Alright, so admittedly, I have not updated this blog in
close to 6 months, and that is pretty bad. For that, I apologize.
However, I do think I have a pretty good excuse.
I’m in grad school.
As previously mentioned, I started at the University of
Texas at Austin in the Fall of 2012 to get my MFA in design. It has already been an experience that
has grown and evolved me as an artist in one semester that I can only say I am
entering into my second of six semesters with a whet appetite and enthusiasm
that will hopefully overshadow the anxiety about the upcoming workload.
I’d like to share with you, in a brief list, some of the
moments that have already transpired, and then continue with a reflection on
the most important lesson I’ve learned thus far.
So.
The Fall of 2012 has brought about the following:
1.
I live in Texas now. That still makes me stop and say “wait, what?”
2.
I have met classmates whom have already become
fast friends, beyond my recognizing them as brilliant colleagues.
3.
I’m working on a new production that, on the
title page, quotes “We are eating pepper and chips!”-Maddy Kelly, Kittens Inspired by Kittens.
a.
It is one of the most beautiful and
heartbreaking plays I’ve read in a long time.
4.
I’ve worked on an international, collaborative
partnership with Patch Theatre from Adelaide, Australia-and it was incredible.
a.
It was also my first projection design.
b.
And design on stage at UT. Shh.
5.
I’ve gotten my ass handed to me in the best
possible way.
6.
I’ve become a better collaborator.
7.
I’ve become a better artist.
8.
I’ve become better. Being able to recognize it already speaks volumes to the
students, staff, and faculty.
In short, I know I made the right choice in coming to school
here.
Now then, I have no intention of going into detail on those
eight things, because…well, each one could be a future blog entry. And eight is my lucky number, so that’s
that.
On to the most important lesson I’ve learned here
already. Are you ready?
Be honest.
I am pleased to say that I am confident that no one who
knows would call me a dishonest man (regardless of what other adjectives
ex-girlfriends or stalkers I don’t know about might use).
Yet being in this environment, I have come to understand how
important it is to understand the varying and appropriate degrees of honesty.
I have been studying a field of design I am not familiar
with, and though some may not wish to show vulnerabilities that come with
inexperience, especially in front of colleagues. I have found that honesty was absolutely the best
policy. I ask questions, and
interrogate the simplest concepts to make sure I am not just nodding my
head. I cannot tell you how many
times I’ve asked “So, just for my own edification…”
Then there is the honesty with colleagues on their
work. Naturally, this is a program
that is filled with a great deal of critique. We are asked to critically analyze and consider the work of
our peers, all whom come from different backgrounds, with different levels of
experience. It can be a daunting
task, especially to evaluate someone who you accept is a better craftsman than
you. Ultimately, however, it is a
matter of respect. I respect the
work being done by those in my class, and wish them to pay me, and my work, the
same respect that is due by being critical and helping me to see the flaws and
improvements that can be made in the work.
Next, we have the honesty that has been a pure pleasure to
find-the honesty of conversations that stem from trust. In a semester, we have all already
begun to know one another, and through discussions, arguments, and tangential
ravings that artists are prone to, we have become more comfortable expressing
ourselves. I have discovered so
much about myself, and my own philosophy, just through conversations had in the
hallways, or leaving the building after class. This is the treasure of being surrounded by passionate
people-they honestly want to know more, and challenge you to the same pursuits.
Finally, the hardest and most important lesson came from
learning how to be honest with myself.
I am surrounded by craftsmen of different levels, professionals of
different experiences, and theorists of varying depth, and it has given me
clear perspective on my place in the spectrum of my classmates and career. It can be a difficult realization, and
after a few particularly blunt but poignant critiques from others, I was able
to see the two roads I faced here.
One, I could give up. Seriously. I could try and go do something else, and abandon this. This was not ever suggested to me, and
may seem extreme, but I believe that when facing this career and the rigors of
this program, there can be no middle ground. So, I could give up and “go back to law school,” as the
running joke stands.
Two, I can take critical analysis
with maturity, and see those with more skill than me as colleagues to learn
from, and challenge myself to become better. Hopefully, dear reader, you realize that I chose the
second. I not only took the
critiques I was given to heart, I challenged those with more knowledge and
experience to watch me more carefully, to be harder on me, and to push me further.
I took it on the chin, then looked
them dead in the eye with a smile waiting for the next punch.
So that’s what I’ve taken away from
the first semester of grad school.
Well, that’s one thing.
Hopefully, this is the return of this blog, because I have so many new
experiences to share.
“Being busy does not always mean
real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either
of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and
honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”
-Thomas Edison
Hook Em
