Creativity, Passion, Online Learning – Sir Ken and Me
“Tears are streaming down my face right now as I type these words. It is heartbreaking to know that all my life I tried so hard to…” ~Cindy Lietz
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It may be a midlife crisis thing… or maybe just because I am continually immersed in creative thinking… but I do find myself putting a lot of thought into trying to figure out who I am as a creative being… and how can I pass along my passions to help others discover themselves as well.
Like so many other artists, I too have struggled with identity issues, for most of my life.
Well, as The Universe would have it, all things that you focus on seem to come together into one cohesive picture. That is, if you are looking for clues.
A few of these clues have been collecting in my life from seemingly unrelated sources. First, just before Christmas, my Mom gave me a box of keepsakes from my childhood. In there was some workbooks, some drawings and some poems from Elementary School. There was one item in particular that spoke to me deeply. A scrapbook filled with questions, assignments and projects related to a field trip I took to the Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton, Alberta when I was in Grade 6. In a minute, I’ll explain why what I found in that book made me cry, and why it is relevant to this post.
Another piece to this puzzle is, of course, my journey with you. Creating new polymer clay tutorials, week after week, year after year (over 250 now, and counting)… has not only been a challenge to pull off, but also a growing experience for me as a person and as a teacher. It has made me really think hard about how people learn, and as a result, what should be taught.
Because of the commitment Doug and I have made to delivering new videos every week, it really has forced me to continue learning new stuff all the time. To stay ahead of the pack, so to speak. And that is invaluable to any teacher. This constant learning, on my part, keeps the knowledge that you are receiving, current and relevant. Which, trust me, not all teachers are doing. Just ask Willow about her 80-year-old French teacher! LOL!
The third piece of this epiphany collection (good things always come in threes, don’t they), is this video that Doug just sent me. It is of Sir Ken Robinson and his views on Education, Creativity, Passion and Online Learning. Why don’t you have a quick watch? It will set the stage for the rest of the post…
Now after watching that clip, and reflecting on what he said about teaching and learning, I would like to return to my story about the workbook I found in the box of childhood schoolwork.
The scanned image below of my childhood handwriting, is what I found inside the book, that made me cry. And as another amazing coincidence (believe me I only realized it today when I dug this out again for this post), it happened to be written at Easter time…
Cindy lietz
As I walked up the ramp the sweet fragrance of fresh spring time flowers filled the air. When I entered the pyramid a field of colourful blooms greeted my eyes. A sea of creamy white Easter lilies welcomed me like a trumpet band.
Crimson red, golden yellow and blushing pink tulips stood at attention along the pathways. Clusters of sunshine yellow daffodils sang “Happy Easter” from their shining crowns. The daisy-like cineraria smiled with their freshly painted faces. The Muttart conservatory Show House at Easter is a paradise of blossoms.
What made me cry when I read this was how I felt for the little girl that wrote that beautiful piece. Do you recognize her writing in the color recipe posts? That little girl was passionate about flowers, colors and the beauty they presented when you were exposed to them. She described them in detail, with feeling and pure joy. She is exactly who I have struggled so hard to become after all these years. The girl I am today, was there all along.
And do you know what… to this day I still remember the feedback from my teacher about this little story… “Cindy you clearly love flowers, but you spent too long on that write-up and didn’t do a good enough job on the rest. The project was incomplete and the work was messy.” She pretty much said what all the teachers, minus a few angels, said about my work. “Cindy’s head is in the clouds and she needs to knuckle down and get some work done. Stop being such a dreamer!”
Tears are streaming down my face right now as I type these words. I can’t help it. It is heartbreaking to know that all my life I tried so hard to be better at what I wasn’t good at, and undervalued and pushed aside what was clearly easy and natural for me. I am sorry little one, that it took so long for me to find you… but at least now you are happy, dreaming your life away, and teaching others to dream too!
Sir Ken said so many things that speak to this very problem in the way that most children are taught today, and how our education systems are in dire need of change. New technologies (like our online video tutorials) make it possible for students to learn at their own pace in the way that works best for them. Good teachers have always been able to do that for their students… teach in a way that works best for the student. Sir Ken said that teaching is an art form… that technology alone won’t be enough, but in the hands of good teachers and engaged and imaginative students, it could.
He also speaks of the importance of finding yourself. In order for one to be in your element, you must be doing something that you’re good at and get… and you have to love it. Well I tell you I am in my element now, sharing my passion for color, flowers and polymer clay!
Thank you all for being part of my journey to find myself. I hope that I can be part (if only in a small way) of your journey of self discovery, too. So go on… get your head in the clouds… let your inner child out… you deserve to be happy!
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i purchase all my clay at michaels,joannes and polymer clay express sometimes at hobby lobby
i squeeze it when before ipurchase it to see how long its been in the store if its hard i don’t by it
usually it soft especially premo that works really good
Hi joy just wondering are you totally blind or do you have some sight. Fatima
Hello Fatima,
I suppose, like blindness in general, it’s subjective. I have MS and the first remarkable symptom for me was blindness. I’d wake up one day and only see gray, or only see white. This happened more than once, with my vision deteriorating more each time. Eventually, I was left in the thickest white fog you can imagine, sometimes it’s gray now, but I can’t really see things. I tell people that if they were 10 feet tall and on fire, i might get a good look… * grin *
Sometimes I can “see” movement–it all depends on the light and the background. Certain colors (usually neons) and certain patterns really hurt my eyes–something about the UV reflection and the remaining functional bit of my optic nerves…
Either way, I can’t tell what colors things are. Still, certain colors are “friendlier” to my eyes.
Also, whether someone can see or not, we all have comfort colors. I’ve been blind for about 18 years now. Among other things, I taught various things to blind and sighted adults. Even the students who’d never had any vision had colors that soothed them.
