Remember what it was like to learn how to ride a bike.  There were no "bike riding" tutorials on YouTube. You fell a lot! So it made sense to learn how to ride on the grass first because it would hurt less when you fell over. And you would fall over. That was a given. But you started to figure things out a little at a time. You learned to balance; you learned to turn the handle bars; you learned to use the brakes. And at some point you just "got it" and you were free and you would never forget how to ride a bike.

I've worked with many students over the years; all ages and all experience levels.
Here is the most common problem I see in my classes.

 Most students don't understand or can't accept that they often don't know enough to make what they think they "should" be able to make. They try to PERFORM when they ought to be trying to LEARN. They want to feel successful, but they  don't  have experience to balance "without the safety net".  They are impatient to "get to the fun part where I am succeeding". They have forgotten that the process is the destination; learning happens as a by product of paying attention to  process. They may logically understand that "we learn through our mistakes", but they don't want to be the one to make them. And can we "please get through this "learning stuff" so that I can make what I want and make it so that it is really good! Sometimes it even feels like that the more difficult the task, the less willing students are to just experiment and set mini-goals for themselves.

Many students struggle to find that child-like ability to "just play" in order to learn something. In my classes I notice that the students who play the most not only have the most fun but they also learn the most.

"The Inner Game of Enameling" is designed to help you make a change in how you
"think about and make" your enamel artwork.
It's not entertainment.
It's not a distraction.
It won't waste your time.
It's actually intended to get you away from your computer or device and help you BEGIN designing, creating, and expressing yourself in new and different ways.
It's like a Creativity University where you can  develop the inner skills which will free you
to develop personal and meaningful artwork.

 What do my students tell me they want and need?
They feel like they've learned a lot, are excited to get back into their studios,
but when they get home they  may find that they are missing something. And they don't know what it is or what to do about it.

I always ask my students in the beginning of a class to share what their goals for the class are. Quite often they tell me that they just want to be able to "make something I love". They may not know what that would look like. They may feel frustrated that they can see enamels or jewelry that other artists have made which they love and admire but they cannot figure out how to take their skills, materials, and ideas and create something of their own which they like just as much. They return home from an inspiring workshop (usually focused on a technique) and when they enter their studio they either make artwork which is derivative of the teacher's art or they feel like they are "missing something" and can't do it on their own. Left to their own devices without a teacher, they struggle. Read more...

Are you looking for that "missing piece" to help you put it all together?

join the inner game of enameling community

Ricky Frank
 Marietta. GA
770-552-7890
email: rfenamels@aol.com

www.rickyfrank.com

HAVE A QUESTION? DROP ME A LINE

Email Ricky