Wyatt Mashkuris Pilot Narrative

Semester One
December 2017

On August 28, 2017, I began a venture into a year-long independent study with the goal
of finishing the year as a strong independent learner. Over the past four months, I have partially
constructed a tiny house in the woods, which has been a long time dream of mine. I have taken
ideas and stories and transferred them into cohesive essays. I have taken photos, refined through
meticulous editing and printed them to sizes I have never seen. And I have begun researching
current social issues around the world and how they can be solved through new and innovative
ways. In these months I have also grown tremendously as an independent learner, as I discover
ways in which I work most efficiently and most effectively. Its been a rather busy semester, so
let me share what I have done.

Understanding Space and our Relationship to it: My Art Study

This semester I have spent hours and hours behind the lense of my camera as I capture
vast and open landscapes. At the same time, I have also spent weeks reviewing older photos and
editing them to a more finished state. Prior to Pilot, I had never gone through the entire process
of taking an image to editing it and eventually printing it. I have learned there is much more
work to photography than just clicking the shutter. Its a process. In the past four months, I have
learned that this work takes time. I am still going back and reworking old photos I took but this
time with a new perspective on how I want the image to connect with the viewer.
Possibly the most important thing I learned about my photography this semester was
finding a theme in my work, and a question I hope to answer. After taking many images I spent
weeks editing and formatting them when I realized space is a recurring theme in my work. After
exploring this more I decided I wanted my photos to portray the relationship between people and
space. This first semester I published 5 photo series to my portfolio that speaks to the grandeur
and beauty of natural places. Additionally, I chose my favorite images and printed 6 large format
pictures.
Most recently, this semester I have researched photographers who specialize in the work I
am doing and I have read and responded to their creative process. With each photographer, I
chose 3 images and considered the meaning behind them. For each photographer there was an
underlying theme of people interacting with nature.

The Standards:
Connecting: Create work to convey an idea, a feeling, or a personal meaning.
- I have created and published multiple series of images which all relate to the theme of
interacting with nature and space. I find my largest prints show this theme the best
because the size of the image gives a more accurate depiction of the massive
landscape.

Responding: Analyze how visual imagery impacts ones understanding of the world.
- After viewing images from Chris Burkard, Jimmy Chin, Renan Ozturk and Cory Richards
I have begun to understand how photographers portray people and landscapes to
convey certain ideas. Through their images I found it astonishing how large the world is
around us and how small we are incompairison to it.

PPP: Analyze, select and curate artworks for exhibition.

- This semester I have spent time carefully choosing my best images and formatting them
in an appealing way in my portfolio. Through this I have learned how to effectively show
my work in a way that represents who I am.

Evidence: Shape an artistic investigation around present-day life and/or personal experiences.
- Next semester continue my investigation of the relationship between people and space.
With that said the work I have produced already contributes to this current investigation.

The Application of Minimal Living: My Social Studies Study

Some of the greatest successes I have had this first semester have come building my tiny
house. To see an idea like the tiny house come to reality is something I have never really
experienced. Possibly the most interesting part of this is to watch a sketch I have made over and
over for the past 2 years stand in front of me in a physical manner. Since beginning my study my
ideas have changed around the tiny house. Originally I saw it as a way I could combine a new
interest in architecture with past building knowledge. Now I see the house as a representation of
minimal living and sustainable design.
Since the beginning of the year, I have broadened my research for what minimal living is
and what it means to me. Through research, I have come to understand some of the origins of the
tiny house movement and the push towards minimalist life. Its an idea which some say is a
modern day application of Buddhism. The more I have read about minimalism and minimalist
life I have found it is a very personal topic. A topic which can mean entirely different things
depending on who you ask. While I like the ideas surrounding minimalism I am not drawn to the
individualism of it. Instead, in the recent weeks, I have come to see how minimalist traits can
make positive changes in struggling parts of the world. Over the next semester, I will begin a
study into the refugee housing crisis and how minimalist living, in the form of simple shelters,
can be a possible solution to this issue. It took me a semester to come to this, but I am now ready
to move forward with my research and eventually produce a writing piece outlining the solution.
 The Standards:

Propose solutions to local and world issues by using geographic tools to analyze data and
examine cultural information.
- I will continue researching the housing crisis in refugee camps next semester. So far I
have noted down interesting and important points in articles I have read and these will
eventually be compiled and put into a larger writing project.