I know you didn’t ask most of that, but I felt the need to share.
LOL what can I say? I talk too much.
Joy
Haha its ok i think i talk to much too. Im just wondering now how do you know what colour the clay is. Im just asking because i find that difficult. Fatima
I think you’re right. We’re saying the same thing. As for art, it’s amazing how many things lend themselves to the creative process. Maybe it helps when you’re not invested in how the rest of the world sees things…
If I went on with that thought, I’d be dangerously close to a soap-boxy rant-ish monologue. And who needs that?
Basically, I’ll see you around the playground, figuratively speaking. *grin*
Joy
I am sorry if I miss understood you. I think we are saying the samething.
The Other Cindy
Hi,
I’ve been blind almost seventeen years now. I’ve got MS–no fun, I tell you. But it sure released a creative monster in me. I think I would have lost what sense I have left if not for yarn, storytelling, metal, beads, and clay.
Hey, if I do something that looks horrible, folks whisper, “She’s blind, poor thing.” if it looks great, I hear them whispering, “Hey, she’s blind, too!” They’re going to say something, I just do what I do and keep going.
Either way, I’m still on the top of the sod.
I have RP or tunnel vision and I just keep on doing what I love. I think I have a god attitude and I will say ” Well the Blind Lady did it so it is a little wonky but that is my art.”
i don’t pay attention to others to much because I am happy with what I am doing. I do the best I can and I see art and potential in what ever I do. If the colors didn’t come out right I just finish it so it looks like it was planned. I have some questionable natasha beads and I am going to heat them up and slice them into heshi beads. Learned this technique from Cindy. So Joy you are an artist first and happen to be blind and have MS. There is alot you can do with polymer and it is all art’
The Other Cindy
Yeah brailing with clay sounds cool. Might try it one day lol
Hi Fatima.
First welcome to our clay family. I posted a suggestion to Cindy to come up with the best way to make Braille jewelry. I agree with you that any equipment that helps disabled people to live normal lives is so expensive. Lets hope you can get your brailler mended or that some kind soul will offer to repair it for you. Do you have a guide dog?
A friend of mine takes on the puppies that are bred for this task and she has them for six months before they go on to the Guide dog training school She always sheds a tear when she waves them goodbye but after a couple of weeks they deliver a new puppy for her to train.
What do you find most difficult when using polymer clay? We would love to hear and perhaps figure out tips etc. to help you
. A few years ago I taught a group of blind and partial sighted teenagers to make mosaics. We made seven large panels depicting interesting places round our town. we got real messy but had loads of fun and they turned out pretty good too. Good that you have your family to support you…………………cheers xx…………..
Hi Elaine first thank you for coming up with the challenge i will do some experimenting myself today. Now to answer your questions, i am terrified of dogs so i don’t have a guide dog. As for clay, i only have difficulties with colours. Weather its getting the right block out of my draw or mixing colours. I find it realy hard to mix colours because there is no way of telling if you have finished mixing or do you have to carry on mixing. Lastly i kno i have my family to help but i would not depend on anyone because like i said before they don’t sit with me untill i finish and they get angry if i ask them too many questions. If only there was some sort of camera that could tell blind polymer clay artists the colours of clay. Mind you it would be expensice just like everything else for the blind.
Welcome Fatima! So encouraging to see you mastering this medium, I salute you! Do you use Braille? Think polymer clay is a great way to use Braille, you can add messages or sayings to your clay that others can read tactilely….if that is a word, lol. Wish you the best of luck!
Well yeah i know braille but my brailler is broken lol
Those braillers are not cheap either. Seems like everything a blind person needs costs thousands and insurance doesn’t cover it. Hang in there Fatima
Cindy thank you for the tips i do ask for help with colours but my sisters are all younger so its hard to get them to sit with me until i finish a piece. Anyway im in the proses of finding a way of labeling my colours.
Another thought I had for cutting canes was to put raised puffy paint or staples on a stick or ruler if you don’t have a ruler for the blind. then you could mark your clay and know where to slice and maybe get them even. I still have problems with the even thing. I just tell people it is handmade and not perfect. With family and friends I just stick in the Well I Blind person made it. LOL i take all of this in stride and I am sure you have lots of funny stories like I do. You probably know braile so you label items in braile.
Hello Fatima
I am Cindy Peterson from Hillsboro Oregon. My family has 4 people legally blind now. It us all in our late 30’s and is a progressive eye disease, We all have less than 10% vision, only center vision left, but their are blind spots in the center for some us. Eventually we will be in the dark, or with very little to see. It is called Retna Pigmintosis or RP or for others to understand tunnel vision, Anyway we all still love our art and craft and trying to use what we have left. My cousin is totally blind and she does very well and her motto is I’m blind and one of a kind. she is 29.
I Love Polymer clay and you can do anything to it and with it, it has endless possibilities. I was told at a Gem fair that another person was creating jewelry and she had someone pick out the colors so she can continue designing. With polymer there are so many things that will be very easy to make with no sight. I just learned how to mae lave beads that would be really easy for you and they come great. Take two carpet furniture coasters, they are small circle or square. They have the spikes in the middle. Then roll a ball of clay, what ever size you want, place clay on center with the spikes. Place the other one spikes facing the clay and start rolling the clay between the two coaster. They can come out all different. They could also look like brains if you use a translucent clay and a touch of pink. My 10 yr old boy s I watch thinks they look great.
Anyway Welcome to the group and we can help each other. i am a mother of a 14 yr old daughter who critiques my work or me.
Another thought is to you fabric paint that dries raised could be used for outline if it is something you want to repeat and you are not using cutters. Like if you want to make a swirl the same size every time. Use the puffy paint and that will give you something to follow.
