Today was a good day. But in reality, what day that starts out with a bike ride isn't a good day. I spent a few hours riding around the streets of Spokane in probably some less favorable places. But it was good to see the area and I sincerely adore some of the homes that are here.
Once I arrived at the river I found some trails and spent some time milling around in the woods. I watched the river flow vigorously while birds swooped about picking up bugs and who-knows-what-else. I also saw tons and tons of gophers. They were everywhere!
Upon finishing my ride I came home and enjoyed a nice warm shower and got ready for three days of information that is sure to come like a fire hose to the face. It was fun to play with my new make-up I purchased yesterday and to feel ready to go. But it was strange because upon arriving to the location for the meet and greet, I didn't feel like socializing with people ...
I was in my focused learning mindset. I was ready to soak in everything that came my way, but not in socializing. I know it is a necessary component, but I couldn't help but sit back and observe. One gentleman from Monterrey, CA came up and introduced himself. Then I found out there are four persons from Utah in our group. That was nice :)
After socializing we made our way over to the classroom where we will be spending most of our time while here. Like Frankie said, it is perhaps one of the least inspiring classrooms to be in for a class like ours. I enjoyed the rooms we were in for COML 517. They were varied around campus and lighted with natural windows. But it is not to say that creativity cannot happen.
Our first class centered around art, creativity, and using the right brain while letting the left brain go. For the majority of the people there, it was a hard thing to do. The people on both sides of me were wigging out and not really willing to be participants in the activity. I told them to just let go and draw. It is the only way to start.
The first exercise we participated in was drawing upside down. We had a Picasso sketch we were observing upside down and conversely had to draw upside down. It was interesting to observe everyone else struggling with it. I watched them ponder in geometric shapes, gripping their pencil tightly, trying to make sense of the drawing before them. Many people did well with the activity; others struggled.
While I am not a magnificent drawer, I had fun with it. It was redeeming to let go and sketch something out. I also had fun interpreting the drawing as it was not an exact replica of the drawing before me. It was a nice ice breaking activity for people to get into the part portion of the class.
Continuing on with the class we talked about Impressionism and Cubism. Of all the movements to talk about I wondered why those two. Then I realized that Impressionism raised perhaps the most ruckus and caused people to think beyond the bounds they had known, and Cubism almost speaks to the left-brained person ...
The last three activities involved drawing and CLAY! We did a negative space drawing as well as a blind contour drawing. Then we had to create in clay with our eyes closed. I had fun making a mess. Perhaps I was the only one who enjoyed making a mess ;)
Through all of this I had some fine ruminations about leadership, creativity, and how I can improve not only myself but my teaching. Some of the thoughts I had were:
- The process is more important that the product
- Sometimes the process becomes the art (think Jackson Pollock)
- Why do we do it this way? Is there a better way?
- Once you have set preconceived notions you cut yourself off to the discovery of new things.
- Are you taking risks with your work?
- Creativity is just a moment. A moment when we turn the ordinary in to the extraordinary.
- Passion! How do you connect with yours every day?
- How do you add value to what you do? How can you add it to make you lives extraordinary every day?
- Creativity is falling in love with the world!
- Our lens when seeing a problem is critical. If we can't change lenses, we're trapped.
- There is more than one right answer. Don't stop at the first right answer!
- Once you push beyond the boundaries, suddenly you begin to frame a problem into an opportunity more comfortably and confidently. But you can't be afraid of it.
- Don't think about the mistakes. Thin about the next right answer.
- Execute the problem with the best information you have.
- Break the pattern / systems in your life or it will become your prison.
- When you break the pattern then you will really learn to fly and discover you can do a lot more with a lot less.
- Creativity is about technique and perserverance.
- Train your technique. Then put yourself in the place of most potential.
- The light that really lights pictures isn't the light that comes from the outside, but the light that comes from within.
- How do I hold my process and product up to its vision?
- Negative Space: What do we miss because we are so focused on what is there and not so much on what is not there?
- Understanding what isn't there helps to inform what is there.
- What is it that isn't obvious in what we are doing? Don't be afraid to look at the negative spaces. It is everywhere and once you find it the positive space becomes that much better :)
- People struggles with the Impressionist movement because the didn't want to be surprised. They wanted to walk in and know what they were going to see. How often do we think the same in our leadership and everyday roles as people? How often are we too scared to go beyond the normal?
Anyway, enjoy and I am sure there will be much more to share over the next few days! AND once I have had a moment to fully chew on everything I have learned today.
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