Make economic decisions that demonstrate understanding of the interaction between humans,
the environment, government, and the economy.
- The refugee housing crisis directly relates to many larger ideas outlined in this standard.
When I begin research I will be paying close attention to how the economy affects
housing, the role of government and the creation of eco-friendly shelters. I have begun
reading about many of these ideas already. The articles I have read relating to this can
be found in in my bibliography.

Identify and participate in ways to affect positive change in the community, state, nation, and
world.
- As mentioned before, the first semester allowed me to understand ways to implement
minimalist ideas to situations to create positive changes in the lives of many. I came to
understand how minimalism is a very individual idea yet it can be implemented into
aspects of life which can positively contribute to the lives of others.

Wilderness Litterature: My English Study

As I approached my English study this year I was ready for a challenge. I wanted my
writing and my work to be entirely self-driven without relying on others to guide me throughout
the year. When I began writing my learning plan I decided I wanted my current study to follow a
similar curriculum to Expo last year. I knew I wanted to write, and I wanted to write about topics
and ideas that were interesting and relevant to me. From here I designed a loose four-week
writing schedule which I would follow with each piece I choose to write. Within those four
weeks, I planned on writing 3-5 drafts (including the final) of the piece. Additionally I would
spend this time reading a book, a few articles or essay to go along with my writing. To this point,
this has worked well. The curriculum and schedule I have designed keeps me busy and moving
forwards while allowing me enough time to produce quality writing.
In my writing this semester I have learned that it is important to really focus on bringing
out the fine details in any piece. Originally I saw this while writing my college essay. The small
details of constructing the house brought the reader into the moment in ways that could not be
attained through a summary. In my current essay about the grizzly, this idea is equally as
important because my goal is to convey the idea of living in the moment. In addition to this, I
have learned of new ways to structure my writing, how to be concise with my words and how to
write in a descriptive and engaging tone.
 The Standards

Produce clear and coherent writing for a range of informative and analytical tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
- So far this year I have produced writing for two completely different audiences. In my
college essay I focused on writing a clear and cohesive piece for an admissions
counselor while in my grizzly essay I am writing to an audience of my peers. Regardless
of the audience, in both pieces I have focused on being clear, concise and direct with my
words.

Comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate a wide range and level of complex literary and
informational texts.
- Throughout this semester I have read essays, poems, books and listened to podcasts to
supplement my writing (these can all be seen in my bibliography). Through each
resource I considered how the author or speaker structured their ideas to convey a
certain meaning. In my most recent essay I even included an excerpt from a poem I read
which connects to the piece I am writing.

Develop polished written work in a variety of genres following a process of drafting, feedback,
and revision.
- The writing curriculum I have designed has designated periods of time where I am
writing and then eventually receiving feedback on that writing. I have structured my work
around a cycle where I write, receive feedback, consider new changes and then begin
the next draft, repeating the cycle until I complete the piece. As of now my pieces fall
into two different genres of writing which adds diversity to my work.

Learning to Learn

In one semester I have taken enormous strides as an independent learner. When I chose to
join the Pilot I was looking to find a creative approach to my studies in art, English and social
studies. I wanted to challenge myself through designing my own curriculum around my interests,
my strengths, and even my weaknesses. Surprisingly this was much harder than I originally
anticipated, but that was exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I needed. Through
months of work I have learned that the independent learning skills I have acquired are equally if
not more important than the work I am doing.
The Pilot program is structured in a different way for every person. Personally, I view the
program as a place where I can challenge myself as an independent learner through studies that
are applicable to my life and my interests. While I hope to leave the program knowledgeable
about outdoor photography, wilderness literature and tiny house building, my main goal is to
grow as an independent learner. So far, I would say I have done just that.

