Creativity

This month wasn't very productive in terms of creative part of my CAS. There are so many songs that I like and want to record that in the end I just can't decide and chose one or two. I sing literally everyday and I loooooove it – it gives me joy and this feeling of fulfillment which is the best in the world. Only the effects of this hobby aren't really visible, which makes me a bit angry at myself. It's something that I really want to improve next month, because yes – I've learned that the outcome is less important than happinness I feel while singing, but I still want to share my little talent with others.

Activity

Walking my dog used to always be just a duty that had to be done. Every single day I used to take him out for about 10 minutes, but recently I thought about something – maybe I should turn these evening walks into a fun and active CAS experience? So I did. 

This month, I was extending our walks up to 30 minutes, at least two times a week. I have to say that I really liked it. And so did my dog! Olinek is my best friend since I was a child and these long walks combined with running around or playing football in the nearby forest create a very special bond between us. I also feel better with myself, because this activity really calms me down and helps in sorting out some things in my head. It's like a therapeutic session and I love it. It's also great for my body, because active leisure is always better than the passive one. 

I feel so much beter after every walk and my dog seems to be really thankful. Now I know that everyday duties can be turned into a fun experience with just a little bit of effort.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify own strenghts and areas for growth
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan CAS experience
4. Show commitment and perservance in CAS experience
5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

s u m m e r c a s

For me, summer was a time of overall relax. My CAS experience wasn't so broad during those two months of summer holidays, however I managed to achieve some goals.

When it comes to singing, I've learnt a lot of new songs, as I was practicing basically everyday. Right now I'm in the middle of the very last preperatrions to record a series of about 5 covers on my youtube channel. This time I'm going to use more professional devices from the studio. I've also started to learn how to mix misic with vocals or even how to create music, such as rap beats. It's a lot of fun to me and past two months made me realize how much I love music and singing and how much joy I can add into my life by simply fulfilling this hobby.

When it comes to activity, summer was a time of swimming.I used to swim a lot when I was a child and during holidays I've noticed that I'm still quite good at it. I've developed my ability to hold the breath on time and kind of refreshed my swimming skills from childhood.

As long as service is concerned, these two months weren't that good. I've helped my friend, Paulina, in English a couple times, but that was basically it. During holidays, my friends don't really have English homework to do, because they don't go to school. That's why there was no one who needed my help. Hopefully I'll improve this part of my CAS experience in the following months.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify own strenghts and areas for growth
2. Demonstrate that the challenges have been undertaken and developing new skills in the process.
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan CAS experience
4. Show commitment and perservance in CAS experience
5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global importance
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions 

Creativity - XVI British Song Festival

The whole month of April was the month of rehearsing for the XVI British Song Festival in Mikołów. I decided to go for two really demanding songs - "Riptide" by Vance Joy and "Clown" by Emeli Sande. The first one is a song I recorded on my YouTube channel so I knew how to sing it quite well. However, the second one was quite a challenge as it's a hard song which may be challenging even for professional singers. It's also a song that's close to my heart and it always makes me pretty emotional; that's why I decided to choose it. Frankly speaking, after the whole month of rehearsing every single day I was finally satisfied with the results on the day before the competition.
This festival was incredibly stressful to me, as I'm afraid of stages and the audience. It was also the first time I sang a song that made me completely vulnerable and emotional in front of so many people. My heart was beating like crazy while I was entering the stage but something strange happened right after the music started to play; I became calm and ready to sing the best I could (and I really did!). All of the flaws my voice used to have suddenly disappeared and it felt oddly amazing.
All in all I got the "1st respect" which is basically a weird name for the 2nd place. I'm very very very proud of myself. During this month and this festival I've learnt that working hard on your passion is always worth it and the results can sometimes shock you, because you have no idea on how great powersyou have unless you decide to work on them and polish them up.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify own strenghts and areas for growth
2. Demonstrate that the challenges have been undertaken and developing new skills in the process.
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan CAS experience
4. Show commitment and perservance in CAS experience

Activity - Dance workouts

It's going to be a really short and quick note. I keep on doing all those various dance workouts and it helps me with my mood swing and bad body image. I still gives me joy and energy and it also helps with my physical condition.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify own strenghts and areas for growth
2. Demonstrate that the challenges have been undertaken and developing new skills in the process.
3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan CAS experience
4. Show commitment and perservance in CAS experience
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions