Assignment Interuptus...

This past month I had the extreme pleasure of being able to go both to Jefferson City for the MAEA conference and also San Diego for the NAEA convention.  (Missouri / National Art Education Association.) I love being able to attend these events. They offer fresh insights, exciting possibilities, and all sorts of contact with new ideas. I find it so very important to get outside of my day to day exposures, leave the vacuum behind, and expand my horizons in the field of art and education.

I could write screens full of what I took away from both of these events, and perhaps I will later on. Today I wanted to share some thoughts I am having on a major theme in my teaching. I've been thinking a lot about the concept of constraints that enable. Both conferences had speakers that added to my thoughts on this topic, Shyla Rao and Juan Carlos Castro at MAEA (who were also at NAEA); Phil Hansen, Cindy Todd, Katherine Douglas, Olivia Gude and many many others at NAEA. In fact, on my way home, I ended up sitting next to a photographer on the plane. He struck up a conversation after seeing my scribblings for my ART class, and we talked about how constraints can open up the realm of creative possibility. How do we self-impose constraints? How do I as a teacher offer constraints that encourage creativity instead of limiting the realm of self-discovery? How do artists practice this?

The photographer, Jeremiah (check out his website/blog here,) has decided to travel around the world, taking photographs. He was traveling light, and contemplating only taking one camera and lens. As a practicing art teacher hoarder, I was mesmerized and impressed by this. My motto stems from scouts in some form of "Always be prepared." I need to have the solution at my finger tips and that inhibits my ability to pack light. I'm working on that...one day I'll be able to say I'm a recovering art teacher hoarder. ;)

Look! I'm famous! I'm in a blog!! (no, not the photo--"I sat next to an art teacher" )

Talking with him made me think about what it is I would like to set out to do. What brave things do I shy away from? What kind of constraints do I put on my everyday life that I could release? How could I channel this in some artistic fashion? How can I use it to my advantage?

How do you see constraints enabling your life?