulk, can
be overwhelming. Focusing too
much on the less-important
aspects of life, drain enjoyment
and make it difficult to look
toward the future. In order to
reach complete happiness, one
must acknowledge the concise
nature of many of life’s aspects,
and keep a positive attitude
about them.
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