Thank you for joining the group You can do it still!
Wonderful welcome to Fatima, Cindy and kudos to you and your family! I remember the video Cindy and Doug did on you and your neighbor/business partner.
I think all of us that do so much with our hands and eyes think about such possibilities, so it is very inspiring to hear that your spirit has not been thwarted from shining thru.
Hi my name is Fatima. I am new to the website so i thought i would tell you a bit about me. I am 18 years old and i live in the uk. I am totally blind and have been since the age of 3. I hope to learn as much as possible from here as i love polymer clay.
Hi, Fatima!
Wow, a new friend in the UK! I am very much looking forward to seeing your work posted here. I think you will enjoy this experience very much indeed!
Hugs from here in Pennsylvania,
Andrea
Welcome, Fatima! I often wondered if I ever lost my sight if I would still be able to enjoy playing with clay. Well, I guess you love playing with clay and with your insight on how you tackle your projects would be educational for us all. Please post pics of your work. And enjoy the awesome fellowship here!
I’d officially like to welcome you to our clay family as well Fatima! It is wonderful to have you here!
Hi Cindy
Here is a challenge for you and it would help Fatima and others with little or no sight. When I was making ceramics (used to attend classes) I made some Braille tablets to make a necklace for a friend. Her name had 9 letters. I got hold of a Braille alphabet, poked holes in the terracotta clay squares and inserted little balls of clay. This was long before PC. The necklace was very heavy but she loved it. Since you are the design queen it would be great if you could figure out a way to make Braille jewelry that was pretty to look at but amazing to touch. Most people with limited sight seem to develop their other senses especially touch. I thought of pushing the bumps from the back, but that seemed a little complicated. My amazing uncle who lost his sight in WWII taught himself to play the piano. He was always in demand at parties and used to play in his local pub so never had to buy his beer ! I have a couple of ideas but know you could come up with a better one………..cheers xx………..
That’s a unique challenge Elaine! I haven’t yet been asked to come up with a way to put Braille on polymer clay. I did think of something though… What if you made small molds or stamps using the metal embossing technique I used in the Embossed Metal Stamp Tutorial?
I think it could work great! You press in your dots into the metal (the patterned would need to be reversed) so that you could then use the stamp to make the raised bumps on the surface. You could either make each letter individually and/or you could make some words. Other molds or stamp options could work as well. It would be a fun thing to try. Is any one up for it?
Sounds great
Wow. Thanks for that Cindy. I really needed to hear that today. I am going through some tough thought processes and your story truly touched my heart and helped me to focus on what is important to me. Thank you again.
Andrea
Love this discussion. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
When I joined the critique site, I merely asked and was added very promptly, I knew no one in the group nor the administration. I do note that there have been some quick joins/leaves and scuffles between folks there, but, I am hoping that as the administration and membership learn and grow, and refine their intentions and needs, these will be reduced. I do see that many of these issues might be due to cultural differences, language differences, and general misunderstanding. Takes time to work out the kinks.
FB and the internet in general can be scary places. Folks “catfish” by making up personas or promises they have no intention of fulfilling. It takes me awhile to trust new folks and sites, but, for anything beyond greetings or good luck postings, I stick like glue to private messages, emails or the phone.
Quite a lot of background information can now be found on google.com. I encourage everyone to go there and google all combinations of their names, and search their images, to make sure your information is being properly used. Also can use this technique to google others for information prior to interaction, and it does help. For artists publishing pics of their work, you can copy a pic over into the google search image box, and it will check the database for duplicates of the image. Obviously a useful feature, especially if you find the image on sites you do not want.
I am so sorry that you and Karon had those experiences. I hope in the future, you might reconsider and rejoin. You are both excellent communicators and artists, and your voices there would only add to the developing excellence of the site.
There are definitely ways getting information and communicating on the site could be improved and I expect they will be.
Now, when do we get together? LOL! I am a chocoholic, so your choice sounds perfect.
Jocelyn is another chocoholic?!
Well, I’M free next Thursday…elevenish? LOLOLOLOL
Thank you, Jocelyn, for giving us so much wonderful information. I had no idea! And this will come in quite useful as I do my research.
“Catfish” is a new one on me! I wonder how that name came about? I was given another term, too, but have since forgotten…thinking I wold never need to know it. LOLOL yet again
Facebook was/is my first experience with an internet community. I never felt I had a use for it before. I see now that it has the potential of being a great tool. And, as all tools, it can be used in many ways and for many purposes. I still do want to participate and have not lost my enthusiasm or my admiration for so many wonderful people I have met and who create such beauty for us to share. I just realize that I need to knuckle down first and get the “security” in place. You are wise to keep to the phone although the e-mail and chat box were downfalls for me. Never in a million years would I have thought…oh, well. Turn that stumbling block into a stepping stone, too.
Thank you for all your lovely compliments and I will save a table and a large, triple-chocolate torte just for us if I get there first…;)
Andrea
Andrea, go and google “catfish” for more links and info. It started as a documentary of one person’s experience when they actually searched out their “heartmates” on Facebook and found duplicity and fraud. MTV picked it up as a reality program for a season. Honestly, scared me to death.
Oh, Jocelyn!
Thank you, I got such a laugh from googling that I think it might be even better than the chocolate torte!
You have to admit that at least I’m taking it with good humor, although my “incident” earlier in the year was not fun in the long run. So I suppose I was “catfished”. And for a very, very long time. LOLOL
However, nothing is ever a total loss. Learned a lot and has become extremely useful.
Thanks again and lots of xoxoxo
Come to think of it, I don’t have MY picture up, either! Oh, no!
Andrea,
Wanted to share one Facebook site, Polymer Art Critiques, which I am learning to love. Folks post a picture of a work in process or finished item and asks for feedback.
