dannon rhudy on tue 30 aug 05
Sue, it is very common for people to make
improvement while NOT doing something
they are learning. The phenomonon has a
name, which escapes me for the moment. It
is something taught in beginning psych classes,
etc. Apparently, the mind makes associations
and adjustments while we are busy with other
things. Good for us, eh?
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Beach, Sue on tue 30 aug 05
ClayArters,
=20
Last fall before my unexpected break from clay work, I had started on my
own attempt at Mel's mug assignment (the one he gave Dolita awhile ago).
Was that 100 mugs or 1000 mugs? Anyway, I had made about 25 as part of
the exercise (I'd made mugs before, of course, but they sure weren't
very good). They were not great, but #25 was better than #1 and much
better than the others I'd made over the years. Then came my husband's
illness and I abandoned my studio for 8 months. =20
=20
When I finally was able to get back to the studio a few weeks ago, I
decided to pick up the mug exercise as a way to get back into the swing
of things. I was afraid I'd forgotten how to throw, but it came back to
me just fine. During my first 2 throwing sessions, I made about 25
mugs. Now what was really strange to me is that of the second set, mug
#1 was vastly better than mug #25 of the first bunch of mugs. It was as
if it had been made by another person. The second set of 25 mugs are
much, much better, even though I had not been throwing in months. =20
=20
If I had been throwing all that time over that 8 months, then having set
#2 be noticeably better would be expected. But I had literally not
touched clay in over 8 months. It was as if I'd improved my throwing by
osmosis or something.
=20
My husband, who is a musician, was not surprised by this. He said it is
a common thing for musicians to experience a leap of improvement after
laying off playing for awhile.
=20
Just wondered if others had experienced this. =20
=20
And yes, Mel, I'll be throwing the rest of the assigned mugs as soon as
I have a chance to get back out in the studio.
=20
Sue Beach
BeachWare
in Muncie, IN
where we are getting the remnants of rain from Katrina
Gordon Ward on tue 30 aug 05
This is particularly true if one visualizes the activity, remembering
what the body and muscles feel like when it is going right. Athletes
do this, as do dancers.
Gordon
On Aug 30, 2005, at 2:38 PM, Beach, Sue wrote:
> My husband, who is a musician, was not surprised by this. He said it
> is
> a common thing for musicians to experience a leap of improvement after
> laying off playing for awhile.
Daniel Semler on tue 30 aug 05
Hi Sue,
I've certainly noticed this when learning horse riding. Certainly a break can
help.
I also find that when I'm learning things that I will make some progress and
then sometimes make a small regression (sometimes due to overconfidence from a
little success) then I recover and move on.
Thx
D
Lori Doty on wed 31 aug 05
Sue,
I had this happen recently as well since I bought a house and had not
touched clay to throw in 3 months during which time I set up my studio.
I found myself pulling taller cylinders as well as larger cylinders
with smaller amounts of clay. I don't know if reading and thinking
about clay all that time was what did it but it sure is nice.
Lori Doty
Nurse/ Potter
Slowly turning the tide
On Aug 30, 2005, at 4:38 PM, Beach, Sue wrote:
> ClayArters,
>
> Last fall before my unexpected break from clay work, I had started on
> my
> own attempt at Mel's mug assignment (the one he gave Dolita awhile
> ago).
> Was that 100 mugs or 1000 mugs? Anyway, I had made about 25 as part of
> the exercise (I'd made mugs before, of course, but they sure weren't
> very good). They were not great, but #25 was better than #1 and much
> better than the others I'd made over the years. Then came my husband's
> illness and I abandoned my studio for 8 months.
>
> When I finally was able to get back to the studio a few weeks ago, I
> decided to pick up the mug exercise as a way to get back into the swing
> of things. I was afraid I'd forgotten how to throw, but it came back
> to
> me just fine. During my first 2 throwing sessions, I made about 25
> mugs. Now what was really strange to me is that of the second set, mug
> #1 was vastly better than mug #25 of the first bunch of mugs. It was
> as
> if it had been made by another person. The second set of 25 mugs are
> much, much better, even though I had not been throwing in months.
>
> If I had been throwing all that time over that 8 months, then having
> set
> #2 be noticeably better would be expected. But I had literally not
> touched clay in over 8 months. It was as if I'd improved my throwing
> by
> osmosis or something.
>
> My husband, who is a musician, was not surprised by this. He said it
> is
> a common thing for musicians to experience a leap of improvement after
> laying off playing for awhile.
>
> Just wondered if others had experienced this.
>
> And yes, Mel, I'll be throwing the rest of the assigned mugs as soon as
> I have a chance to get back out in the studio.
>
> Sue Beach
> BeachWare
> in Muncie, IN
> where we are getting the remnants of rain from Katrina
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> _______
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Eleanor on wed 31 aug 05
> Sue Beach wrote: " leap of improvement after laying off playing for
> awhile."
A thousand years ago, I came home from my once-a-week class in the
Brooklyn Museum after my first attempts at the wheel and complained to
my husband that I just couldn't do it--I'd never learn to throw. He
comforted me and encouraged me to "keep at it'.
The following week at the wheel, it was a miracle! All my problems of
the previous week had disappeared.
When I told my husband, he smiled and said something about
"synapses".......
Eleanor Kohler
Centerport, NY
Ron Roy on wed 31 aug 05
Hi Sue,
I'm not surprised by this - I can remember reading a Scientific American
paper on this many years ago. It seems that our brains keep working on a
problem even when we are not conscious of the problem.
The suggestion was - if you had a problem keep your brain aware by
presenting it every 3 days - and it would be solved sooner or later.
It was the scientific explanation for the eureka syndrome.
RR
I remember the suggestion that
>Last fall before my unexpected break from clay work, I had started on my
>own attempt at Mel's mug assignment (the one he gave Dolita awhile ago).
>Was that 100 mugs or 1000 mugs? Anyway, I had made about 25 as part of
>the exercise (I'd made mugs before, of course, but they sure weren't
>very good). They were not great, but #25 was better than #1 and much
>better than the others I'd made over the years. Then came my husband's
>illness and I abandoned my studio for 8 months.
>
>When I finally was able to get back to the studio a few weeks ago, I
>decided to pick up the mug exercise as a way to get back into the swing
>of things. I was afraid I'd forgotten how to throw, but it came back to
>me just fine. During my first 2 throwing sessions, I made about 25
>mugs. Now what was really strange to me is that of the second set, mug
>#1 was vastly better than mug #25 of the first bunch of mugs. It was as
>if it had been made by another person. The second set of 25 mugs are
>much, much better, even though I had not been throwing in months.
>
>If I had been throwing all that time over that 8 months, then having set
>#2 be noticeably better would be expected. But I had literally not
>touched clay in over 8 months. It was as if I'd improved my throwing by
>osmosis or something.
>
>My husband, who is a musician, was not surprised by this. He said it is
>a common thing for musicians to experience a leap of improvement after
>laying off playing for awhile.
>
>Just wondered if others had experienced this.
>
>And yes, Mel, I'll be throwing the rest of the assigned mugs as soon as
>I have a chance to get back out in the studio.
>
>Sue Beach
>BeachWare
>in Muncie, IN
>where we are getting the remnants of rain from Katrina
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
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