You don’t learn from what you know… you learn from what you don’t know! Obvious really, but oft forgotten me thinks…
I forgot… took for granted… thought I was safe… secure with the knowledge of a lifetimes gathering…
Complacency.
I love learning… seeing the new… discussion… debate… others opinions… researching… exploring – driving around aimlessly for hours watching the changing landscape – gathering those next images, or new versions to add to something already thought complete…
… but I can get lost in it… drift away… forget…
…. awakening to realize that what I thought I knew is dated… defunct… not as clever or relevant as it was…
The world moved on. I stood still.
How long?
So I’ve decided… already started…
It’s that time of year isn’t it? Nearly anyway… New Year resolutions… time for change… time to re-evaluate… time to be honest about those flaws… create change… take charge of ones own destiny again… evolve… wash away the 16 years staleness of the classroom… re-generate… revive… re-energize…
Get pro active…
I’m not really one for social media. I do have Tumblr, Flickr and Twitter (faceless) accounts; I withdrew from Facebook over five years ago, as I really didn’t understand why people wouldn’t want to converse face to face…
There’s my problem… my vanity again… an excuse to do the opposite… hide away… “these social media sites” I told myself, “encourage you to appear social whilst really you communicate box to box, screen to screen…dehumanized” – whilst I sat alone thinking I was better… more human because I didn’t subscribe! Pah!
I don’t learn… discover… unearth alone…
It doesn’t work…
I’ve loved being a one-man department… no boss to tell me what to do… no overseer… no recrimination…
…
No need to change… communicate… ask… seek out new… compare… evaluate… alter… re-visit…
And then it struck me! If this was my art practice?..
I wouldn’t; of course I wouldn’t.
I don’t just want to talk about teaching and art. I want to learn, view, compare, consider, consult… and not just with the voices in my head. I want my pupils to be challenged, inspired and up to date… relevant…
I don’t want to be found wanting again.
I need to make more effort with people. I need to ask for help, seek advice and opinion. I need to step out of my comfort zone and try and do that which feels alien to me… I need to stop thinking I can do this by myself.
First step accomplished.
I rejoined Facebook on the advice of my good friend Elena Thomas; in particular so that I could access NSEAD online and all the wonderful resources, critique, conversation and support that a one-man department lacks.
Initially I dipped my toe in by commenting on other peoples posts… no adverse reaction… no one laughing at me… good… so I got braver and posted 8 images created by my GCSE pupils on iPads…
Again, no laughter… no ridicule…
In fact; fantastic response… so grateful… nice comments, lots of interest… again no laughter… Thank you.
I’m feeling good to be a part of a community. I enjoy thinking about others requests for help and it gives me the courage to want to ask myself. It’s a community of ideas and solutions and has made me realize that this one-man department must seek further help and inspiration from outside. I need to do the same here on an, join networks and share and seek new ideas and inspirations.
I guess the truth is I’ve missed the work ethic and stimulation the Masters degree gave me over the two years of that study. Alone again this past year except for the encouragement and cajoling from Elena, I didn’t realize just how much I missed the conversation.
New years resolution; must make more effort.