It’s a well balanced group, plenty of artists who do a fine job critiquing concepts (there is a handout if choose), and plenty of regular learning trying folks too, whose comments are equally enlightening.
They provide amazing support and some excellent feedback. The work presented is consistently good quality (if I saw it I would buy it, lol). Some have started to work through designs letting the group suggestions dictate direction. There is always new work to oogle.
It is a really cool site. Love going there with a cup of coffee, and participating.
Hope someone some day comes up with a formal jury program, so once your work is vetted, you get some type of label, status, title, certificate or something. It seems to me, that if you are completely skilled and knowledgeable of the medium and art, it’s almost Masters Degree level, isn’t it? I would so like Cindy and Doug to try this in the future. Most of the skill tests are already done in the tutes.
Fondly
Jocelyn
Jocelyn, your link doesn’t work, it says we are not allowed to view that page. Is there somewhere to join?
Dixie Ann—
You need to friend Barbara Poland-Waters and ask to join the group because it is a secret group and is not listed by Facebook. Then, when you are a member, go into their “Files” section. You will see a file that is a score sheet you can use to critique the work posted. You do not necessarily need to use the score sheet but I thought it was quite useful. It was submitted by one of the members as a possible tool.
I have not had time to be active there yet, but the work is indeed beautiful and inspiring. Hope to see yours amongst it, Dixie Ann.
Love ya!
Jocelyn—
Thank you so much for the above information. It sounds like you are having a lovely time there and that it is a worthwhile and promising website. And that you are having a great time while drinking your coffee and participating.
That is quite a good idea to have a formal jury program that would count towards a degree of some sort. From some articles I have read, it seems that the polymer clay community has been trying hard for some time to be accepted by the artistic community as a legitimate member. I suppose this is the hierarchy we humans establish without without fail and there is no escape. LOL Although in this instance, we DO have choice of whether we want to belong or not.
Cheers and I may see you there!
Andrea
Andrea, I would be delighted to sit at a table with you and enjoy a cuppa, lol. I enjoy folks who are well spoken and tackle issues head on….it’s a life skill for success, in my humble opinion.
The critique site is new, and growing pains are to be anticipated both in perception and reality, lol. But, from what I have seen to date, it shows wonderful promise.
Of course, you do need to find Barbara on FB and ask to be added to participate in the closed group, but I think that restriction will lift once everyone gets comfortable and settled in. I found the site by accident.
Also, it is choice driven….you ask to join, you put up your pics for feedback, etc. Not every site is my cup of tea, as you know, lol. I do give this site my support at this stage. Needed in our industry whether you are an artist or a crafter or a buyer or a seller or a learner or a teacher and it can be a minefield out there just googling for support randomly. And for new artists struggling with “is it good enough, can I sell it, how can I improve, etc., ” it’s a great start.
All best always
Jocelyn
Dear Jocelyn—
I would love to enjoy a cuppa with you, too—perhaps with a slice of deep, dark chocolate cake? That’s MY choice! I would be curious as to what dessert YOU would pick. LOL
Thank you so much for your compliment. Communication is indeed a skill. Often I say far too much and other times, when I should, I say nothing at all. I’m working on honing that skill to even my general impact on people out a little. But it took many, many years for me to open my mouth in the first place so some setbacks are to be expected. LOL
Since you enjoy my being head on, I will keep going. The group you mention is the group I ALSO mentioned…the one I was not aware I had joined. I believe this may also be the one that Karonkay posted here about, which left her with a bad experience and deep and hurtful feelings she is still working thru.
A little bit of background on my position, if you will bear with me. I am not the sort of person who worries much about security issues. I understand the need for them but am not a secretive or paranoid person by nature. End of last year, I joined FaceBook because of an incident involving a rather famous philosophical writer whose “fan” I have been for over forty years and an accident he was in. Because he is an exceedingly private individual and does not like media coverage, his family announced they were going to do a closed group setting on FB to post news of the state of health to his “family” of readers. This was by invitation only, mostly directly from his personal site. Strange things started happening “behind the scenes” and I did not catch on until it was rather late in the game. Apparently, this gentleman had already gathered to himself on his own private site outside of FB a…well, you may call it a harem…of older, susceptible, often depressed, single or divorced women with little or no family. With them, he shared his personal and private e-mail address(es), exchanged e-mails for long periods of time (especially in the wee lonely hours of the night), referred many of them who were struggling to be published to his (or other) publishers, and encouraged them to visit him at his private island home as…get ready for it…they may be the real and true, one and only love of his life. Things started to come together in my head when I became personally involved with a member of his blood family and found out later that I had been jipped out of both a lot of time and (fortunately) a little money under the guise that we were all working together to protect his best interests against his ex-wife. We had all been encouraged to dislike his ex-wife from the day of the accident, having been told that she was taking advantage of his assets and was the one depriving us (his “real family”) of his private website (the place where we all gathered together away from the world and could be the “real family” we were) by shutting it down and forcing us to go to FaceBook. This all happened very quickly…in less than a weeks’ time…so we all rallied round to be supportive and did not have the chance to step back and get a clear picture of what was happening. Of course, a lot of it was happening in the dark…and it would be me that stumbled in it. Thru the FB page, I had also started corresponding personally with a rather distressed woman who was totally devastated by his accident and the e-mail history she had had with him. There was another woman I chated with, too, and that turned VERY nasty VERY quickly. Another started her own website, invited me to leave the FB one and when I questioned her about it started getting defensive. She was using an alias so I don’t even know her real name. There were several others, too, and ALL of them approached ME to be personal friends. I suspect that they were trying to see where I lay in the harem’s pecking order. The whole thing turned very ugly for my taste and I left the group…twice, because I doubted my judgement the first time when I did not have all this evidence and joined again. There were many other things I found, too, outside of FaceBook that added to this not very pleasant picture. But that was not the end of it. He himself finally showed up in my personal e-mail and things were not pleasant there, either. My only satisfaction is that I let him have it…and have it right between the eyes. Sometimes, when you go searching for the truth you wish you had never found it.
