Humans of Open Window

On the 15th of August 2017, I set out to learn more about the students and people at Open Window through replicating the Humans of New York Instagram photographer Brandon Stanton. I was helped by my friend Samantha to be my trusty photographer for this task.

"I'm struggling the most with my love life. Boys are liars. Every guy I meet has a girlfriend and lies about it. I have been cheated on. I didn't love him, love is a big word that I don't really use much. I'm still good friends with him right now and I'm good friends with most of my exes. I forgive easily. "

(Centurion, South Africa)

"The biggest thing I'm struggling with is dedication to studies. I tend to put a  lot of other things first. My relationship is always going to come first for me. No matter what, she is always coming first. I'm also struggling to stay fit because of the lack of time, working, studying and maintaining a healthy relationship is difficult. But I think I struggle with dedication and putting a lot of effort into my studies. I find it hard to time manage, incredibly difficult." 

(Centurion, South Africa)

"When I finished watching Taxi Driver, it was one of my favourite films, like the ending was so good. It pushed me to want to come to Open Window. Martin Scorsese is one of my favourite directors."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"Breaking up with my girlfriend earlier this year was hard. I don't really want to talk about, it was too sad..."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"Yellow to me is a mineral. Normally I hear those people that do engineering  always say yellow is a mineral and green is vegetation."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"I've had a few sad moments in my life. When my grandfather passed it was extremely sad. I was close to him and he taught me a couple of stuff. He taught me how to cook, he would drive me around when my mother couldn't and he'd buy me ice cream a lot. I really like ice cream. He taught me everything about cooking that I know today."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"Shit. If I lost my right arm... Uh, this is so hard as my tattoos are on my right arm. I would take lessons to learn how to work with my left arm. I'd rock the stump look."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"The most important thing for me right now is doing the best I can at everything I do, even if I don't want to. I can't possibly do anything else. I am most afraid of making the wrong decisions and regretting it for the rest of my life. I will know if it's wrong, when it is too late. I don't feel like I've made any wrong decisions. Usually, I  carefully evaluate something before I make a major decision and I base my decisions on my emotions and what I feel is right."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"I am afraid of being broke. I think it's worse with me. I haven't experienced it. I'm a liker of things and if I can't get things I'll be miserable. I like shopping, I like nice things and so nice things are expensive and require money so I don't want to reach a point where I can't afford nice things."

(Centurion, South Africa)

"My biggest fear is failing my first year. I feel like you can't have big goals because sometimes you don't reach them. You need realistic and short term fuzzy goals. Having a big main goal won't help as you won't focus on your other goals and you'll forget the rest."

(Centurion, South Africa)

This experience gave me some insight into people's life's around campus.  I learnt a lot about how people have different things that are important to them and what fears they have. 

I will use this experience to benefit my creativity by encouraging me to draw inspiration in my artworks from other people and their ways of viewing life.