Week 12 Playing with Glass and Kosslyn's Theory

After many hours sitting at my torch, I have an orb annealing in the kiln at 986 degrees.  It will have to ramp down over the next 18 hours so I can not photograph it properly until then. (I have a sneak peak in the kiln....I hope I didn't ruin it by doing that!) It was interesting to be back at the torch.  I realized, like everything else I do, I couldn't keep it simple.  Hmm a theme....  I also was reminded how different my process is from the 4 steps  Kosslyn writes about.

After spending 5 delicious hours in my studio, my own process is more like:
1. Get a big complicated idea... (or simply the desire to create is enough sometimes)
2. Sit and feel it.... I get out of my head.  I do not visualize until I've felt it, then I break it down from the inside out as visual components and skills.
(actually, this is the same way I plan lessons and units )
3. Begin the actual process of manifestation, and in that everything transforms because as I work with the feeling and the materials a conversation begins and I get out of the way so the magic can happen.

Over the years I have developed lessons and a general culture in my own classroom that echoes some of this process.  Of course, any time a student wants to sketch or work with ideas their own way they can and do... I step out of the "expert shoes" and suggest to my kids they have their own process to find.  And find it they do. My way is one way and thats all. I believe it is helpful that I do not ask them to stay fixated on the end result but allow them to respond to the process in the moment and this allows them to let go of expectation and that greatly reduces frustration. It also gives them the freedom to authentically alter an idea as they are inspired to do so.  This is not an escape hatch if the student does not like what they're doing however....  :)