I'm on a break from teaching a photography class at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). The title that was chosen for the workshop was "Taking Award-Winning Photographs." I would never title a workshop like that, but it did help attract students, I guess. Besides, it did help me frame the work of the day: My first lesson to share with the students is that "if you are here to learn how to win awards, please do yourself a favor and leave. Today we will learn how to see. And when you see, the quality of your work will improve. Be more powerful. You may even win awards. But if that is your motivation, then leave now. We'll close our eyes so you can do it secretly." There were many smiles and knowing nods.
The 60 young people I taught today completely understood that message. They weren't focused on awards, even though VASE is the culminating competition for Texas art students. They understood the awards are great, but that the power (POWER) to express and communicate creatively was award enough.
As we discussed motivations, there were expressions of joy, sadness, laughter and understanding. They understand the human condition, within their own worlds, and they work to understand how that relates to who they are. Their questions were great, their silence profound, their answers enlightening. I can only hope they don't succumb to their parents' quest to fill their rooms with trophies and to pad their resumes for scholarships. The energy of art is lost when the quest is for reward.
My fiance reminds me of that, too. When I fall in the rut of "needing" to create to bring in additional income, I lose the joy of creation, the energy of imagination and the exhilaration of accomplishment. I suspect we all fall into those ruts. We can learn from each other how to keep the joy of creation and the spoils of accomplishment in the right perspectives. By teaching high schoolers today, they taught me anew.
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