I'm I said plenty about my lack of confidence and accomplishment of late in my last post. There's been no change, but to my surprise, I just discovered that I've got about 60 paintings awaiting "final touches" and signatures ("final touches" is a bad way of describing how I deem a painting finished...I'm at a loss). Some are more complete than others. Some more impressive in subject or scale. Some will be finished this week. Some might not get finished. Somehow, I've managed to produce a large amount of work in the past few weeks without realizing it. Good news, right?
The thing is, regardless of how much work I produce, I'm still as stuck as I've ever been. I've got a bunch of good ideas going nowhere, bad ideas turning into bad paintings, and no idea how to proceed...with painting, with everything. It's been a rut of a couple weeks. I'd love to show you some pictures of the good and bad, but as sure as I am that there's plenty of both sitting in the studio, I'm also sure that I can't tell the difference between the two. There might not be a difference.
Who cares. Here's whats up. Some of my students have their artwork included in a couple regional student exhibits. I could go on and on about the individual accomplishments of these students, but I'll let them blog about it on their time. I'll just say this...
Teaching middle school and high school art is an absolute thrill. I take a lot of pride in my work as a teacher. However, in consideration of a heated debate I've recently had with a colleague, I'd like to say, I'm not going to pretend I'm making a sacrifice to be a teacher. I love teaching. But in all honesty, as much as I'd like to assume I'm making some sort of "difference" in the lives of our youth, I'm mostly teaching because I feel like I've got something to gain from it. That may sound selfish, but I'm not sure convincing yourself that taking a high road by sacrificing some part of your life for the good of others is any less so. I love feeling great about a good deed done as much as anyone. But if feeling good about a good deed is the motivation for said deed, it's no longer about the deed, it's about yourself, isn't it? I've learned a lot from my students and I'm forever indebted to them. Hopefully, they've been able to take a thing or two away from my own education via education.
Picasso said, "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away".
Maybe, every so often, your own search is the "purpose" that mister modern art was speaking of. For the sake of my students, I hope that to be true. Not just because I want a more guilt-free validation of my personal journey, but because I hope all of those students will do us a solid and think for themselves, follow their own dreams, and find satisfaction in sharing a ceaseless journey with those they love. I guess the best thing I can hope for is that I leave my students with more questions than answers and they leave my classroom with more curiosity than contentment.
Here's to all of those lost folks that say it's not about destination. But seriously, don't take anything I say too seriously.
Teaching middle school and high school art is an absolute thrill. I take a lot of pride in my work as a teacher. However, in consideration of a heated debate I've recently had with a colleague, I'd like to say, I'm not going to pretend I'm making a sacrifice to be a teacher. I love teaching. But in all honesty, as much as I'd like to assume I'm making some sort of "difference" in the lives of our youth, I'm mostly teaching because I feel like I've got something to gain from it. That may sound selfish, but I'm not sure convincing yourself that taking a high road by sacrificing some part of your life for the good of others is any less so. I love feeling great about a good deed done as much as anyone. But if feeling good about a good deed is the motivation for said deed, it's no longer about the deed, it's about yourself, isn't it? I've learned a lot from my students and I'm forever indebted to them. Hopefully, they've been able to take a thing or two away from my own education via education.
Picasso said, "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away".
Maybe, every so often, your own search is the "purpose" that mister modern art was speaking of. For the sake of my students, I hope that to be true. Not just because I want a more guilt-free validation of my personal journey, but because I hope all of those students will do us a solid and think for themselves, follow their own dreams, and find satisfaction in sharing a ceaseless journey with those they love. I guess the best thing I can hope for is that I leave my students with more questions than answers and they leave my classroom with more curiosity than contentment.
Here's to all of those lost folks that say it's not about destination. But seriously, don't take anything I say too seriously.
