Imaginitive Project Ideas

Imaginative Project: 40%
As this class deals with the imaginal aspects of transformative learning, the final outcome is a form of creative expression that integrates what you have learned in the course. Some possibilities include:

• Create a painting drawing or collage that depicts your understanding of transformative learning
  
• Create a photo essay that represents your learning
  
• Write a short story, poem or series of poems
  
• Create a film or digital story
  
• Create a quilt or weaving
  
• Create a short performative piece
  
• Select several songs that speak to you about transformative learning and
  write a paper using the song lyrics or write your own song
  
• Analyze the transformative experience of a character from a novel or film
  

• Propose another form of expression that depicts your learning

Schedule

A way to begin is to let your mind go very loose and just see what starts to appear when you think of transformative learning. Make notes of the words and images that appear. Consider metaphors for transformative learning that show up. Repeat this process again and again until something starts to take shape. Start to fill a “box”, for instance, with images that slip into view in your mind. You could physically do this with a box with images collected from magazines etc. and actual objects.
When the 'box' is full take a look and see if everything is there. Are there things in the box that could be removed? Are there things in the box that resonate? What is the best way to creatively express what is in your box?
Post your project online (or a picture/video of it) during Module 8.

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So I've actually been planning this for a while. I am showing my work in Macy Gallery at TC a little after the end of the semester. The work goes up May 20th and the reception is May 23rd. Here's a little info about it: 

Rehearsal Lines for 1000 Suns

Dates: May 20-Jun 13

Reception: May 23, 5 – 7pm

Co-produced by Art and Art Education Program doctoral students Carianna Arredondo and Charles Onyewuchi, this exhibition stems from the integrative process of bringing together language, material, arts engagement and experience. Through their work, Arredondo and Onyewuchi conduct an interdisciplinary venture into the seen and unseen, known and unknown, and macro and microcosms of self and society.

The work that I am creating for the show with my colleague is about how I use material, language, and art in order to engage with my identity and inner psyche. The work that I am creating is reflective of my past and present. How I grapple with identity and navigate transforming the self. 

Dream Journal and other thoughts

I have documented over the past few weeks, my dreams, I don't feel comfortable sharing all of the details on here, but I can reflect on what I've noticed. 

I noticed that I still have resentment towards my current partner in various ways and have yet to overcome my struggles with a prior failed marriage. I have had several dreams about my partner, John, and none of them have been happy ones. But rather, dreams of deceit, of frustration, and resentment. Likewise, I have found myself in my dreams trying to find ways to check up on my ex husband (Michael). I think a part of me wants him to be as miserable as I am. 

A few months ago when I was in Texas visiting with and taking care of family, I visited my sister Megan's new apartment for the first time. It was beautiful and most of the furniture was new. She had mentioned to me that she wanted a fresh new start and new space, she didn't want anything to reminder her of her ex-boyfriend. 

Taking this to mind, I ordered myself a new sheet set and am currently in the works of re-doing some parts in my apartment that shed any remnants of feelings of remorse. 

I've also began talking with my therapist about my dreams, which has actually been really helpful. I think there's sometimes this stigma surrounding mental health and I'll admit, I've always been ashamed, embarrassed, and unwilling to speak to so many councilors because of this. I think it just took some time, and I've finally found someone who I can vibe with. Taking advantage of my student health fee, I might as well utilize what I pay for. What initially has been difficult in the past was finding a therapist that played a more active role. I can not stand those that simply lean back and listen, I need someone to engage in dialogue with me and I am lucky enough to have been matched with someone who works so well with me. We've only began talking in December, but so far it's been great. 

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Trigger event. An event which initiates reflection on meaning schemes or meaning perspectives. 

Disorienting dilemma. An older term.  Similar to trigger event.  Encountering something that is discrepant with how we understand ourselves or the world.

Critical reflection. Questioning assumptions, values, and perspectives we encounter in the world.

Critical self-reflection.  Questioning our own meaning schemes and meaning perspectives.  Examining the sources of the assumptions we hold and the consequences of continuing to hold them.

Content reflection.  Asking ourselves “What has happened here?”, or “What is going on here?”  Examining the content of the problem.