So. Here I am a few months later. True to character, I joined polymer clay groups with my usual enthusiasm and innocence, if I may call it that. There is a polymer clay community. It is wonderful, shares everything and is exceedingly supportive. And I went along with not a worry and not a care in the world. Last week, I learned thru her own page, that Lindly Haunani was the victim of the idea she is probably the most famous for being stolen by a Chinese manufacturer to make earrings selling for something like $1.50 a pair. ArtSista Fotini, another artist, also posted in one of the groups I belong to, that her ideas had been stolen by a woman who had an entire Etsy site set up for selling merchandise copying her work. Fortunately, she shut herself down when found out, but by then the damage to ArtSista was done. Other artists commented to her and on Lindly’s page that they were also victims of theft. One artist posted that her work was actually stolen OFF THE WALL during and exhibition. Following this up, I discovered this is a very hot topic. Harriette Estel Berman is quite involved in issues regarding this and so are many members of the community. We were all encouraged to police the streets, as it were, and report any incident to the artist suffering the theft. Even on this site, Doug Lietz commented the other day that a large portion of his time is devoted to having to defend it against infiltration of spammers and so on.
I did a little more digging on the critique group last night due to a little scuffle that was going on between a member and the administrator. I really started to feel rather uncomfortable about the parallels to the incident earlier in the year and, even then, talked myself into observing and waiting it out and giving it a chance. The group is SECRET…top SECRET. Nobody gets in or out without being the administrator’s “friend”. She has already stated to a member that it is her group and things will be done her way. She wants nothing other than pictures posted and not other info, no links to other sites, no discussions whatsoever except critique. In other words, she wants to control members and info coming in and out and no one outside of it to know or have control over the content. I…and I believe Karonkay also…don’t remember actually clicking on the join button. And I have an excellent, and unfortunately, very long memory. I remember a conversation I had with another member on one of the ONLY TWO groups I am in and this group’s administrator popping in to ask if we would consider joining a critique group and both of us saying we would be interested. BUT I DON’T REMEMBER CLICKING THE JOIN BUTTON AND NEITHER DOES KARONKAY. We both just remember being asked by someone if we would be interested and suddenly being member of a group. What difference does that make? You tell me.
Further, last night, while playing Sherlock and trying to find the original conversation to see what I had actually said, I could not find this groups’ administrator as a member of either of the two groups I am in. I could not find the convo in this woman’s and my “Show Friendship” page. I could find nothing other than she is a member of the IPCA FB page. I just joined that a few days ago and have not posted or commented there yet, so I could not have talked to her there. Where did she and I and another woman have this conversation? Admittedly, FB is a maze and I may be missing something very obvious. But why so much secrecy in the first place? She certainly has a right to privacy and to run her group the way she likes but I have a right to know what’s being done with my page and my photos and my rights to join a group or not. I have already posted photos of my work without watermarks. It is out there. I know it is very, very difficult to control these things, but I have not even taken the very simple and logical steps to protecting myself and my work in the first place. That is what I am working on now before I take another step or post another photo.
I am not accusing or blaming anyone. We all have our own histories and motivations as to why we do what we do and how we do it. And I admit freely that I may have wrong information or not enough or even that I joined the group and don’t remember. But, in the end, I have to honor my feelings that there is too much here that feels too familiar, so this morning I left the group. And I am sorry for having to do it, because I think it’s a marvelous idea and the work from such talented artists there is exquisite. But the execution of the group, per se, is not for me. As I said before, I left another group the other day. The only way to avoid this wrangling for myself and not appear to be a disgruntled or contrary person to others, is to check individuals, groups and group rules out before liking or joining them. But then, I can’t check a group out and decide if I don’t even know I’ve joined already. Put this way…it is as though somebody took my right to vote and used it for me. At least, that’s the way I feel.
In any case, I TRULY hope this group works out. And that you keep enjoying yourself in it. It indeed is difficult to head such an endeavor. I don’t know if I would take that on myself as there are so many issues involved and so many people to please.
Well, darlin”…keep on claying! I’m going to do a bit of it now myself. We’ll make arrangements for that cuppa soon …what do you say?
Andrea
I loved this posting! From everyone! I feel the same as all of you do. I also feel that to be a true artist, your work must come from within and not from outside pressures or others’ ideas of what you “should” do. I think that is just copying and is not true art at all. Here, we get the opportunity to learn from a master (Cindy) and take it from there. Nothing we create from these videos will be exactly like Cindy’s or anyone else’s and that’s the point.
I have just recently realized that if I had been more confident in myself, less self-conscious of myself and my abilities, and had ventured to try producing art maybe 30 years ago, what a difference it could have made in my life. As it was, I found Cindy and polymer clay I think about 3 years ago (time flies in my head, so I am not sure). That would make me 52 years old then. I may not have success with all the projects I try, but I still try, and I have allowed myself to call myself an artist. That’s a great feeling!
And remember, Van Gogh was a failure during his lifetime. :)
All I have to say is that I am very glad to see so many people writing in relative to this post. To all of you…some of you who have endured more hardship than I could imagine…and have conquered all of it, much love and joy to you. You have earned every single coup feather on your bonnet…and they are all YOURS!
Keep going! ;) ;) ;)
Thanks so much for sharing all of this Cindy. It makes me very sad to know though, that as long as teachers belong to unions, the school system will always be a “system”. We need teachers who teach for the love of it and not for the payoff at the end. Teaching should be its own reward, just as art is its own reward.
