Sunday, May 3, 2009

A workshop philosophy

    I could be a perpetual student.  I literally love taking classes (my pocket book doesn't though.)

    Being in a class setting can sometimes be stressful (not stressful enough though to keep me away.)  Everyone worries about their abilities in comparison to others in the class.  I use to tell my art students that there will always be somebody better and somebody worse than you.  That usually seems to be the case.   It was no different this week.  We all worried about our abilities

    On Tuesday I ate lunch with Lora Hart, a senior teacher from California who was teaching a class.  She said that when she is in a class, she does what the teacher does and saves the creativity until she gets home in her own studio.  That was good to hear and took some of the stress off the week.  

   Thursday I had a class with Vera Lightstone, a senior teacher from New York City.  She was talking about how everyone worries about the product and not the process.  

   Taking classes is all about the education and that should be the focus.  What can be learned during the class.  Then take what has been learned, work with it and make it your own on your own time.  

    It was also nice seeing the senior teachers taking classes from each other.   I have always felt the more effective teachers are also perpetual students.

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