Perseverance

When I began building the tiny house in late August, I knew cold weather, rain, snow
would eventually surround me at one point or another during the building process. While
working in less than ideal conditions isnt always the most fun thing to do, it can be somewhat
enjoyable if you layer up correctly. Since August I have spent hours in the rain, in the snow, in
the mud, and in the debilitating cold, hammering nails and cutting wood for the house. Long
story short I found a way to get around the weather obstacle.
When I am at school and I face less physical obstacles with my study I still approach
them in the same way as if I was building my house. I look for new alternatives and other ways
to productively use the resources I have. I have found that the worst thing I can do when I face
the obstacle is to stop. Even if I continue my work through a different approach and come to a
different outcome in my work, I feel I have a greater sense of completion with what I am doing.
In many ways, I see that as a success.

Inquiry

Throughout the first semester, I have not struggled to come up with ideas for my study.
The more I think about it, I have more ideas for things to do than the time to actually do them.
Since the first week of my study, I have written down every new idea that has come to me. These
ideas range from my current roof design on my tiny house to possible film projects for the
second semester. I enjoy the feeling of always being busy and always having something to do.
By writing down my new ideas I can constantly refer back to them if I feel like my project work
has slowed. This has been especially helpful with my English study. This semester I have
compiled a page of essay topics which I hope to write about this year. With these, I begin
planning out my next essay before I am even done with my current one. Because of this, I remain
busy in my English study with little downtime.

Time Management
 Through the structure of the pilot program, I have learned to efficiently and effectively
use my time to complete large and small tasks. Last year through my CBL study I developed a
calendar of deadlines which helped me manage my project. When I joined Pilot I moved from
having one project to multiple projects which were to be completed in dramatically different time
frames. After piecing together past and present knowledge I adapted the ideas from my CBL
calendar to my current Pilot study.
On the most basic level, I began by writing out a general plan for each week. This plan
consisted of the bands which where I chose to work on my writing, my artwork or my social
studies study. This helped me develop a general layout for how my weeks would go throughout
the semester. After creating this I determined exactly what work I wanted to accomplish during
each band. For example, during one of my English bands I would decide I wanted to begin
work on the second draft of my essay, and when that day came I would do that. This changes on
a weekly basis because each week I work towards new goals as I am in different places in my
study.
For large projects like my tiny house, I laid out deadlines over the course of many
months. I would determine what work I hoped to get done and then find a reasonable timeframe
to complete it by. When constructing the walls I set a goal to complete all four by the end of
November, essentially building one wall every weekend. By the end of November, I did just that.
Overall the structure of Pilot has made me manage my time in a productive way which
contributes to my overall study. I am very confident in my ability to take on large tasks and
complete them with ease. Without this program, I would lack this important learning skill.

Accountability

I find that in my study I am greatly accountable for myself and my work. In Pilot, my
studies are an extension of my interests. The work I am doing is being done because I have
chosen it. Because of this, there is a natural need to succeed. I want to learn and grow and to do
that I have to be the one to push myself and hold myself accountable for the work I am
producing. I try my hardest to hold myself to deadlines and to focus quality over quantity. I
believe I am greatly accountable for my work due to how I manage my time on a weekly and
monthly basis. Developing a game plan each week helps me reach certain deadlines and be
successful in my learning.

Demonstration

Photography is a form of art which is often times, very easy to share with others. Stories
and emotions can be shown through images without the added use of words. Maybe this is why I
am drawn to photography. It is an art form that can stand alone and speak for itself. Early on in
my study, I knew I wanted to create work which has lots of room for interpretation. Work that
has a clear message but one that isnt being forced upon the viewer. The tiny house is physically
a 144 square foot cabin constructed through many different types of wood and an assortment of
nails and screws. On a deeper level it is a representation of minimalist ideas and sustainable
living. While the theme is evident in the house, the viewer has to come to that conclusion.
In the first semester, I produced work which has laid the framework for ideas to build off
of. In my portfolio, I share images of what I have done and my own ideas about each project. Yet
while doing that I leave space for individual interpretation. My work is physical and can be
easily presented, but the ideas it encompasses are more abstract and ever-changing, yet that does
not mean they are not always present.

