I had a conversation with a buddy of mine last week about teachers and lessons. He made the point we start off with teachers and in classrooms we don’t pick, like in our houses and at school. The older we get, and the more autonomy we step into, the more we’re able to choose the … Continue reading Choose Your Own Teachers, Classrooms, And Adventures
Tag: learning
There Should Be New Rules Next Week
The last rule and footnote on Sister Corita Kent’s “Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules” call for: Breaking all of the old rulesMaking new rules That’s life, right? Learn the rules. Learn how and why to break them. Make new ones. Repeat.
Rules, Rules, And More Rules
Kyla Scanlon shared Sister Corita Kent’s “Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules” and they’re print-out-and-hang-on-the-wall good. Here they are: Rule 1 - Find a place you trust and then try trusting it for a while. Rule 2 - General duties of a student: pull everything out of your teacher, pull everything out of your fellow … Continue reading Rules, Rules, And More Rules
Find An Expert, Become Their Apprentice
“One of the only true shortcuts in life is finding an expert and apprenticing under them.” - James Clear Pick something you want to be good / better / great at. Identify who the goods, greats, and gods are in the field. Read, listen, watch whatever you can, and... Let them know. Maybe you'll form … Continue reading Find An Expert, Become Their Apprentice
No Formula, Just Form
You've gotta know the rules before you’ll know if you’re breaking them. And, you’ve gotta know the rules before you can consciously know how to break them too. If you think you’re writing your own rules or “oh so original,” human behavior suggests otherwise. The best part about learning the rules is they give you … Continue reading No Formula, Just Form
A (Mouse’s) College Graduation Speech
I found my college graduation tassel in a box the other weekend. A mouse had crapped in it (on it? into it? Sorry, I lack the basic language let alone poetry to describe this one). I cleaned it up, but it also reminded me, one man’s accreditation is another rodent’s nest-toilet. Things only mean what … Continue reading A (Mouse’s) College Graduation Speech
Podcast Of The Week: John Cleese On Creativity
Ok, so it’s not a podcast, but you don’t need the video if you want to just listen to it - so get over yourself, will you? (Which is essentially what I’m telling myself as I’m breaking form here and not giving you a literal podcast. Ok. I forgive me, I hope you can too. … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: John Cleese On Creativity
A Person Who Doesn’t Read Has No Advantage Over A Person Who Can’t Read
A friend said, “What book is that from?” Well, it doesn’t really matter because I don’t read books, but, I’m still curious.” Mark Twain reminded him, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” Somebody smarter than I once told me, “Curiosity is what counts. … Continue reading A Person Who Doesn’t Read Has No Advantage Over A Person Who Can’t Read
Reprogramming Our (Human) Hardware, Firmware, and Software
How many times have you wanted to reprogram a frustrating part of your brain? 10? 20? 200? How about so far today? Ugh. Here’s a helpful thought - what if we think about ourselves, as Daniel Jefferies puts it, in terms of hardware, firmware, and software? Hardware is hard to change. I’m just shy of … Continue reading Reprogramming Our (Human) Hardware, Firmware, and Software
In Which My Dog Teaches Me A Philosophical Lesson About Making Mistakes
Raven is the black one on the right. This post is about her. Zen master Raven. One of my dogs regularly walks into flights of stairs. Not up them, well, not at first at least, but into them. It’s not that she doesn’t know what to do with stairs, it’s just that she always spaces … Continue reading In Which My Dog Teaches Me A Philosophical Lesson About Making Mistakes