Ahhh inspiration!

My bags are packed and ready to go! I've just begun my journey home for Christmas break and I'm already feeling so refreshed and inspired by the things which I value the most like the outdoors, (specifically the u.p.). family, and friends. The blue hues of the snow and the trees lit on fire by the burning sunset perfectly display their beauty as I drive past on the highway. Hugs and laughs with family and friends truly warm my heart and inspire me to be the loving person I desire to be. All is well with my soul as far as I'm concerned and I'm excited to refuel myself with inspiration from the things I love and can use in my artwork or even for strength when times get hard. Seasons greetings fellow blog readers with peace love and joy!

As a future educator, I often look to my own teachers and the strategies they use to teach. One of my most recent observations is how students work so differently from one another and how they may or may not be punished or rewarded for this reality. I came across this little dilemma because of my own personal experience with this. I tend to be a very slow creator when it comes to my artwork, versus someone who can spend one fourth the time that I do and receive an equal or even better grade then my own. This observation is not out of jelousy or anger, maybe a bit of frustration, but because I think its important as a future teacher to take the diversity of how students work into consideration when grading their work. Although the quality of the work between two students might be the same, one student might have put many more hours and effort into their work, or one student might have progressed in their work and maintained a good sense of work ethic.

in progress

As a sort of continuation from my last blog, I would like to further share my ideas on the community among artists and art educators. Although we are all our own individuals, each person we meet and get to know influences and inspires us in one way or another. In the art world, im speaking more specifically about artistic inspiration. Everyday on my artistic journey, I am more convinced of this concept the more I find myself engaged in the unique way in which all of us create and the choices we make. When I get to know my fellow classmates better and see more of the art they create, I really come to appreciate their personalities, their creative process and artwork. I believe these things truly impact myself and my work in a very positve way, and I wonder where I would be as an artists without the others around me.... What kind of artist would be I be without those friends, their encouragement, constructive criticisms, or inspirations? Just another reason to embrace the artists, future teachers, and the huge unexplored world of art around you!

Monster Cookies..

As I continue on this journey of pursuing my degree in art education, I face challenges and new obstacles every day. Class loads and preparations for applying to the college of education can become extremely stressful sometimes, if you let it. Although I've pondered this thought before, I just recently had an experience which made me recogcnize the importance of fellowship among the art educators community. A few girls from my Teaching the Nontraditional Canon class and I decided we should escape the stresses of it all and go to a restaurant and eat their monster cookies! It was one of the best experiences Ive had with my classmates because of two reasons. One was that the, "Monster Cookies," we had were warm, gooey, and delicious, but also, that spending time with other art educators and sharing our thoughts, troubles, ect. was a really stress relieving experience. I think that even when we all actually get in the classroom and start teaching, that making time for this fellowship is even more important for sharing struggles, accomplishments, and new ideas for projects. So if your feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take advantage of the fact that their are others out there just like you, and go eat some monster cookies!