Self-Advocacy

Of all the learning skills I have taken away from Pilot, I would say I lack self-advocacy in
my work. The idea of self-advocacy is difficult for me to wrap my head. The theme of
independence has always stood out to me in the Pilot program, and it was a large reason why I
chose to take part in the program in the beginning. With that said I view collaboration with
others as an equally important theme in the program. Through my work this first semester I have
found that I try to remain as independent as possible and because of this, my work can lack
collaboration with others.
I find that I am a great advocate for myself if I am really struggling. Many times this first
semester I came across challenges where seeking help would have been a good idea but it wasnt
necessarily needed. Instead I took these challenges upon myself, as an independent learner,
which I dont seem to think is a bad thing. Nonetheless, I avoided help in some way. In most, if
not all of these challenges I faced, I was able to problem solve my way out. With the help of
another person maybe I would be better off but maybe not, and because I didnt try I will never
know. The struggle I have with self-advocacy is that I dont know when I should be seeking out
help and when I should be taking challenges on myself. Maybe I will find the answer to that
question next semester.

My experience in the Pilot has allowed me to learn about myself as an independent

learner through means which are unattainable in a traditional classroom. Due to the fact that this
is a study which I designed I feel a greater responsibility to work hard and create work which
represents the student I am. This semester I have had great success with learning skills like time
management. At the same time, I have struggled in some ways with self-advocacy, something I
will work towards in the future. Who knows what next semester will bring. Possibly a completed
tiny house, a couple trips into the backcountry, and maybe a story or two to tell the tail.
Regardless, I am eager for what is to come.
 Bibliography:
Bailey, Nicholas. Minimalism, Buddhism, and the Ties between the Two. Medium,
Medium, 21 Dec. 2016. https://medium.com/@njbailey/minimalism-buddhism
- I read this article as part of my social studies study to find connections between
Minimalism and Buddhism. This article helped me understand the origins of minimalist
thinking and how my own minimalist traits connect to larger ideas.

Billman, Jon. How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands. Outside Online,
Outside Magazine , 19 Apr. 2017, www.outsideonline.com/2164446/leave-no-trace.
- This was an article I read before beginning work on my grizzly narrative. Through it I
began to see how I could incorporate factual evidence to supplement my own ideas.

Diedricksen, Derek. Micro Shelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses, and
Other Small Structures. N.p.: Storey, 2015. Print.
- I have used Micro Shelters throughout the semester to develop my designs and get a
greater insight in stories around building tiny homes. Additionally it has helped me find
new, cost efficient materials to use while building the home. I also have had fun just
flipping through the book and reading others take on the Tiny House movement.

Frozen Alive Redux. Outside Online, Mariah Media Network, 9 Nov. 2017,
www.outsideonline.com/2258976/frozen-alive-redux.
- This was one of many Outside Magazine podcasts I have listened to this semester. I
found this one particularly interesting because of the use of concrete details and
descriptions. Between drafts of my grizzly essay I would listen to these podcasts to
generate new ideas for my writing.

Guertin, Mike, and Rick Arnold. Precision Framing. Taunton Press, 2002.
- I have used this book as my textbook for building the Tiny House. It contains all the
information I need, basic and complex, to frame walls floors and everything in between.
Before moving onto building a new element of the house I often refer to a chapter that
outlines the task in this book.

