James Freeman on fri 15 oct 10
Just returned from my workshop. For the most part it went very well.
The students were all great; extremely welcoming, very attentive,
eager to learn. The grad students and the advanced undergrads were
awesome, and it was a pleasure talking with them both during the
workshop, and afterward over beers. They seem to relish philosophical
discussion, the liveliest being an hour of really great exploration of
the art versus craft question, which is always great fun. The energy
was electrifying. Makes me wish I were in grad school! A great bunch
of young men and women, and some exceptional and really exciting work
being done by this up and coming generation. We all need to watch our
backs!
The slide show seemed to go quite well. Thanks again to all of you
who offered me advice, opinions, and tips. Many of the kids came up
to me afterward or the next day and told me that they had never
attended a slide lecture anything like this one, and that they found
it refreshing and informative. This was a relief, as the room was
laid out in such a way that I was at the back, looking at the back of
their heads, so I could not get any nonverbal feedback during the
presentation.
While I am glad I had this experience, I don't think I would do
another such workshop, assuming the opportunity even arose. While a
one-day demo workshop, or even a many days long hands-on workshop seem
reasonable, two solid 8 hour days of demo plus an hour lecture, solo,
keeping up the entertainment and patter for all those hours, is just
too grueling. Though the time passed quite quickly, the toll on one's
body and voice, and even one's psyche, is great. Now I understand why
most of the demos I have attended were either two-person tag teams,
allowing one to rest and regroup while the other took up the mantle,
or half-day or shorter affairs, or else were mostly painful silence.
I have renewed respect for those of you who are able to routinely pull
off such herculean feats!
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
tony clennell on sat 16 oct 10
James: Survival is all that can be expected if it is your first
workshop. Congratulations! I actually prefer a one man gig to sharing
the stage.I get things going and if they turn their heads for a moment
they can miss an important step in the process. I will have done 8
this year and you're right about them being exhausting. A two day gig
is really a week( Friday night lecture, workshop Sat, Sun, two travel
days on either end, packing to go and unpacking and getting back to
the studio on the tail end. I plug them into my calendar as income
that has been great especially during slow times.
There are a number of reasons to like them as a teacher. No back
stabbing rats to work with! No curriculum to write. No evaluations to
do. No meetings to attend. You teach more students per year. You
leave all the problems behind you. You meet new friends and see new
places. You sell some work and make some money that isn't riddled with
payroll deductions.
Now that I am 2/3 days at week at the college I appreciate how good I
had it in the studio with a calendar of workshops ahead of me.
Do another one James. It get's easier to deliver but it still takes
the same toll on you. Who said being a weekend bar band was easy?
cheers,
Tc
On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 8:40 PM, James Freeman
wrote:
> Just returned from my workshop. =3DA0For the most part it went very well.
> The students were all great; extremely welcoming, very attentive,
> eager to learn. =3DA0The grad students and the advanced undergrads were
> awesome, and it was a pleasure talking with them both during the
> workshop, and afterward over beers. =3DA0They seem to relish philosophica=
l
> discussion, the liveliest being an hour of really great exploration of
> the art versus craft question, which is always great fun. =3DA0The energy
> was electrifying. =3DA0Makes me wish I were in grad school! =3DA0A great =
bunc=3D
h
> of young men and women, and some exceptional and really exciting work
> being done by this up and coming generation. =3DA0We all need to watch ou=
r
> backs!
>
> The slide show seemed to go quite well. =3DA0Thanks again to all of you
> who offered me advice, opinions, and tips. =3DA0Many of the kids came up
> to me afterward or the next day and told me that they had never
> attended a slide lecture anything like this one, and that they found
> it refreshing and informative. =3DA0This was a relief, as the room was
> laid out in such a way that I was at the back, looking at the back of
> their heads, so I could not get any nonverbal feedback during the
> presentation.
>
> While I am glad I had this experience, I don't think I would do
> another such workshop, assuming the opportunity even arose. =3DA0While a
> one-day demo workshop, or even a many days long hands-on workshop seem
> reasonable, two solid 8 hour days of demo plus an hour lecture, solo,
> keeping up the entertainment and patter for all those hours, is just
> too grueling. =3DA0Though the time passed quite quickly, the toll on one'=
s
> body and voice, and even one's psyche, is great. =3DA0Now I understand wh=
y
> most of the demos I have attended were either two-person tag teams,
> allowing one to rest and regroup while the other took up the mantle,
> or half-day or shorter affairs, or else were mostly painful silence.
> I have renewed respect for those of you who are able to routinely pull
> off such herculean feats!
>
> All the best.
>
> ...James
>
> James Freeman
>
> "All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
> should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
> -Michel de Montaigne
>
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
> http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
>
Dannon Rhudy on sat 16 oct 10
James said:
......Just returned from my workshop. For the most part it went very well.
The students were all great; extremely welcoming, very attentive,
eager to learn...........
James, I knew you'd enjoy it once there. I
think I did forget to mention that often one
does indeed lose one's voice by the end of
the second day. Sometimes sooner....
Two-person presentations are the most fun to
do, and I sometimes think the most fun to attend,
too. You are correct in that handing off to
another at given times is a great relief to
presenters. In some cases, I have worked side-by-
side with another presenter, each doing our own
thing, and giving way at critical times. Helps
keep the conversation going, too - everyone works
differently.
You'll do another sometime. Bet'cha. It will
be like the rest of life - after a while, you'll
only remember the good parts.
Sounds like you did a good job, and there's nothing
quite like an attentive/interested/enthusiastic audience
to rev things up.
best regards
Dannon Rhudy
David Hendley on sun 17 oct 10
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Freeman"
While I am glad I had this experience, I don't think I would do
another such workshop, assuming the opportunity even arose. While a
one-day demo workshop, or even a many days long hands-on workshop seem
reasonable, two solid 8 hour days of demo plus an hour lecture, solo,
keeping up the entertainment and patter for all those hours, is just
too grueling. Though the time passed quite quickly, the toll on one's
body and voice, and even one's psyche, is great. Now I understand why
most of the demos I have attended were either two-person tag teams,
James, now you know why workshop presenters get the big bucks!
With the receptions, dinners, beers afterwards, and so on, an 8
hour day is really a 12 hour day of being constantly "on". Talk
about tiring. Add in sleeping poorly in a strange bed, and I, for
one, come home completely exhausted and need at least a full day
to recover. That said, I always have plenty to demonstrate
and talk about, and would rather work solo than with a co-presenter.
The great thing about doing workshops is that they allow you see
new places, meet new people, and learn new stuff yourself. It
would kill you if you had to do it all the time, but can be enjoyable
as an occasional endeavor. For me, the limit is about 4 or 5 a year:
One workshop every few months is exciting and fun - doing a
string of them in a row is grueling.
The hardest gig I ever did was to do 2-hour workshops for groups
of high school kids (the college was trying to entice them into
coming to the college and taking art classes). I had to do 4 in
one day and then 3 more the next day. How do real teachers
do this stuff day after day?
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
http://www.thewahooligans.com
William & Susan Schran User on mon 18 oct 10
On 10/18/10 12:00 AM, "David Hendley" wrote:
> The hardest gig I ever did was to do 2-hour workshops for groups
> of high school kids (the college was trying to entice them into
> coming to the college and taking art classes). I had to do 4 in
> one day and then 3 more the next day. How do real teachers
> do this stuff day after day?
Been doing it for 33+ years and still haven't figured out how I've lasted
this long. That said, it's still fun and can't think of anything else I'd
rather do - except when it comes to all the administrative stuff.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
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