Goals are not as scary as your teacher made them in high school.

Five year goals, relationship goals, "squad goals" (what does that even mean?). All important to someone, somewhere, but not the goals I try to use in my designs. 

The other week I was speaking with some of the BFAs in the program here at Rutgers about their work. The designs and renderings were beautiful but they were worried about presenting them to their class. I asked why they had chosen certain things and they responded. 

"See. Easy," I said, "those were your goals for the project. Speak about them."

I always try to have one or two goals for a project that I can point to when discussing my work. I try to think of a very specific thing in the performance I would like to accomplish through my design and work around that central point. What is the main view point of the director/production/artist? Can my goal work off of that more specifically? For example, in our Costume Rendering class a project (the project the undergrads were working on too) was to create a changeable look for a pop artist. The artist I chose was Sia. There are many reasons why I chose Sia, but the main one is her concerts tend to be more a performance piece. She has other artists share their talents as well. In "Nostalgic for the Present" she remains fixed to a spot that is pivoted around the stage while Maddie and her other dancers interact with video and each other. Something about the performance art aspect of her show drew me in. I had GOALS for this project. Two very specific items:

1. To pay tribute to her work and style (She usually either has a very tailored look, or a more baby-doll dress)
2. To create a hair strip tease for her audience (you never see her face, but you think you might)

I talked about these GOALS when presenting and used my GOALS as an example for the BFAs. 

Sia's first look. Yes, this is a hair skirt. The hair and big bow on her back is to pay homage to her cropped wig and over-sized bow.

Sia's second look. The hair skirt is taken away to reveal "panniers" with soft sculpture Maddie and male dancer. Many of the dancers' costumes are small almost deconstructed pieces such as the panniers used as bustles in "Cheap Thrills" on Sia's most recent tour.

If you look closely you'll notice Sia's hair changes from first to second look. In my third look the two buns disappear to reveal a short angled pixie that still hides her face. 

GOALS, not something to be afraid of! Except maybe that five year one for after I receive my MFA...

​Till next time.