Joey Tuazon was the Class of 2023 Student Speaker at Convocation on May 25, 2023.
Tuazon is a Bachelor of Design / Advertising and Graphic Design graduate from the School of Communication Design at Alberta University of the Arts. This was her speech:
Good afternoon, fellow graduates, faculty, honoured guests, and loved ones.
I’m Joey, and it is my pleasure and privilege to stand before you today and offer my congratulations for this momentous occasion.
Today we celebrate the result of hard work, dedication, and perseverance;
More specifically, we celebrate the result of hours in the studio, the devotion to craft and ideas, and the fact we are all here today overcoming our own inner critics that clouded our sense of artistry and creativity.
Today we challenge those inner critics as we approach the end of our art school journey and look back on all that we have accomplished.
During our journey at AUArts we had the opportunity to be surrounded by other creatives that provided a safe space to experiment with new media, new concepts, and even new looks. It has been a time where expression could be unleashed and communicated into so many beautiful forms – whether it was clothing, hairstyles, or out of the box projects.
As you all know – Being creative can be exhausting, and the motivation and inspiration can be sporadic which results in those long studio hours and sleepless nights reading, writing, and creating– and in those random moments we find unexpected inspiration from the world around us, from being blessed with our unique perspective that allows us to find inspiration in the mundane and create magic out of chaos.
So I will remind you, graduates, that those moments of exhaustion, creative fatigue, and then spontaneous inspiration have only prepared us for more exciting artistry in our future.
Throughout this journey at AUArts a specific quote resonated with me that I wish to share with you all: The quote goes,“ Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.”
You see we did not stumble into this school and coincidentally pick up a medium we love. We made decisions big or small that brought us closer to the artist or person we wished to become.
In life many of us are trying to discover who we are and what life really means to us.
The truth is “life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.”
It’s about discovering what we are capable of and learning from our challenges in life to evolve into the person we aspire to be.
Since after all we are not born with a set identity or purpose, we were born like blank canvases, or like raw thread, or like fresh clay, awaiting every stroke, knot, or imprint to decide what kind of creation we want to make out of ourselves.
Even at the end of our university journey we are not limited to what we already know, we have plenty of time to reinvent ourselves, evolve further, and continue to craft our identities and purpose. We as artists know that creativity knows no bounds, we can colour outside the lines or mix media, and we can apply that same mindset moving forward in our lives and careers by being audacious and courageous.
As creatives, we take on roles of storytellers, conversationalists, and problem-solvers. We do not just create art, and create ourselves, we also embrace the task of creating the world around us. From challenges of climate change to social inequality to political unrest; we move forward with efforts to celebrate, respect, and uplift all identities by using our ability as artists to tell stories and showcase perspectives that have been marginalized or silenced.
It has been said, “The opposite of art is not ugliness, it is indifference.”
So it is up to us, as artists, craftspersons, and designers to forfeit indifference and instead take a stance and make a difference. Our talents, our voices, and actions give us the ability to envision and create a world we want to be part of by raising awareness and initiating change.
We choose to not be indifferent, and instead to uplift all identities, and dismantle systems of oppression. To use our platforms to amplify voices that have been historically unheard, to create spaces that are inclusive, equitable, and just, and to celebrate the richness and diversity of our human experience.
Each of our experiences moving forward will look different to one another's, we may be heading different directions but we are heading into the same world that is ready for us, and with the same desire to create and leave our own imprint.
So together today, as artists, craftspersons, designers, activists, community-builders, and creators,
We look with excitement and inspiration for the future.
Congratulations, Alberta University of the Arts class of 2023.
It is time for us to continue creating and leave our mark.