School got out the last week in May. As usual, I was exhausted, but this year, I was also very heartened by my students creative courage. “Create with purpose” has been a theme in my classroom for quite a while and this year it really seemed to resonate in the work I saw my students make. For my introductory students, I was especially impressed to see them pursue their challenging ideas despite being new to the studio environment (one that has so many eyes seeing your work) and being new to the medium. Questions inevitably turned over in their mind, like, “What if it doesn’t turn out after I have spent so much time on it? Is it worth it?” Yet they persisted with wonderful results!
My advanced students also exhibited courage by sharing a part of their individual stories in the visual form. Their innovative and bold art and the statements at their final presentations were truly admirable… Inspiring actually.
Don’t second-guess your vision — GO FOR IT!
A week later, with these reflections in my mind, I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii with my husband’s family on vacation. Hawaii was truly relaxing. We visited with one another, hiked, swam, snorkeled, and bird watched, among other things. I didn’t sketch as much as I usually do on vacation, but I think that is alright. Below are a few sketches I managed to do and some pictures from the island landscape, which I found dramatic and lovely!
On the plane ride back to the states I watched the movie The Last Word with Shirley MacLaine. In the movie, the older woman shares with the younger one, “I never made mistakes, mistakes made me.” As I embark on this new project, Shared Artifacts, where people have an physical investment in it, I have to remember these reflections: be fearless, follow through with your vision, and see the experiences, mistakes or otherwise as assets/insights. Here I go!