First, here are some p5.js sketches that you can play with. I found ChatGPT so useful for troubleshooting and bringing concepts to life in p5.js.
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This p5.js sketch has 5 randomised circles (balls), that start stagnant, however when clicked move around the page at random and increasing speed.
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This sketch allows the user to draw on the screen with their mouse. The lines begin to fade, as with each new 'stroke' the opacity of the prior line changes.
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This sketch uses the image filter, dilate. Typically it emphasises bright areas, in this case the programming results in a 'bleeding out' from the camera reflection.
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This sketch has been programmed to track the user's movements and draw lines based on the video visual input. It takes into account brightness and threshold to produce this 'glitchy' output.
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This sketch uses the p5.speech library to convert speech to text. The text is then displayed on the screen. A goal of mine would be to utilise this code to simultaneously produce an abstract image that corresponds to some spoken text.
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This sketch came from a class activity, exploring shapes and the mouse. In this one a yellow circle follows the co-ordinates of the mouse, and the red square 'inverts' those very same co-ordinates.
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In this sketch Kraftwerk's song, Computer Love, is played and the audio spectrum is visualised. The circles are drawn based on the amplitude of the audio spectrum, and the colours are also based on the frequency.
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This sketch is a version of the classic snake game. The user controls the snake with the arrow keys, and the snake grows in length as it eats the food. The game ends when the snake collides with the wall or itself.
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In this sketch the user can draw on the screen with their mouse. A blue circle with a yellow outline follows the mouse, and each previous position stays visible on the screen, eventually creating an interactive and abstract visual piece.
And now we have some other activities, these are less fun (not very interactive) for you.
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This activity is a simple one, it's about trying new things. It's about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new, even if it's just a small thing. Simply roll a die (flip a coin), depending if its odd or even (heads or tails) you do the action/activity that you normally would do, or, you try something new.
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Everything is on the floor (or desk). This activity had us empty our bags, visualise all that we carried with us and organise it in some way. This activity made me incredibly aware of how much stuff is in my bag, but I am not reducing any of it... I need it.
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And excitingly, I can prove to you that I am capable of inputing data into p5.js code, use array tools and drawing functions to create a pie chart representing how much digital data I have. This activity has definitely made me more mindful of the relationship I have with storage that lives in 'a cloud' (I bought 'Cybernetics of the Poor' during that class, it had been sitting idly on my computer since week one and this class was a turning point for me).