The Sunday Dinner project is part two of the research I began last fall. Whereas these dinner events will be a practice and experiment, if you will, in connecting to others, I began my research on the self. My focus was the idea of valuing the self for the artist-teacher. The artist-teacher is both educator and practicing artist. While many of us have explored the self through art making, valuing the self in pedagogical practice isn't often supported in the educational systems which we work. With the current economic crisis where arts funding, resources and programs are in jeopardy, I feel that now more than ever, it is essential for the artist-teacher to place self at the forefront of pedagogical practice so that our teaching experience can be a sustainable, rewarding, learning exchange between ourselves and the students we work with. Put simply, in today's teaching climate, if we don't value and care for ourselves, who else will?
So how do we begin? What does valuing the self look like? As an artist-teacher, I think that value of self means caring for the self, connecting or knowing the self and finally sharing the self with those we work with (teach).
So how do we begin? What does valuing the self look like? As an artist-teacher, I think that value of self means caring for the self, connecting or knowing the self and finally sharing the self with those we work with (teach).
Artist-Teacher Self Value = Care + Know + Share
Taking care of myself is something I constantly struggle with and perhaps we all do. The great thing about taking small steps in self care however, is that even the smallest step brings self awareness and makes you hungry for more. Eating nutrient-dense, locally harvested, non-processed foods is something my body craves the more it gets. Growing up with a large Italian family, I have an innate desire to share good food with those I love. So where I began last month with our 30 day challenge to eat healthier for myself and my family, I'm now looking to extend outward to share food and in turn reconnect with the community of friends that I have been apart from for a year. It's much more than just the sharing of good food, but that is where I'm choosing to begin.
Photo: Detail of my “Mapping Me: Past, Present & Future” 2011 project featuring part of my “past” identities and family heritage.
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