ART_GiRL

The Art of Learning

I sometimes think I take more from the classroom as a teacher then my students. I have learned a lot about life through ceramics and with class interactions. My students consistently tell me that they love that I am laid back and one even told me I was soothing. Knowing that my friends would laugh and disagree I posted this statement on Facebook. My suspicions were correct. Then I began to wonder how is it that I am one person in the classroom and another person when I walk out the door. How does one begin to reconcile those two personalities?

I need to apply my patience in the classroom to my own life and artwork. I have high expectations for myself. Ceramics continues to kick my ass. I learn something new every week. In the current situation its dealing with my clay cracking issue (another post for another time). It keeps me on my toes and I never know what to expect next. I like that about clay. I generally have a short attention span for most activities and people however I have remained intrigued by clay for over a decade.

Another lesson I have learned is that nothing is permanent. Yes, clay objects have stood the test of time but many pieces never make it off the wheel. Or they do but they die in the bisque. Or they survive and I pull them out of the glaze kiln and accidentally knock a handle off ;)
The point is that nothing is set in stone, even stone. Don't get to attached and don't fear change. Its inevitable and that can be a good thing. Its all about perception.

But the most important lesson I have learned is to have some frickin' fun! With show deadlines its easy to forget to enjoy oneself. Live a little. Make some art, have some fun. Its not about forgetting responsibilities its realizing that there is more to life and that making art is not about the end result. Its about the process.