What Brings Out the Creativity in a Class?
What Brings Out the Creativity in a Class?
It’s a mystery to me but it seems to have happened…
In June and July of this year I taught the same class in two different locations, and had a very odd happening. The class was making Japanese Rice Bags, called Komebukuro, and the odd happening was the outcome of the classes. And they were full of the most creative students I have ever had in my 10 plus years of teaching.
Now don’t get me wrong, I always have very creative students in my classes. They are full of handworkers who bring a very distinct and individual approach to the project being taught. Most of the students have been sewing, or quilting, or knitting, etc. for many years and have a good grasp of needlework, colors, and terminology. They also come with their own ideas of what the project will look like when it’s finished. There are some absolute beginners who can’t even thread a needle, but they learn quickly and come away from the class with the basic skills firmly intact. All these students follow the directions, help each other, and we have a very enjoyable time socializing.
But the one thing they have in common is hard to put into words. It is a combination of my role as a teacher and the way I lead my classes. I make sure the class covers the information needed to make the project, that it does not dissolve into chaos and that everyone’s questions are answered to the best of my abilities. But I also recognize that all classes are different and I have to be flexible and respond to the needs of my students. So sometimes the classes will focus on the basic techniques, if the class is full of rank beginners, or sometimes the same class will veer towards the more advanced techniques, if the students are there to refresh their skills. But I am always the teacher and always guide the class. And the finished objects come out beautifully made and looking like the class sample with maybe a few changes in the colors.
However in the two classes I mentioned, I let things go and the class guided itself. This has never happened to me before.
The first session of Japanese Rice Bags is about how to use templates to draw the Shippo Sashiko pattern on one of the panels of the Komebukuro. Then I showed how to use Sashiko thread to stitch the pattern. I also give a short talk about the history of Sashiko stitching and about the Japanese attitude towards thread and fabric. Finally we sit down to stitch. Things usually get quiet at that time as everyone concentrates on their stitching and I roam around to all the students to see how they are doing.
But both of these two classes changed dramatically after that. Everyone seemed to loosen up and start chatting freely. This always happens in my classes but not to this degree. One lady spent years in Japan when her daughter was stationed there and told stories about the culture. This opened up the others and stories just flew about. In one class everyone, including me, shared their parents’ origin stories in the United States and Canada as refugees from World War Two. All this talk just took over the class. Yes I did insert some teaching along the way and made sure we all accomplished what needed to be done before the next session and I sent everyone home with a real sense of sisterhood brought together by handwork. I got the impression that all these ladies were kindred spirits bound together through their handwork and if they lived close enough to each other, they should get together and form a sewing circle.
The second session is where things changed dramatically again. All this creativity just came flowing out. I was astonished at how beautiful and individual each bag became. Some students pieced the panels together instead of using one fabric and then independently embellished them with Sashiko and running stitch to enhance the piecing. All this was without any guidance or advice on my part, they just did it. Some made the panel sections as a patchwork and the combinations of fabrics were breathtaking. Some used whole cloth panels and just did some geometric running stitch to decorate it in very unique ways. They used circles to connect the patterns without my direction. All this happened in both classes with two groups of very different students.
What happened? Was it serendipitous? Was it the project that brought all this creativity? Was it the handwork that reached into each of our souls and did this? Or was this because I loosen the reins and let the class become what it was, the sharing of stories which in some way unleashed this springboard of creativity?
I don’t know but I am really looking forward to the next Japanese Rice Bag class. What is going to happen there, another outburst of creativity? Come and see.
Japanese Rice Bag Komebukuro class at New Pieces in Berkeley on Monday, September 9 and October 14 from 10:30 to 1:30. You can call the store at 510- 527-6779 to sign up Link.