Insecurities: Tracing Displacement and Shelter. The Museum of Modern Art, The
Museum of Modern Art, 22 Jan. 2017, www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1653.
- I read and looked though this exhibit at the MoMA as I searched for sustainable refugee
housing resources. After reading this I decided I would like to spend a portion of the
third quarter researching the refugee housing crisis with the goal of eventually writing
something about it.
 Kahn, Lloyd. Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter: Scaling Back in the 21st Century. N.p.: Shelter
Publications, 2012. Print.
- During the start of the semester I used this book to generate new ideas around design
aspects of the Tiny House. For the most part I read sections of this book to keep me busy
in school when I could not be building. From these readings I learned many new stories
that helped me see what I should expect when I build the house.

Klein, Joanna. Its One of North Americas Quietest Places. Along Came a Bear. Its
One of North Americas Quietest Places. Along Came a Bear., The New York Times,
16 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/science/quietest-place-north-america-
bears.html.
- I read this short article right before beginning my grizzly narrative. The primary use of
this was just to see writing which is very similar to my own and how the author went
about telling the story.

Kuo, Lily. A Minimalist Japanese Architect Is Designing Homes for Refugees. Quartz,
Quartz Media, 24 July 2017, qz.com/1036808/a-minimalist-japanese-architect-is-
designing-housing-for-refugees-in-kenya-that-they-can-build-themselves
- This was another article I read as part of my social studies study on sustainable refugee
housing. Next quarter and semester I will work more with this issue as I take my research
deeper.

Millburn, Joshua, and Ryan Nicodemus. Minimalism: An Elevator Pitch. The

Minimalists, 11 July 2015, www.theminimalists.com/pitch/.
- This was a piece written by The Minimalists which gave a very broad definition of what
minimalism is to them. I enjoyed this piece because the writing was very clear and
concise which added to the minimalist theme they were describing.

Skenazy, Matt, and Chris Solomon. Climbers Hayden Kennedy and Inge Perkins Die.
Outside Online, Outside Magazine , 10 Oct. 2017,
www.outsideonline.com/2248691/climber-hayden-kennedy-dies.
- This was a very interesting article about recent the death of a famous climber. It raised
many questions of risk versus reward. From this article I have decided the next writing
piece I will be doing as part of my English study which is about the tipping point of risk.
Stay tuned next semester to find out more.

Stacke, Sarah. Life Inside Hong Kongs Coffin Cubicles. National Geographic,
National Geographic Society, 26 July 2017,
 www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/hong-kong-living-trapped-
lam-photos/
- I found this to be an interesting article (with many, many pictures) about non deliberate
minimalist living. This also explained how the housing crisis is very prominent across
asia, specifically in Hong Kong.

Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. N.p.: Dent, 1910. Print.

- I have been reading Walden on a weekly basis throughout the semester. Through my
readings I have noted down important quotations, sections that speak to me or my study,
and things that I enjoy about Thoreaus writing style. His description, and clear voice he
uses in his writing has inspired me to implement those traits into my own writing.

Progress Report:

The Tiny House:

At the start of this year, I cleared many trees, stumps and rocks to make room for the tiny
house I would begin building in the following weeks. The first months of this project I
constructed a solid base upon four footings I had set after clearing the site. During the first
quarter I constructed the floor and the first wall of the house. As I began this quarter, there was
an urgency to build the next walls before the weather continued to get worse. I spent every day
over the next three weekends framing and standing up each wall until all four walls were
standing. When the fourth wall was set into place the house became structurally strong and could
last through the winter if needed. For a while, after building the last wall I took a break from
building. I got caught up with college applications and work in other parts of my study.
Eventually, I decided I wanted to begin work on the roof.
After making the decision to move forward on the roof I began drawing up new designs
and talking with my uncle about how we would tackle it. The roof I designed has two different
pitches with a transom window between the two pitches. In no way was this an easy task. A few
weeks ago we spent a night calculating slopes to understand the weight the roof could hold. We
then moved forward to constructing the first gable end which will support the two beams for the
roof. With the first gable completed and the second to be completed this Tuesday, it is looking
more and more like the roof will be going on this winter. Once the roof is on we will be
wrapping the house and adding in the windows and doors before moving to the interior.
There is still lots of work to do on the house, but I am incredibly happy with the work I
have done this semester. I can only imagine the final state of the house at the end of the year.
Until then, Ill be drawing up some more designs for the inside.
 Wilderness Litterature:

