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| SF mental map, ca. 2018 |
Last week, I did something virtually unheard of in 2020. However, thanks (?) to the Covid crisis, I was able to drive my car midday on the freeway downtown in order to park in front of a stationer's just off a normally very crowded Market Street. Usually, I'd take public transport for such a trip, but, even with the current precautions in place, I'm still somewhat nervous to do so. The particular shop I visited sells card stock suited for printer use & I wanted to make cards out of some old San Francisco mental maps. Mental maps, for the uninitiated, show how one engages with or conceives of a specific geographical area. I recall learning about mental maps in a class on German culture some twenty years ago. We non-German students were asked to draw a mental map of Germany. Most of our maps showed a very Bavaria-centric country replete with images of beer mugs and pretzels. Our teacher, however, a woman who was part of Germany's counter-cultural generation, the 68ers, drew a map of a divided Germany with a focus on the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.
With the help of my computer-savvy husband, I was able to reduce the map image via an app. called GIMP. I am fairly pleased with the 3" x 5" result and have already sent out a few cards to friends.
Oh what fun - and I love the idea of you sharing your mental maps.
ReplyDeleteI have found social distancing easy on public transport - because so many people are still avoiding it.
Oh, nice. Maybe I should give taking the train a shot when next I need to go downtown!
DeleteInteresting description of what a "mental map" is. And your printed cards look great!
ReplyDeleteLovely card. Once upon a time I tried GIMP, but I could not figure it out.
ReplyDeleteIt sure isn't easy to figure out. -glad I had help.
DeleteYou've drawn other mental maps for us. Good fun.
ReplyDelete:D
DeleteI love your printed cards.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan!
DeleteI like your card. I also like the idea of a mental map of Germany. My M.M. of Germany would feature Hamburg's St Pauli, Nuremberg Stadium and endless miles of pine-fringed autobahn leading to the un-bombed South. I wonder how it would differ from yours.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tom. I can somewhat visualize your M.M. of Germany. Mine would include SW spots like the Swabian alps, Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart. -not gonna lie, pretzels would feature as well.
DeleteI like your card. I like it a lot.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine me saying that like Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber."
Excellent work, Bea, and I am glad you were able to get there in your own vehicle without too many problems. Take care.
If you can believe it, I've never seen 'Dumb and Dumber'. -wasn't huge into Jim Carrey's comedic films, although I loved him on In Living Color. Go figure. Thanks for liking the card, Mr. Shife. It really made me happy to be able to create it!
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