“…the Digital Humanities is unified by its emphasis on making, connecting, interpreting, and collaborating.”
Burdick et al. “One: From Humanities to Digital Humanities,” in Digital_Humanities (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012), 3.
This particular passage stood out to me because of the way in which it describes the different factors that define Digital Humanities as a field. To expand on that, Digital Humanities is a very broad term. It encompasses a large scale of meanings, as it’s definition varies significantly from person to person. Some people define the term by the act of creating with technology, whereas others stray from that definition. I found it very powerful that although the term’s definition varies drastically, it remains united by connection and collaboration amongst people. The terms that the authors use, “making, connecting, interpreting and collaborating” are extremely important not only to Digital Humanities, but several other fields as well. The rest of the passage continues to discuss the breadth of the term Digital Humanities, which further emphasizes how impressive it is that the field is brought together by connection.
In addition, this quote resonates with me because of my love for digital creation. Although I have little experience in Digital Humanities specifically, I have several interests that are similar. For example, I’m very passionate about creating digital media, including digital art, animation and video editing. This quote made it clear to me that Digital Humanities will combine my love of the humanities, digital media, and creation as a whole.
Furthermore, I’m excited to progress with 3D modeling this term. So far, it has helped me understand what goes into designing an object, such as it’s form, design and functionality. It’s a skill I’ve wanted to learn for a long time, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do so. I’m also excited to learn several other technical skills, such as digital mapping and data analysis. I believe those skills will help me think about the world in a different way, and will be useful to apply in my future career. Ultimately, although Digital Humanities is a broad field, there is one aspect that remains the same: connection.