Since the start of this year, my English study has been very concrete. It seems that every
week I have a clear goal for the work I hope to accomplish and the means for doing so. With my
college essay, I had a very definite deadline I had to work towards. In some ways, the natural
timeline for submitting college applications greatly dictated how I built that assignment. On the
writing side of things the college essay taught me to be direct and concise with my words. The
essay could have easily been a 1500 word piece which outlined every significant detail of the
building process, but when I was limited to 500 words so I had to make each count. The idea
behind the essay was one which is very important to me, yet I could not explain many of my
ideas due to the lack of words. Instead if consolidating and summarizing my ideas, I set out in a
certain direction and wrote the piece from that perspective. In the end, I produced a meaningful
piece which had a narrow focus.
As I moved on from the college essay I began working on my grizzly narrative, a story I
have told many times yet have never put to paper. Instead of giving a general synopsis of the
incident I took a narrow approach to the story, much like the college essay. Because of this, I
focused in on key details which would have been lost had I written the piece in a different way.
In this piece, I really considered how I could be descriptive with my words and how I could
bring the reader into the scene. Over the next couple days, I will be writing the final draft of the
piece so it can be presented with my work from this semester.
While working on the college essay I read Walden By Henry David Thoreau. During the
grizzly narrative, I took a different approach and read articles about wilderness encounters and
listened to multiple episodes of the Outside podcast. My thoughts and reactions to these literary
works can be found in my bibliography.

Photography:

In addition to what has already been said, I am incredibly happy with the progress I have
made in my photography study. During the first quarter, I did not focus much of my time
towards this study. At the time I was preoccupied with progressing the state of the tiny house and
I knew I could wait a bit before beginning this portion of my Pilot study. Beginning semester two
things began to shift. Each week I put a few hours towards editing photos, taking new ones and
researching other photographers. I brought many projects to completion though grouping images
together and publishing them to my portfolio. Alongside each finished series I added an artist's
statement to explain my ideas behind each project. More recently (as explained earlier) I have
researched other photographers whose work is similar to my own. My thoughts about them and
their images were published to my site as well. Lastly, I am excited to share my recent prints in
my exhibition and in the upcoming art show. To finally have a physical representation of the
images which I have seen on a computer screen for months was incredible.
 Overall it has been a very productive semester in my photography study. I am sure the
throughout the rest of the year I will continue to find photo-worthy places that speak to the idea
of open space.

Minimalism Study:

In addition to building the tiny house, I knew I wanted to expand on the minimalist ideas
it encompassed. Besides vaguely learning about minimalism through the tiny house movement I
knew little about it as I approached this year. At the start of the school year, I had not yet decided
which direction I would take my study so I began by researching what exactly minimalism was.
From here I read a few general articles about individual interpretations of minimalism. I also
began listening to a few podcasts from the minimalists about how they changed their lives for
the better though cutting back. While this was all interesting, it was not exactly what I was
looking for.
In the weeks that followed I focused on minimalism in architecture and design.
Interestingly, I found that the general design of my tiny house in some ways replicates the design
of ancient Hindu temples. It has an open central space contained by a box-like structure and a
vaulted roof. After learning this I directed my attention to ways minimalism has been
implemented into modern designs. Through this, I learned about the connection to refugee
housing which is the direction I will continue in next semester.
The first semester of this study has been all about making discoveries and forming
connections between ideas. Since I have now defined exactly what I want to research in the
coming months, my work will move in a more distinct direction.

Documentation:

Overall Portfolio/Website:
http://wyattmpilot.weebly.com/

Art Credit:
Overview
My Images
Responding Work

Social Studies Credit:

Overview
The Tiny House
Minimalism Research

English Credit:
Overview
The College Essay
The Grizzly Narrative