[Ansteorra-textiles] question A&S
Nancy Wederstrandt
nweders at mail.utexas.edu
Thu Jul 17 10:09:44 PDT 2003
I don't care much for competitions but then I don't like entering or
working with them.
I think over the years there are two types of people.... the ones who like
doing the work and displaying so they can share, get comments and
suggestions on how to improve their work and
the other type are people who are competitive. I have friends who are both
or combinations of both.
Mundanely, I keep trying to get a degree in studio art in a field that has
little to do in the SCA. One thing I have learned though is that you have
to have a thick skin sometimes to accept criticism and to accept being
ignored. I've entered art shows where you sweat and struggle on a piece of
work and you get nothing - no feedback, no encouragement at all. Other
shows where people are really excited about your work and buy it. (that's a
good feeling). During class critique, I learned that you have to develop
the ability to have your work overhaul and dissected.
I think part of the problem is that most of the people in the SCA don't
have this background.... they spend a lot of time and effort into making
something are proud of it and then either get ignored, almost ignored or
heavily criticized. That hurts... it hurt me until I developed an edge to
their comments and quit taking things so personal. I realized sometimes
people are critical because they are insecure about their own level and
that they have to determine if you are better or worse than they are at
something they are supposed to be good at ....
I'm not trying to justify people being rude or thoughtless about what they
say but maybe a way of looking at what we do. I don't like judging
because it's an edge thing.... people are expecting you to say something,
and they hope it's favorable or at least encouraging and it should be but
sometimes it's not.
What I'd like Arts and Sciences to be. More calm.... maybe limited
entrants so that they get more attention... Specialized events that still
get support from everyone. Too many times I hear - oh, I'm not interested
in that so I'm not going. I didn't know squat about MOngols until I
started hanging out with Mongols and they were interesting so now I know
stuff about Mongols.
More integrated into the SCA instead of a stand alone competition.... how
about an arts and sciences where you gave points to people who worked on
their stuff while at the event. Sort of like a living history event.... I
watched a guy make shoes that way and it really excited me. This one A&S
event one individual spent the weekend making a boat he had been working
on. I thought that was cool. SOmeone brought some handspinning and worked
on that while showing examples of weaving and dyes and such....
Thinking in a new way, rather than the same way would help.
Let me ask a question --- how many people have started asking their judges
questions. If someone (judge or non-judge) stops, looks at your stuff and
then starts to work off, ask a question. "hey - what about that red? did
they use that red in period..." What about zig-zag? Do you think zig-zag
patterns are period for a Latvian. Just because hey are the judge doesn't
mean that you can't start the conversation.
CLare
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