Hi Cindy,
Loved the post.
I have to add that I’m more than likely a little further down the road of life than you may be,
but I think that we all may start to see that brave and daring souls that we once were we we hit about 45 or so. Then the question becomes- where did that all go? At least it did for me.
Like you I was always doing my creative thing as a kid. The best present was a new box of crayons- nice sharp ones-oohh!
And I could never color within the lines.
But I always was doing my thing creatively. It may not be painting portraits that I wanted to do at 18, but always something. Be it tiny dollhouse miniatures – that’s were polymer clay came into it all- to painting anything that stands still.
I’m back sorta to that brave and somewhat daring soul again. I have to say that I missed her and didn’t even know it.
Your post made me give her, and you, a big hug and a wink in the mirror. Thanks
Wow. It’s like you were writing about me. A creative genius or a mad artist…the line blurs.
I know the pain of feeling like I was never like everybody else. It’s only NOW, this year really, that my talents are suddenly blossoming and the young girl that had her head in the clouds and was told being an artist wasn’t a real job, is finally coming full circle.
I have never commented before but have often wanted to. I have been a subscriber for a long time (longer than my account shows~I switched banks and the lapse lost my other years…) anyhow, it’s nice to get to “know you”. Now I feel a kindred spirit when I watch you. Very moving. You moved me to tears.
Thank you for all you do. You are absolutely divine.
Emily aka Gaia Copia Dreamer with her Head in the Clouds. My clouds are made of PC, MC, beads, paint and metal!
Oh Emily, don’t you just wish those that say it can’t be done… would just get out of the way of the ones that are doing it? It is such a sad and disabling thing to do, to hold back someone who is a dreamer. Dreamers are the ones who bring us so much joy.
Speaking of joy, I just went to your site and saw your incredible work!! To think that I could be of any inspiration to one with such a talent is very humbling. I could learn so much from you as well. Your sense of style and design is simply Divine! (I hope you don’t mind if I borrowed your word.)
I am tickled that you have decided to share your journey, with your head in the clouds, with me! Don’t ever come out of those mixed media clouds… you know exactly what to make with them!
Cindy,
First of all, thank you for sharing. I knew right away when I discoverd your website that I had found another woman with a passion for flowers! This article and video really touched me … it’s like I was meant to read this. Here’s my story, I apologize for the length.
A year ago, at 12 years old, my son was diagnosed with severe social anxiety disorder. It came on out of the blue near the end of sixth grade. Up until that time he had been a normal student, happy in his elementary school, where I was PTA President and busily involved on a daily basis. I knew the students, office staff, teachers and principal well, and really loved our experience there. All of a sudden my son could not bring himself to attend class anymore, and Jr. High School was out of the question. We are now homeschooling, utilizing an online public charter school.
I have spent the last year trying to turn my thinking around; public school is not the only answer, and may not fit for every student. I have felt nervous when running into people I knew from school, fearing we would be judged and feeling as though I would have to defend “homeschool.”
My son is math/science smart like his architect father, and loves computers. He does not play sports, but bowls on a youth league now. He has made alot of progress with the social anxiety, but still doesn’t want to attend public school. So we will continue the homeschool for many years, and I am o.k. with that now.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS ARTICLE AND VIDEO, it confirmed for me that we don’t have to conform. I will stop thinking, “how would they handle this in public school,” because we now have the freedom to handle his education in a way that is best for him to learn. I will continue to nurture my son in whatever way that works for HIM, not in the ways that have come to be expected by a system that is broken.
You are more than welcome Michele! Isn’t it interesting how life seems to present to you, just the things you are meant to hear, when you need to hear it? This post has been here for more than a year now, but it now is speaking to so many. (Of course it was re-introduced when Andrea Paradiso unearthed it again, and Doug put it in the banner at the top of the page… but still, it had been there all along.)
Don’t worry about how it will all turn out with your son’s education. You listened to your heart and did what was right for him. That is what is most important here. The whole point of an education is to raise individuals that will contribute to society in a positive manner. To make a good life for themselves and the people they surround themselves with. To grow, learn and develop into responsible, mature adults who add more to this world than take away from it. How a person gets to that point, it does not matter. For some that is through a traditional education system and for some that is not. You have all you need inside you to help him get there (and if you don’t, you will find what it is that you need.) Good luck and enjoy your journey together!
You struck a serious cord! I was the only one in my small lass of 30 that for eight years was given check marks for insufficient application. I made decent grades but was always told I did not apply myself adequately. Now I realize I am a show me learner. If I see it once, I own it! If I have to read the instructions I become overwhelmed and want to quit. If I hear the instructions, I buzz out. Your tutorials are perfect for me and as a result of having the ability to tap into You Tube, I am holding my own in retirement with no huge source of income. I worked my tail off for a Master’s in Counseling and almost enjoyed my career. I make memory beads now and I love my life.
Thank you for opening this door. You gave me something priceless. You shared with me the freedom of choice to be a creative individual. My marks for insufficient application where because of the artwork. I would create on my test papers and homework; the desire to have justified lines and drive for neat presentation. I was never messy. I was judged as applying myself too neatly!! I am your mirror!! Thank you for being my teacher. I am 66. And proud to be your apprentice!!
Steph.
Thank you so much Steph for sharing your story with us. It means a lot to me to hear that you are finding your way in your creative endeavors and are enjoying the journey. It doesn’t matter when you discover that all you ever needed was already deep inside you… it just matters that you finally do. It sounds like you have done that. I am very proud of you!
Good GRIEF!!!
IT’S STILL FOAMING!!!!
Oh, ANDREA!!!!
