Thursday's was mostly a discussion. Various ideas were brought up about what an art class should be and how ideas should be approached. I am often hesitant to speak up because more often than not, discussions have become heated discussions and begin to come off as arguments. Once some specific students begin to get involved, I no longer want to get involved in discussions, I don't like to argue with people who are set in their ways and are stubborn about their ideas. Therefore, although it is not as effective, my thoughts and ideas will be vented here.
What motivates you? I am not exactly sure how this idea came up, I just remember a mention of money, being homeless and a love for art. In terms of finding inspiration for homework assignments, seeing examples of others' work would sometimes trigger inspiration for some of my classmates. I will admit, when Jimmy asked for a show of hands for those who found examples of previous work helpful, I was one of those who raised them. When working on an assignment, we always want to know if we're doing it correctly. Especially in a class like Jimmy's where there is very little instructions and guidelines as to what he's expecting, sometimes you want reassurance that you will not spend hours on a project to later hear "this is not what I wanted". Some sort of direction can go a long way whether it comes from previous work or simply more instructions or guidelines as to what the project is about. However, I also understand that seeing previous work can be counterproductive for our learning. When taking Lanzoni's Fundamentals of 2D Art, she refused to show examples of projects that required trial and error in order for us to understand the concept. She did make a few exceptions in one or two assignments. By seeing other work, we subconsciously set limits to our imagination. We no longer think of the outrageous solutions that are completely out of the box and possible genius ideas because we are now working around the framework that others have made before us. We are now simply imitating, no longer creating original work. So where does the motivation come from? This goes back to week one of the class when we began to think about and understand our creative process. There is no right or wrong answer for motivation because each person's is slightly different than the next. I have yet to meet a person who does not want to live a comfortable and financially stable life, but I can give you a list of those who say they would rather be doing a job they love. Motivation should have a balance between passion and necessity so that inspiration follows shortly after.
I think one of the reasons I chose to pursue my degree in art is due to how different the field is. Growing up, I hardly ever had difficulties in the academic department. I was a good student with good grades who turned in her homework and had little difficulty understanding the materials. It's possible to say that because of the lack of challenge in the early years of my education I became bored with school by the time high school came around and so the subjects I had difficulties with, I didn't even bother to put the extra effort anymore. For college I needed something different and unconventional. I didn't care for multiple choice tests with essay questions that came from studying notes of a lecture or a textbook. So then there was art. Jimmy went around the "panel" of students up for discussions asking if they had ever had a class similar to this Concept Development one. I have, I enjoyed it and that is why I'm still here. My favorite books and movies are those that have me thinking about the ideas and concepts and trying to make sense of everything even after a week of putting it down. That's what art classes have done for me. I am still trying to make complete sense of ideas that were brought up the first week of concept development two weeks shy of finishing the quarter. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer, just some more effective than others and that is what intrigues me the most about art classes. You can learn the material in 10 weeks but you can spend a lifetime perfecting the ideas and your craft.
garrulous - excessively wordy, rambling
piquant - engaging, charming, stimulant
vacuous - lacking meaningful content
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