Process reflection.  Asking ourselves how we came to hold a particular belief or assumption. “How did I come to believe this?”  Examining the process.

Premise reflection.  Asking ourselves why it is important to consider this issue (assumption, belief, perspective) in the first place.  “Why does this matter?” Examining the premise.  Premise reflection is most likely to lead to transformative learning.

Discourse.  A special kind of dialogue or discussion in which people rationally weigh evidence and arguments and back up opinions with evidence.  Central to transformative learning. 

Ideal conditions for rational discourse.  Participants in discourse are fully informed, have an equal opportunity to speak, are able to weigh evidence rationally, and have a goal of reaching consensus.

Individuation.  A term taken from Jungian psychology.  The differentiation of the individual from the collective of humanity.  The formation of the Self.  Integral to transformative learning.

Transformative learning.  The revision of previously unquestioned perspectives and assumptions based on critical reflection and critical self-reflection, leading to more open, permeable, and better justified perspectives.

Module 3 Notes

The Dirkx (2006) article opens by starting that "central to development of authenticity in teaching is self-understanding and self-awareness. Using a Jungian perspective, the author suggests that the imaginative dimensions of the self play a critical role in our journey and experience as teachers, and in developing self-awareness and authenticity in our teaching."

Firstly, are there any ways in which you believe your imagination has contributed to your self-knowledge and/or your path to authenticity?

Secondly, are there any practices you engage in that help you connect to these images of the psyche and which aid in your own self-discovery? How do you integrate these different experiences, so as to embody them at a soul level, learn from them and transform?

As a practicing artist and art educator, imagination, self-awareness, and self-knowledge are conversations that often come up in my practice and in the classroom. My work draws upon life experiences as a way of navigating material with emotion--in order to make meaning in our daily lives through the artistic process. This is also how I approach my classroom, I feel making art, albeit writing creatively or painting, dancing, playing music, etc. are a combination, and if I may, a journey towards cultivating a sense of self-awareness and authenticity.

The following quote from Dirkx (2006) resonated with my thoughts as an educator:  

"Teaching with a sense of authenticity reflects a profound sense of self-awareness and self-understanding. It draws our attention to the character of the teacher, its importance in the overall quality of our relationships with learners, and the effectiveness of learning experiences that we as teachers plan and facilitate" (p.30). 

I think, from the perspective of an art educator, although art is subjective I feel that the best teachers and those that are most confident and aware of their practice. If you are fully self-aware of your process and practice, you are able to translate your methods of meaning-making and creative practice to a classroom, I think, successfully. This doesn't always happen though. Someone can be a great artist and a horrible mentor and teacher. This is actually a tricky topic in the field of Art Education, many Universities recruit famous, successful artists as faculty in order to attract students, but at times, these faculty do not have the best pedagogical approach for fostering creativity within their students. So I have mixed feelings about this question, because it is so circumstantial. 

I think for me remaining visually stimulated is a way to open up my psyche and window of self discovery. This can be as simple as getting lost on the internet looking at (landscape, spacial) images that inspire my practice. Moreover, going to museums and galleries and parks also give me the space to reflect and imagine. 

Sometimes images and experiences will pour into my everyday life synchronistically. I take it as a sign and actively & intentionally incorporate it in my work. For example, if I start to notice certain colors coming into my life or recurring words or images. If these symbols are, in fact, talking to me, I try to have a conversation through my writing and painting. This is something I ask my students to consider as well. How our seemingly mundane routines can give us little morsels to work with and transform. 

Hunt (2006) outlines many barriers to authenticity including institutional, structural, policy, and social barriers. I feel there are many more barriers both internal and external.

I am wondering if you could share personal definition or understanding of authenticity? What does authenticity mean to you?

Also, what barriers to authenticity have you faced? How did you overcome them? What advice/perspectives/growing experiences can you share with others in overcoming barriers to authenticity?

I think my definition of authenticity falls under a majority definition of simply being yourself and staying true to your heart. And yet, this notion reminds me of the quote “To become authentic we require a thirst for freedom.” This brings me back to the discussion last week about social change and freedom from oppression. As we navigate different social, physical, temporal, etc. constructs are we truly able to remain authentic? Is authenticity transient? And are we really the only ones to self-affirm our authenticity? 

