Classes have been going well, but I still have one major problem class. Art History. I have to take three semesters of it to become an Art Ed major, and I've only taken one. Shoot me. It's not that I don't like history. It's really the professor. She knows a lot, but in both her talking voice and in the manner she wants us to study she leaves me floundering. Each hour and 15 minute class is spent pouring through slides of artists in certain time periods. The slides are always black. Always. They're the most boring thing I've ever seen in my life. And the way we are to look at art is to know the 7 ways this piece is a German Expressionist piece. How is it a Post- Impressionist piece? I DON'T KNOW!! Alrighty, the book might have 3 or 4 ways to generally say it's an expressionist because of the color, or post-impressionist because of the way they've used lighting and brush strokes, but seven reasons?! She didn't even tell us 7 reasons?! :D That was on a test last year that I BOMBED. I had NO CLUE. I also wasn't the best student last year. I wanted to change that this year though. Even though I knew her way of looking at art was odd, I was still going to know the pieces and be able to make an educated guess at what she was getting at. But I still took my quiz, with two chances, and failed it. Twice. And I actually put effort forth to study. But the message of this blog post isn't to complain about my teacher... much. It's to talk about my solution. Which is quite hilarious I might add. And it all starts with my favorite time waster. Pinterest.
I've really missed doing crafts at camp and the full access of scrapbooking paper. Pinterest has the best ideas and I just want to try them all! I bought a whole bunch of paper and Modge Podge and all sorts of stuff. And I bought knitting needles and yarn. My Grandma Kathy taught me to knit when I was.... 8? I remember being driven to school by my mom with my big ball of red yarn. It was the first thing I had ever tried to knit and I never finished it! I found it in a drawer a couple years ago and put it out of it's misery. But I wanted yarn and needles for two reasons. One, it gives you something useful to do while watching TV, reading a book, or other things that don't require your hands. Second, they make great gifts! Who doesn't want a hand knit scarf?! Or a hat?
On Tuesday I was trying to get through another Art History class. We were going over German Expressionism and I just could not focus. I got on Pinterest. My teacher called on me. She knew I wasn't paying attention. But I'm also very good and bull crapping my way through situations like that. After class though I was feeling bad about it and thinking how I'm not learning anything. Then it hit me. Knitting.
I can always focus better when I'm messing with something in my hands. I have an overactive imagination and the littlest comment can send me spinning off going through an entire scene where I go off and... yeah. I'm not going to get into those because they're usually INCREDIBLY ridiculous. But I have to have some sort of thing to focus on. If you were to watch me in class, I've started this thing where I start twirling my hair as tight as it will go, or randomly braiding a piece. It's to keep focused. So I talked to my professor, and she was like, Oh. You're on Facebook aren't you. Nope. No I'm not. BUT I'm not paying attention. I told her about the knitting and she was all for it as long as I didn't have to look at it to knit. I don't need to look at my hands at all to know what I'm doing. I don't even have to think about it to do it. So I brought it to class today. I have not paid that much attention since the first class last semester! ... No, I paid attention during the Renaissance part, but that's just because I like Raphael a lot. And Michelangelo. But really! I remember most of what we went over. Marc was an expressionist that was killed in WW1 and he was the guy who painted the Blue Horses painting. He also painted color symbolicly. How's that for a little art history? You going to change your major? I don't think so.
Anyways. It really helped me to focus and stay awake. Anyone want a purple scarf?
Stay awake, don't rest your head Don't lie down upon your bed While the moon drifts in the skies Stay awake, don't close your eyes -"Stay Awake," Mary Poppins
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