Minute 44

 Minute 44 (by Sarah Gutsche)

While I was able to do almost exactly what I had planned to do with minute 4, minute 44 was very different for me. The minute was almost completely consistent of someone climbing up a ladder – and as someone who enjoys playing video games once in a while, I was reminded of characters climbing ladders in said video games. I thought I could make another short film, something humorous maybe this time around, of my character in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” trying to get somewhere but needing a ladder to do so. 

In theory, that was doable. I had tried my hand at streaming on Twitch in 2020 and knew I still had my equipment at my parents’ house which I would need to record the video from my game console. However, no matter what I did, which laptop or computer or programme I used, it would not work. When I had exhausted all of my resources, I finally accepted that I would need to do a different project, or at least choose another medium. 

The very first thing I turned to was writing a short story. Putting my problems and worries on the shoulders of fictional characters has been a great coping mechanism and problem-solving method ever since I was a child. Creative writing has been one of my biggest creative passions in my life. It did, however, feel like “not enough” when I compared the project to what I had done with my first minute. Coincidentally, I worked that feeling of “not enough” into the short story. The story has a melancholic touch, but it is mostly meant as a rather hopeful, calming narrative that things will turn out fine in the end. 

After reading the story aloud in class, I knew that I wanted to record it and put some soothing sounds in the background for the final project I would hand in and put on the project website. Other than the fact that it meant putting in a little bit more effort at least, I do quite like reading out loud to people. I used to read stories to a friend and roommate of mine when I was living in a shared flat in a student accommodation. Doing these projects really reminded me of all the different hobbies and passions I have had throughout my life, and that none of them are really gone, even though I had not engaged with them in a while. It felt good to just be able to pick them up again, and I am glad I had the opportunity to share the results.