Change Attitude

Journaling and reflection from class writing assignment:

I found that if I slowed down in my writing, focused on making my handwriting neater my thoughts became better developed and easier to articulate in my writing. I have never liked my handwriting and often type to get around this shortcoming, as I see it. However, handwriting and typing create very different results for me when I work. I tend to want to be a perfectionist, and typing makes everything as good as I can make it. I also know that I am not a good speller, and often avoid words or make ridiculous guesses when I am hand writing something. I tend to express myself with words and fluid ideas when I am typing, but felt challenged today when writing to get similar results with handwriting.

Friday Night Thesis

What do you do on Friday Nights in the Summer?

Here's my research paper for Creativity: Theory and Practice. It hasn't been carefully proofread or finished. But is a start. We'll see what changes. Certainly something will


Thesis Paragraph
The pursuit of achieving the highest level of success requires many pieces to work together. Achieving these best results can often come with a price tag. Long hours, repeated tries, failed and abandoned projects pile up along the way. Yet when we do not hold back, we often find our true passions and experience the most satisfying results of all our strenuous effort. Not giving a project or experience our all can come from a variety of reasons. The fear of failure, others judging us, social constraints or laziness all become hurdles that either challenge us to go further or stop us in our tracks. The variety of creative axioms all challenge the artist to express their art through many avenues. I would like to suggest that three axioms work together in art and in teaching. The concepts to “Be Extravagant”, “Honor Obsession”, and “Don’t Hold Back” all find their place in traditional artistic expression as well as in the art of teaching. I will examine the attitude of a purposeful, passionate pursuit of what we love, do, create and learn. Two twentieth century artists, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock, both challenged the art world with their bold and relentless artistic expressions. While their artwork was controversial and questioned, their refusal be limited by the constraints of their time transformed themselves and art. Similarly, the challenges that teachers face to go along with the established system can often hinder natural enthusiasm and talent. Educators that push the boundaries and teach extravagantly create memorable experiences for their students and push the quality of educational standards higher as a result.

My Mother's Clothes

A free write prompt turned into a poem.

Function over form, that is my mother’s style.

Conservative fashionista with simplicity guiding the way.

Any hint of worry or fret about what to wear,

Disappears with a swift and simple decision to trust the basics.

Each label and tag is a replica of another.

“No dry cleaning needed, wash and dry”

Simplicity explains the clothes hung out on the line.

Avoiding too much.  Too fancy, too loose, too tight, too short.

The go-to favorites become classics in their own right.

Walking shoes that have traversed every sidewalk in the neighborhood,

Along with the streets in foreign lands.

A simple haircut, simply done, leaving time for other simple joy’s in life.

Poem

I love Metaphor

Finally, the artistic use of an extended metaphor in academic writing was a bold and creative move on the part of Harrington. I found that this article was the most engaging for me to read from the selections about the theories of creativity because it was anchored in a literal and concrete image. While the author does limit the use of the metaphor and implies that it should not be taken as a 1:1 symbol, the grandeur of the ecosystem image allows for the reader to freely flow between ideas of creativity and look for ways that it might fit into the ecosystem model. As this article presented complex material with the use of a metaphor, I wonder how I might be able to use this model in the classroom to teach large ideas. We often use metaphors and analogies for small specific pieces of knowledge but I would like to explore the use of metaphors in larger units of study

Chenoweth Postcards

We went to the Library special collections to view artwork of Mary Chenoweth who was a CC professor and local artist.  She had a large series of postcards that she mailed to a select few people, who then donated them to the library. This is my postcard after seeing her many different ideas.

Collaborative Circles

Collaborative Circles: Friendship Dynamics & Creative Works

Farrell

I found this text to be riveting to read.  I could see my parents in their collaborative circles, the beginnings and endings of circles and friendship groups I've participated in, and the mention of the experiences of others in this type of setting.  The intellectual excitement of these types of circles can often transcend into dramatic emotional tragic comedies where so much has happened that there often can't be any resolution.

I was particularly interested in the discussion of the relationship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.  Their relationship began in a pure academic setting, then an academic study group of personal interest topics, and finally a faith and friendship based group.  Regardless of their differences of opinion initially, their time spent together eventually merged their paths into one blazing trail.  I found it particularly interesting that after Tolkein had showed his text to an old mentor who promptly told him to "drop it" he found this new relationship safe enough to bring up his writing again. (8)  I love how Lewis first acknowledges the accomplishment of the writing, and then gave constructive criticism in a fun and approachable manner. (9)

When two people are willing to open up their lives and share their personal identity and worldview a collaborative circle begins to be traced. (9)  As unpopular a topic as Christianity was in their realm, Tokein, a Roman Catholic, was able to discuss, problem solve, and eventually welcome into his own similar faith C.S. Lewis.  As a Christian, I have always found the struggles that Lewis had with his faith reassuring.  A man who so often seems to be so clear about his belief, struggled with many of the same challenges other Christians face.  His eloquent writing can be so reassuring, yet knowing his life's journey, the role of doubt can be just as encouraging as many beautiful words. 

Once this transformational experience occurred, their time together became a place to discuss their beliefs.  This also became a thematic element in both of their writing as they discussed it and then applied the thoughts to their work.  Their ability to encourage each other while still giving critical analysis of the work made the group not only a positive place to feel good, but a positive place to develop great work. (11)

             

A collaborative circle consists of a group of people who share the same occupational goals, hold a common vision, and rely on the same set of assumptions. (12)  A place to discuss, play with ideas, and elaborate inklings of ideas becomes a place where individuals can clarify their professional identify within their profession. (13) 

In the context of our class, "creative work is deviant in that, in form or content, it does not conform to established traditions in a field." (14)  I have often found myself, within the field of teaching, to have conversations where creative and new ideas are expressed that might not be widely accepted, recognized, or thought to conform to the traditional teaching ideas.  Traditionally, creativity has been considered an expression that requires isolation and individuals working alone to create new ideas. (16)  In teaching, working alone only breeds single-mindedness, frustration, and lack of foresight.  Teaching encompasses so many different components that working in a collaborative circle facilitates.  As different teachers collaborate together discussing new ideas, directions, lessons, activities, and paradigm ideas a new vision begins to appear from the team of individuals. (22)  This vision is usually the sum of an equation where the result is greater than the sum of its parts.  One teacher may be visionary in one area, but continue to hold conservative ideas in another area.  As a collaborative circle, each individual can contribute to the vision from their own experiences.

Research Thesis V 1.0

Musings about what I might write about:

• Honor your obsessions
• Be extravagant
• When we allow extravagance in our art or in teaching we open doors to further exploration and passionate pursuit of knowledge.  Creative expression shouldn't be limited and stifled.  Extravagant teaching means doing as much as possible to make sure that students are able to explore and learn.

To Do:
read preliminary research I found to see if I can support this topic
discuss with professors

Creativity Axioms

One of these creative axioms will be the basis of the research paper due 6/24.

• Honor your obsessions
• Be extravagant
• Find supportive people
• Use Texture
• Abandon normal instruments
• Imitate and steal from other artists

Her Garden Poem

Her Garden

The wallpaper bloomed

Under her watchful eye and loving care.

The flowers envelop the kitchen

Separate, warm and special.

Her face framed with wisps of silver,

The blue gingham apron upon her happy self.

Those thin, strong arms ready to

Take up a task.

A laugh, a hug, and time

Spent within those flowered walls.