TSM Project 3 - I AM BECAUSE OF YOU

I Am Because of You is a self-reflection on what is identity and what factors, traits, and cultures influence identities. We construct ourselves in order to make sense of our lives and our place in contemporary culture, geographical and historical space. Geneology fascinates me because knowledge of family history provides some understanding of our ancestor's day-to-day experiences, trials, and tribulations. When we look to the past we can interconnect in a reflective way with the material from archival objects, stories that are told from family members, and other sources. Our family histories can connect with our ongoing psychological 'project of the self', including the relationships that occur between ourselves that the family members of the past. When we look at these archives we may also begin to construct our family histories to make sense of our identities. We do this as a mechanism to make sense of ourselves by what is around us and how it responds to us. As I reflect on the archives that are featured in this project every person has a story on how they came to be, here in the present moment. We owe a part of who we are to the choices our families and other important people in our lives have made as well as the choices made by even older generations. These choices formulate a legacy that influences our identities, our circumstances, and in turn the choices we make. These are the people in my own life that have had an influence on the person that I am today. My identity is mine because of them.