Hunt's (2006) questions and conclusion about the complex process of authenticity has stayed with me and continues to percolate as I navigate my week teaching and pushing my students to create something they are proud of: 

"How to intervene in such a process without becoming someone you do not want to be? How easy is it to become that person, point out the sources that were ignored and the voices that were silenced, direct the students toward the publications that questioned their conclusions and, at the same time, forget that it was not what you wanted in the long run?" (p. 62). 

In terms of personal barriers I've faced regarding my authenticity, being someone from a multi-cultural household I often find myself code-switching based on the different environments and situations I am in. I'll act differently with different people, yet is this to say I am not being my authentic self? This navigation and negotiation is something that I still struggle with. 

A few friday's ago, I want to say it was the 8th? I gave my usual talk at the American Folk Art Museum as their Education Fellow. The tour went really well as I had a diverse group of people and age groups. There was one older white gentleman that had made a few odd, Donald Trump remarks throughout the tour, but I was able to steer away from that and onto the exhibitions we were looking at. After the tour the gentleman approached me and asked for my name to attend another one of my tours. As a representative of the museum, I obliged and showed him my badge. He was an older man and took lots of pictures during our tour, so perhaps he had a memory problem? Once he saw my name he had asked it's origin, so I told him that it was Mexican. He proceeded to tell me that most of my family must have been "rapists, drug dealers, murderers, and illegal immigrants." I didn't know what to say other than "I hope that was sarcasm." I bring this up because I thought to myself if my appearance had looked 'more Mexican' would he have even said those words to me? Should I have dressed differently? Talked differently? Sometimes I struggle with navigating and negotiating my authentic self because of societal barriers that permeate our everyday lives.

I think authenticity is challenging because it makes us vulnerable and susceptible to so many (un)predictable things. 

In the Cranton article, the overarching theme is that “Authenticity in teaching has to do with self-awareness, awareness of others, relationships, context, and leading a critical life.” And, further, that “Fostering authentic relationships has something to do with each of these five facets of authenticity”.

Do you agree or disagree with these statements and if so, why or why not?

In your own experience how have you fostered any of all of the espoused five-faceted pillars of authenticity introduced in the article?

I think Cranton's article really goes hand-in-hand with Kornelsen's work on teaching with presence. Kornelsen writes: 

[T]eachers need to manifest those traits that invite presence: presence of themselves, of their learners, and of the subject-content. Teaching with presence means teaching in a way that encourages openness, imbues vitality, and sometimes abandons order.

I believe in order to be aware of ourself, others, our relationships, context, and lead a critical life, we need to cultivate a sense of presence. My only question about this is, how much? I think Cranton's & Kornelsen's traits and themes regarding authenticity and presence are valid, but at what level do we need to imbue these characteristics with ourselves in order to make them affective? I think there is also something really moving about educators that are humble in their actions and delivery of knowledge, to admit that there is that window of unknown as well can be very powerful. If that makes any sense. 

If I have to give an example of how I've fostered the pillars of authenticity, would think that my practice as a teacher does this. Because I believe in student-centered learning, I usually like to let my students drive the course. I'm there to give them tools and help cultivate skillsets so that they can feel empowered as their own artistic self and agent of change. Granted this extreme flexibility happens with my private students. 

When I'm teaching within an institution this may present some challenges if I'm co-teaching or even, as a museum educator giving tours on our exhibitions on view. It can be extremely challenging to cultivate all five pillars with each an every person that attends the open to public, drop in tours. As you may have heard in the barrier discussion about my encounter with the older gentleman. In these instances, I am not sure if it is quite possible to practice all five pillars? Any thoughts? 

Week 2 | Readings | Tett, Spear, Dirkx, Kaya

In the section of the Spear article about resistance to conscious cooperation, he describes Hartmann’s findings from the Boundary Questionnaire (1987) in which adults with thick boundaries view the world as clear black and white and those with thin boundaries view the world with gray and that there is a continuum between these. Hartmann shares that most adults lie somewhere in the spectrum and that there can be situational variations in thickness. What do you think of the boundaries and where do you lie on the spectrum? Have you had a situation when you noticed a “thickening” or “thinning” of your boundaries and why?

