#168 - When Being A Teacher And Being An Art Student Become The Same Thing
We are all students! Some teachers just forgot.
YouTube Video - Practice Drawing A Rotating 3D Twisted Box Model
“The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write about it.” — Benjamin Disraeli.
here is something about forcing yourself to express yourself in words that suddenly helps you understand things better.
I write articles like this one for you but also me. I figure things out and understand better how I think and feel about the art creation process as I force myself to put it into words.
You learn by explaining to others.
Write about what you just learned. Imagine explaining it to others, to explain it to someone in person even. You have an advantage relative to veterans who learned it long ago, because you still remember why you struggled. This makes you able to explain it better. Make tutorials. Write blog posts or newsletters or videos.
You could post them, but making these posts is a useful exercise for you. You do not have to share your tips and advice. Whether others see it as valuable information depends on whether they see you as a credible source of information. You can keep it to yourself; it will still be helpful to you.
Seeing yourself as a “teacher” can become a pitfall: you stop learning from others, your “students.”
I had this experience during an online inking course once. The teacher was adamant that we use sable brushes and not ‘markers.’ Students tried to tell the teacher about pocket brush pens, but they didn’t get through to the teacher, who was in teaching mode and missed an opportunity to learn something. There were a few other instances which I don’t remember the details of anymore, but I remember being surprised and alarmed by it.
If you are in teaching mode, you stop learning from others.
I have been programming for a long time, and one time, I had a teaching stint at a college. I decided to stay humble and see what I could learn from the students. And, lo and behold, I learned new things from them! It would have been so easy for me to go “I am the experienced one here! I teach, you listen!” mode, and I am glad I didn’t.
If you let yourself be open to it, if you ask questions even, you can learn valuable lessons from almost anyone.
It is helpful for your understanding to explain things, to others or to yourself, and it also pays to stay humble, ask questions, and see what you can learn from others. Both approaches help you learn.