Wow ladies! My heart breaks for the experiences you’ve all shared! It certainly causes me to appreciate this community at a whole new level. I am not a professional artist but thoroughly enjoy working with clay and the outlet that it has given to me therapeutically to just have fun —making something unique in the process. I would be floored if my work was critiqued at the levels you’ve discussed here. My husband and I are soon to open a website with something we’ve creatively applied polymer clay to and to think that someone like me could make what were going to sell was never in my mind. (except for the fact that my husband was the encouraging force.). If any of these poo-pooed my work, I would never bother. Sure, my work is not “up there”, or anywhere near that of lifetime artists, but what the heck….! made it and it’s an expression of ME. (and everything Cindy has taught me!) My skills are a work in progress. I guess that’s why art critiques can be so hurtful your work is YOU. I think that whole critiquing FB site seems quite counter productive .
Proud to be a small part of this community!
Dear Christine—
I am sending you my best vibes for your new endeavor! And my congratulations for your choice in having married such a man and friend who has encouraged you to proceed a little further than you may have imagined. Not only that, but he is to join you in this venture. Absolutely wonderful!
As you never may have imagined that you might be able to sell what was an expression of yourself, you may be able to hear critique from someone who is considered a “lifetime artist (etc., etc, etc.)” who poo-pooes your work and find yourself saying, “Why…thank you for that enlightening critique! I will certainly file that away for further consideration.” And then you will go on about your business playing with clay.
I may have not expressed myself clearly…even though I sure popped off my cork like a bottle of champagne that’s been shook up and is still foaming at the mouth! So I will try to do it now…and edit myself as much as humanly possible (!!!).
I am not against CRITIQUE in any way whatsoever. Having been a retail salesperson for 35 years, I have had to learn to steel myself against objection, rejection and outright attacks from the customer base. And, believe me, the GP (general public) doth love to critique! I am not against any group that critiques…IF the critique is constructive and done in the spirit of helping the artist (in whatever profession) hone his skills, take some distance from himself and look at what he has created with a DISPASSIONATE eye. Folks such as Michelangelo and Davinci and Van Gogh knew they had to do this FOR THEMSELVES. Witness all the times they destroyed their own work and did it again…and again and again. Especially, after public opinion lifts you to impossible heights and you can do no wrong, you need to do this and take care that you do not become such an impossible critic of your own work that you ruin YOURSELF or that you shut yourself off altogether. That is a problem, too. You may be celebrated to such a point that anything and everything you do is wonderful, great, fantastic and you keep on doing IT and nothing else. I guarantee you…as much as a person may hold back from facing criticism and rejection because he has experienced them so many times before, so a person that has been coddled into believing he is already the best he can be will shrink away from it. Because he cannot bear the thought of criticism, either, and deep inside him knows that he will have to face that someday and is not prepared for it. Many of us have seen the Golden Boy or Golden girl in our high school class end up working part-time at Burger King because they were coddled into believing that the work-a-day world would receive them with the same open arms as his school family and life was in the bag. I did and it was heartbreaking…to see someone who had so much talent in so many areas so crippled that it took him years to stand up again! These are both sides of the same mirror. The one side shows us to ourselves as poor victims who can do nothing right in the eyes of the world and therefore we must hide away and the other makes us see ourselves as so goshdarn wonderful that we can do no wrong and the world can’t live without us. Both views are imbalanced and exaggerated and it is up to those that IDEALLY should be looking out for our highest good that need to help us learn how to get the true reflection of who we are. That would be our parents, family, teachers, spiritual leaders, community leaders and friends. As you may have found out by now, it is not the ideal world we wish it were and none of us are ideal humans. Unfortunately, there are some people…looking out for their own self-interest and not willing to do the work themselves or walk their own talk…who take advantage of other people’s Achilles heels to beat the competition before the competition even has a chance to compete. And that is NOT right.
I myself battled (and still do, on occasion) victim consciousness and still, on many occasions, think the world cannot live without my opinion…as witnessed by the large amount of champagne foam all over this chronicle. When I hear some stories or see people taking advantage of others and doing to them what I’ve had done happen to me and then I see these people throw in the towel and walk away before even giving themselves a chance…well, tell you the truth I get ANGRY. I know it’s not a nice word or politically correct and so on, but there it is. THAT’S when the cork pops off. Never used to be that way, mostly because anger is an emotion that is regaled to live in the deepest corner of your dungeon if you want to be a “nice person”. Now it IS that way with me and I am learning to balance those emotions, too, because if not released properly after so many years of suppression, they can be very harmful to everyone, as you know.
In that regard, I have to thank Cindy and Doug. To be very frank, from my experiences in the past, I expected this chronicle to be “shut down” in some way, attention diverted to something else, freedom of speech quashed. Especially after some of the feathers I might have myself ruffled this past day or so. I was indeed surprised and exceedingly glad this morning to see that, rather than sweeping things under the rug, Cindy and Doug opted to take this discussion from a headline position to featuring it right on the front page. And in Cindy’s usual innovative way, too, by explaining what this was all about and giving us a CHOICE as to whether we wanted to wade into deep waters or not. Because THAT IS what teaching is about…THAT is what CRITIQUE is about and freedom of mind, speech and expression. NOT to hurt each other or separate each other, but to uplift each other and help us see that each of us is a winner when we use our individual and unique talents to the fullest, for our own good and for the good of the whole of Creation. That is why WE were created, after all.
Cindy and Doug have shown their courage. And I, not having experienced this too many times in my life before, am quite a happy little creature this morning!
Hmmmnnnn…from the length of this one, seems the foam might be pooping out. Thank God for that…I was beginning to drown in it myself!
Christine, have a wonderful time with your husband on this new adventure and make lots of great memories. I will be looking forward to seeing you and your lovely husband “out there”!
Andrea,
The only time we may choose to “quash” Freedom of Speech at this site, is if the intent of the message is hurtful, condescending, malicious or just downright mean.
