Can I go now?

For the past 15 years or more I have taught adults. Over those years I have seen some of the cream of the crop and have boiled it all down to a couple of their personal attributes- work ethic and initiative.

The best of them asked if the studio would be open all night. They were there when you left and staggering back in when you got there early. Yesterday I had a class were one of the students said “Can I go now”. There was still lots that could be done to the work but the minimum had been completed and that was good enough. That will do for now and that’s good enough are probably my least favourite statements. It means it will have to be worked on again later because it hasn’t been done properly in the first place and it isn’t the best you can do.

Can I go now has bothered me all night long. I know I am wrong to expect that all students should be as hungry as I have been all these years. Hungry to learn more and more.

I think putting the time in you can learn a skill. Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour theory comes to mind. Want a good golf swing- 10,000 hours. Want to be a good thrower 10,000 hours. You can put in the 10,000 hours quite easily since it’s only a 40 hour week for 5 years. That however doesn’t teach work ethic and initiative. That is personal! That is something else that requires a bigger brain than mine to qualify. Did you read DH’s comments on my post- Trade ya a greenie for a brownie???. A really well written response to the post.  

What makes some want to be really good and some just want to chug along?

Why did I show a picture of a blank canvas? I did because I think we all start our lives as a blank canvas and it is up to us to paint our lives as lively, carefully and as enthusiastically as we can. I can’t paint your picture. I can influence it but you must provide the mojo.