Week 7 Peer Responses

To Slamme/Amy's comment:
I love working alongside my students too and I do so whenever I can, but I have MUCH smaller groups of students than most teachers, and even then, it just depends on what we're working on.  Sometimes it's just not feasible. But when it works, it really works.  The other day my students were working independently with clay on sculptural elements for their totem poles.  None of them really needed me at the moment, so I just started making a nose out of clay for some reason.  The next thing I knew, some eyeballs and a pair of lips showed up in front of me.  It was almost time to clean up, but we decided everyone would contribute a different facial feature and we would assemble it next class.  Looking forward to seeing the absolutely whack-a-doodle thing we come up with.  I guess the point of my story is that what transpired was organic, impulse-based, authentic, and in the moment.  I don't know if it was super deep and meaningful, but I felt more connected to my students in that moment when we were just having fun together. 

To Beth/Erika's comment:
I too need solitude during the ideation phase and especially during the early stages of the actual creating process.  I have to have time to experiment with material in private, without anyone watching.  It really doesn't matter how comfortable I am with that person.  I don't even like my husband around when I first start working on a piece.  I'm much more open to peer feedback once I have my general trajectory established and at times, I have found it crucial to helping me work through a technical or creative problem.  Occasionally, I'm able to "play" in the presence of others, but usually only if I think the work is a throwaway.  There have been times, though, when I've started a "throwaway" piece that ended up evolving into some of my best work. I just can't go into it thinking that that's what's going to happen.  If I do, I'll choke every time.  I REALLY relate to students who have anxiety about creating on command.  I have a hard time in studio classes because of it.  I just really prefer to work in private.  I wonder how many students give up on art simply because the classroom/studio environment just isn't comfortable or conducive to their best work?