Differences of opinions are absolutely fine… even welcomed… especially when they are well thought through and articulated with intelligence.
Oh… I guess the other times we may quash Freedom of Speech is when someone tries to blatantly hijack the site for their own personal gain… especially when they are promoting completely unrelated offers. You would not believe how much time is spent behind the scenes keeping this site clean from spammers, trying to disguise themselves as clayers, in order to get links posted to a coupon site they are promoting… or worse. On bad days, I have to sift through and trash 100’s of messages.
Finally… there are some cases where a legitimate members comment might get moderated… but this would only be when the topic is relevant to that individual persons membership account (i.e. when the topic really does not concern anyone else). But these comments are NEVER ignored. They are just taken offline and managed via email.
Make sense?
Dear Doug—
Makes PERFECT sense. But, of course, that rule of thumb is not applied everywhere. Unfortunately, when you experience too many negatives, it is hard to accept the positive at face value. You get hard and crusty and suspicious and all-together yukky-uk.
It takes a while to get un-yukkied out.
I appreciate your work and true toil behind the scenes. I have worked there as well and it is often a truly very demanding and exhausting position. It is another instance where it sometimes may seem as all your are doing is defending what is yours against everybody and everything. I suppose these kinds of situations call for us to learn to achieve a balanced perspective, which is sometimes hard to achieve when you spend so much of your time and energy fighting, defending, protecting and uncovering (disguised spammers, for instance).
THAT is precisely why it was so good to see that you both encouraged this discussion, determined the boundaries of the commentary and joined in yourselves. In so doing, you helped ME balance MY perspective as well as my experience.
Cindy, If profits from sales pay for our ever growing sushi cravings…..I’ll, er uh…WE’LL be happy. 80). I’ll be sure to add our URL where you indicated. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your story Christine! That warms my heart to hear that you have the support of your husband in your new polymer clay business! (Not everyone is as lucky as you and I to have support and someone who believes in us.) Good luck in your new venture! Do let us know how it goes for you. Don’t forget to add your new business web address to the space provided for your website when you comment, so we can check it out when it goes live. Have fun and prosper!
Dear Cindy, This is exactly what happened in my life. I am a passionate polymerbeader now and very happy with it. Thank you for this story.
Thank you Froukje for your sweet words! I am pleased to hear you have found your true self and are a happy polymerbeader now!
Cindy I have said it before and will probably say it again many times. You are truly Blessed.
Your dreams are your Blessings. As I also feel I am for finding you when I did, very Blessed. I don’t believe in luck I believe in Blessings. This glorious long list of posts, so many stepped on as a child. Dreams that no one has a right to take away from any of us. If you are Blessed you can find yourself living your dreams everyday as you and so many others have here. I am so happy I have been a part of your unfolding story. Being a part of you being able to live your dream and make the best of it is indescribable. I wish I could put into words what your talents have gifted me with. Teaching is easy but being good at it is a dream come true. Your dreams have come true because you made them work for you out of love and determination for your students to bloom just like those flowers. You have put the color in our petals and weeded and watered our minds with true inspiration. You love what you do and you enjoy working hard at it because you want the most for not just yourself but everyone your path comes across. My tears flow hard out of happiness. Your unfolding story touches the hearts of everyone you have taught. Not just your students or members of the blog, you have the talent of teaching in a way that impacts everyone you know. If a person enjoys and puts a little of their dream in what they create then to me that makes them a very talented artist. Thank you for being who you are and allowing yourself to come out and touch us all. To all those teachers who stomp on the dream of a child, I wish they could read your story. Thank God for the teachers like you who give courage to all those dreaming children. Thank you for turning my black and white dreams into full colored dreams.
My thoughts might not count for much to some but I see nothing wrong with wanting to grow up to be a dreamer when your dreams are as talented as yours.
Sending many Uuuuugggs
Here here and UUUGGGGS to you!
I agree with everything Peggy just said. :)
WAIT FOR ME!!!!
What did Peggy just say?
Oh…. :0
I already agreed to that, too. :)))
Thank you Peggy for your kind and loving words. You mean a lot to me. It has been the kindness and support of you and so many others here that has made it possible for Doug and I to persevere through the long hours and surprising obstacles it takes to aim for our dreams. I am really excited that we will get to finally meet you and the other Iowans (if that is a correct term), this summer on our second PcT Roadtrip! I can’t not wait to give you a hug for real!! Uuuuuggggs back!!
Hello again everyone! I just thought I’d come in here and say a few words…
My heart goes out to all of you who have struggled with your confidence and artistic voices. I know it can be hard and that it can sometimes be devastating to be rejected or harshly critiqued by anyone… especially those who you consider peers or masters in your field. Believe me, I have struggled with this myself. Everyone does at some point or another when they ‘put themselves out there’.
We can never control what happens OUT THERE. But we can control what happens IN HERE.
This blog and the PcT Community is here to support YOU. We celebrate our differences… our unique qualities… our differing opinions… and our ability to learn together.
We don’t need to have the same beliefs on religion/culture or the same interests or fashion sense to have the same philosophies on life.
I believe each of us has the right to be ourselves… no matter what that looks like. That we each deserve Love, Respect, Kindness and Encouragement to improve. That it should be an ENJOYABLE experience to learn something new, not an intimidating one (or boring for that matter).
There will be no judging or criticism here. Just a creative, excitement to learn new things together. CRITIQUES will only be given to lift a person to their potential. Not to tear them down or make someone else feel superior.
We all come from different places (quite literally actually). We have different skill sets, different tastes. Different abilities and different things that hold us back. No one here is better or worse than anyone else… only different.
Those who disagree… Need not apply!
(Or hang around here… you know what I mean.) :)