How does technology mediate the artist experience?

Taking this class has opened my eyes to the various possibilities available in creating artwork. It has helped me see the capabilities of digital art, and see beyond the ways I previously thought technology could aid in the artistic process. Until our class viewed some examples of current art that incorporates technology, I would have never thought that cell phone ringtones could be used to create music. And it's not just that I wouldn't have considered ringtones music, but that the thought of using tons of ringtones at once for this purpose would not have even crossed my mind. I have also become more interested in the realm of film and using video editing programs like After-Effects to create spectacular videos. Part of what sparked this interest was viewing the remake of the 1980s Superbowl commercial to include Hillary Clinton, and the addition of the ipod to the commercial was especially clever. Up until this point, I had seen how programs, like Photoshop, could be used to create abstract or surreal works, but now, my view has expanded. I also gained more insight as to how art does not have strict boundaries (after all, it is art). By learning more about some of the pioneers of technology and technology-based art, such as Alan Kay with his Dynabook or Pierre Levy's idea of "collective intelligence," I have realized how absolutely necessary it is to break the traditional thought of what constitutes as art.
Technology can greatly mediate the artist experience in so many ways. For one, it has become extremely easy for anyone to film a video of themselves and use technology to manipulate the video to communicate their true meaning. I, for one, had never tried to manipulate film until a few days ago, where I recorded a clip of myself playing an instrument on my cell phone, transfered the file to my computer, and sent it through Windows Movie Maker. Within seconds, I was able to add various effects, such as filmgrain, to give my video the ambiance I thought was suitable. With these effects, it is extremely easy for a person to portray his or her feelings through the video, even if there are no sounds. It is also easier for a person to film/take a picture of/sculpt/(whatever else!) something else that person would consider art and put it on his or her website/Youtube page/blog page/etc. In terms of my art, I have become more prone to add the abstract to my pictures. Before this class, usually the most I would do with pictures was edit objects into or out of the picture and color black and white pictures. I have learned how important ambiance is in the creative process and have greatly changed my perception of how I thought technology mediated the artistic experience. I have also learned to "have more fun" with art...
And with that, I will end with a fun note (and one of my latest, but different creations):