The Fragile Quest

They liked their painting success and responded with my “lecture.” It was time…

This is my lecture to them regarding seeking their own creative skills and how I can help them achieve it. I have to say, this is a speech I have delivered many times over the past 40 years I have been teaching art.

I find that is rather discouraging that this lecture still holds true for our educational culture and environment after 40 years..

“Most of my art students are finding a way to become creative. It is a hunger that is pretty much hard-wired in all of us and I find, as an art instructor, there are certain obstacles that I always have to climb over to get to my students. I have climbed over you!

Many times, students tell me of experiences that have discouraged them from their creative endeavors. Often, it is the remark of a family member or an instructor. I am amazed always of the damage that has been done to so many people by those that supposedly offer instructional or familial support! Wanting to be creative and imaginative is often, for many people, a fragile quest easily wrecked my comments.

Being or wanting to be creative is even more fragile in our society and culture these days. Schools are all about math and science (not usually the research and development skills that nurture and instruct creative people.) The skills of problem solving, inventing, research, and intellectual foraging are just not taught in our antiquated educational institutions. We still make our students just repeat the information given to them by our instructors, with no openings to the realization of self-knowledge its repercussions.

I was part of that kind of schooling over 60 years ago and have, even at age 70, as an art instructor, I am suffering the slings and arrows of it to this day. I lament the fact that our educational system has not progressed very much past the system that limited me and many others to developing their creative skills so many years ago. I guess that is why I can relate to my students of all ages that have found this also to be true in their own lives..

For the most part, students not engaged in personal or team research and development regarding their intellectual and personal environment cannot achieve success in the whole spectrum of what our brains and intended to do.

Art is only one part of what people can achieve in their whole development. Dance, music, theatre are cultural venues that have always supported creative development. But, I think we are beginning to see that imaginative and creative development has always been alive and well and other educational fields such as math, science, and social sciences. So,with this evaluation in place in our public as well as private schools, we see that our children can really be the next Bill Gates or develop a new Google. But also can be the next Picasso, Newton or Edison. These opportunities, in the free world, should not be limited to the chosen few.

If we can finally profile our education system to these endeavors we will create a culture that will not only empower or nation, but the rest of the world.”