Several things occurred to me as I listen to the thoughts that Andrea shared during our conversation. One thing that I noticed is that she is a very self-aware and conscious young woman. She brought forward dynamics that she notices in her experiences with others as a creative woman that I am certain I also experienced at her age. I can think of instances in my distant past that mimic the instances that she describes. However, I think about these experiences in retrospect. I cannot say that when I was her age I was consciously aware that these dynamics were occurring because of the dynamics of gender in American society. So, to hear her talk about her awareness was impressive.
As someone who is currently in education, hearing Andrea say in the very beginning of the conversation that the arts have served her well as it has enhanced her ability to problem solve in other areas of the curriculum. This is uplifting to hear and sad at the same time. Andrea attended a Waldorf School, whose curriculum is heavily predicated on using the arts as a conduit for maneuvering cross-curriculum as well as a life skill to take her beyond into real world experiences. The Waldorf Schools employ the arts as a vehicle to develop its students’ intellectual and practical skills. This is not the same use of the arts in most public K-12 organizations. As a matter of fact, the arts are usually the first programs to be cut in K-12 public education. This saddens me. As a person who finds solace, a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment in her artistic pursuits, knowing that so many students will not have the opportunity to experience the social, emotional and intellectual benefits that engagement with the arts can bring is unfortunate.
One of my takeaways from this conversation with Andrea was the idea of breaking rules to get ahead. She and I laughingly talked about how you have to break a few rules to get ahead. While we were laughing, this idea is something that I have given much thought. When I look at the rules of getting ahead for women creatives, it is almost imperative that they NOT strictly follow the rules. Could it be that the rules for getting ahead may not have been written with the woman creative in mind?
When I think of some of the historical women figures that I have written about thus for this blog project, I can see a pattern emerging of women rule breakers. For example, looking at the life of Edmonia Lewis, you see a woman who had to move to Italy to find a safe and accepting space to practice her craft, as well as find success. This was not as easy to achieve in 20th century United States for an African/Native American woman. Another example is from the first recorded conversation of this series with the abstract artist, Amber. One thing that Amber said during our conversation is that she started off in art school as an interior design major. But she switched gears when she realized that the pervasive color trend in interior design at that time was beige. She wanted to infuse color into interior design and she did this through her abstract artwork.
My conversation with Andrea provided me with much food for thought. She added another layer for my consideration about the dynamics of gender interactions with the creative world. She also inspired me to think more creatively about how I can use art and the art historical knowledge that I have gained and will gain in the future to problem solve. I think that because my background has leaned more towards a traditional paradigm, it was enriching to hear Andrea speak about her use of the arts as a problem-solving tool and a tool to further her independent professional goals.
But don’t take my word for it. Click on the video below to hear first had how this creative, problem solving young lady is using the arts as her super power of choice to go forward and conquer.
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