Experiential exercise:
Let’s make an exercise of the line from Spear (p. 229-230), “....“observe, register and accept” these messages [from your subconscious] in whatever form they arrive, be it dreams, memories, reveries, slips of the tongue, changes in mood, fantasies or sudden and seemingly inexplicable emotional responses.” (Jacobi, 1958, p.104)
Make note of the next time or couple times this occurs for you and share it with the group. What was the setting? How was your response different than you think it would be if you were not making notes for the class?

When I think back to my time starting undergrad at a small liberal arts college in rural Indiana, and falling in love with art and writing, my initial perspective on the arts were 'thicker' in a way that I felt good art and writing possessed certain qualities that I could never obtain. Often never feeling good enough in my own work, I definitely experienced bouts of depression and frustration. I decided the fall semester of my senior year to 'study abroad' in New York, where I was exposed to a sea of so many different artists, work, writing, people, food, and everything else. This is not to say that I didn't experience diverse cultures growing up in Texas, but I think there is something special about New York being what it is. It was that short semester in the city, working and doing all that I could to stay alive, exposed and aware, that I felt my boundaries thin and garnered a little more confidence in myself and what I was working towards as an artist. 

Within a similar vein, my research on the relationship between travel and creativity, in a way, tackles the process of thinning and thickening of artistic boundaries. Based on personal experience, and hours of interviews with different artists who have traveled to far away places, to different cities, or even as simple as different neighborhoods in their hometowns––what I am starting to discover is that many of the artists I interviewed noticed drastic changes in their process, and creative growth, when they were immersed in a culture different than their own. It was not so much about moving locations, but adapting to a different culture. I think theres is something worth point out about this, our boundaries of ego may shift as we move between, and expand, our physical boundaries. 

It's hard to exercise these boundaries consciously and actively--I think retrospectively, we can reflect on our boundaries and make mindful shifts, but I'll try this exercise again tomorrow as see what I can make work!

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Given our readings on individuation and identity, consider these two statements:  

Social change and freedom from oppression needs to occur before a person can experience individuation. 

Social change and freedom from oppression cannot occur until individuals are empowered through individuation.

Which position do you agree with and why?

As you reflect on your life, can you pinpoint a time in your life when you utilized the arts and/or imagery to better understand yourself?  Please explain this experience and how it has/has not enhanced your life.  If this is not something you've experienced in life, please feel free to share your thoughts on why this may be the case.  

I use art and imagery to better understand myself on a daily basis. As I had mentioned early on, I have struggled with my identity on many levels throughout life. Particularly when it came to understanding where I fit in regarding my culture and heritage. I suppose art and poetry, for me, became a way of understanding the complex macro and micro-cosms of identity. As an abstract painter, with a process that uses imagery from both place and (literal) space, I think this method, or ritual, for me is a way to connect with my identity as a human being in time and space rather than focusing on the meticulous, microscopic details of identity. Through 'zooming out' in my process I feel a sense of ephemerality and weightlessness. I suppose for me, this is my act of meditation, where I can feel a part of everything and nothing all at once. Or what Kaya speaks about, the levels of "solitary and social." 

On the other hand, my poetry is a way to understand the concrete, and tangible aspects of 'me.' Something that I have been working on for quite some time, that I recommend as an exercise for others who are interested, using found photographs to create a relationship through writing actually can reveal quite alot about about the self, at least, that's what worked with me. See example below: 

Kaya (2009) mentions during her conclusion and reflection that "a key aspect of designing learning processes that integrate emotions and imagination with rationality is to encourage learners (recognizing individual preferences) to participate in a variety of expressive practices (Yorks & Kasl, 2006), such as collaging, sculpture, drawing, movement, and other creative activities to help learners access and engage with their inner self" (p. 213).

The idea of a process that integrates emotions, with imagination, with rationality is a perfect way to engage with and enter a point of critical reflection. I think arts are an expressive entry point that gives individuals a sense of weightlessness, yet their results are concrete, grounded, and very real. 

Mezirow Video