Stalled Out Student Seeks to Bloom! Part 2 of 2
This post is the conclusion of the previous post. If you missed it, you can read that post here https://www.sparrowshinedesigns.com/stalled-out-student-seeks-to-bloom-part-1-of-2/.
“Hello, my name is Renee and I am an ‘online-learning addict.’ It’s been seven(+) days since my last confession. In those seven days I have paid my monthly dues to the three Patreon accounts I follow, renewed my annual Skillshare account, have dipped into classes on at least three other learning platforms, and have continued to ease myself into slumberland each evening with online art ASMR.”
During my last post, I mentioned that I discovered yet another You Tube creator with wisdom and skills to share, so I quickly pressed the “Subscribe” button. (Yes, using the same itchy finger that likes to play on the checkout page!) Within two weeks of subscribing to her channel, Jackie Hernandez popped into my email with the subject “How to Quit Tutorials and Why You Should”.
Oooooh, she’s been in my head! I cannot count the times I have chastised myself for relying too heavily on tutorials. As a former teacher, Bloom’s Taxonomy is emblazoned on my very core. Bloom’s Taxonomy succinctly describes the path to mastery. At its base sits “Remembering”- the least masterful of all the levels, but necessary just the same. At the top of the hierarchy of learning is “Creating”.
- Remembering
- Understanding
- Applying
- Analyzing
- Evaluating
- Creating
“Watching tutorials” can’t be described as a form of learning using Bloom’s T, which is why I referred to it as art ASMR. “Following tutorials” can be a great way to learn, utilizing as many as five of Bloom’s levels of learning. But how many tutorials? How many tutorials will teach me all the techniques I need to create my masterpiece? How many tutorials will it take to grasp the nuance of mesmerizing composition?
And just as I think I will give up all tutorials, Guilt and Shame rear their ugly voices. “Think of how much money you have wasted if you don’t complete the tutorials!” “You can’t replicate the demonstration lesson! What makes you think you should create something on your own?” And I cue up the next tutorial.
During a recent tutorial session, I became very discouraged. I didn’t like my painting. The colors appeared ‘off’. The pigments did not blend as they should. The pencil lines confused me. My painting simply did not look like the one on the screen. This happens frequently. Sometimes I push through. Sometimes I quit. This time, I stopped the tutorial, threw caution to the wind, and kept painting.
Guilt, Shame, and Overwhelm had shackled me to the screen and its endless supply of tutorials. But I could free myself, putting all those lessons to good use and overcoming the overwhelm by blending all that I remembered into my own expression. An “ugly” painting gave me permission to let go of the expectation of beauty and embrace the experience of experimentation.
That painting sat out on my desk for several days, and every time I passed it, I smiled. I liked it. It did not look like the instructor’s. Instead it looked like a medley of the many instructors I like to follow. And I believe THAT is worthy of Bloom!
In the Studio
“Ironically (or coincidentally), I have been painting blooms, zinnia blooms like last week’s post. But today I am sharing the fish painting with you that inspired this post. The original tutorial is from Anna Buccarelli- you can find her on You Tube if you are interested.
I am also committing more time to my ink and brush. Leon Russell has been a work in progress for some time. I loved my Leon #1 as a black and white image. (The image at the top of this post.) But I had hoped to colorize it. When I did, it fell flat. So, I went back to the drawing board to see if I could address what I disliked. I have made some minor compositional changes and I am nearly ready to test it with color.
And this month our dog turned 1! He is the inspiration for the image above which I used as an excuse to play with ink in yet another direction. The art is about 9″x12, but I will use it to create a new Sparrowshine Birthday card.
Until next time,…
Remember, you can find me in person at Hummingbird Fine Craft on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month from 12-4. Happy August!
What I’m Reading
- How to ADHD by Jessica McCabe – The title says it all!
- Everything I Never Told You – Celeste Ng
