MAC Week 2 Reading - “Toes to Nose”
Art of Possibility – Chapters 1-4 –
Currently I am engaged in the reading of the Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander. I found his ideas/practices hold value for those both in business or education. I marked myself one of those that was not a fan of classical music and thus had no idea who the author was. After viewing the Ted Talk on Zander, I now am beginning to become a fan of both Zander and classical music. But on to the book…
He begins with Practices. The book is generally set up as a list of catch phrases to help you remember the rooted practice suggested by Zander. He outlines daily practices and how they feel good to us even though much change has passed. In business models, this is how old practices become standard regardless of new technology or information. Oh so often, I have found this to be true in the classroom, as well. I wish I knew how many times I have been told to teach for a while, and I too will see the “pendulum swing”. I have been told to stick to tried and true “practices” and the pendulum will return. I wonder if any have ever noticed that the only place a pendulum ever sits still, is at the bottom???
Zander claims his book is transformational – a new approach to current conditions. If I add three ingredients: Dedication, Leap of Faith, and Practice it will end up transforming my entire world.
In the chapter, “It’s All Invented”, I really appreciated several small anecdotes, The Frog’s Eye Research of 1953, The Salesman Story, and the metaphor that we see the map of the world, not the world itself. All three point to the idea of perception and what we are able to see. What Zander is trying to give us are the tools to change our abilities. To see differently….
One of my most connected moments was his mention of giving an A as a shift in thinking. At first, I too thought that if you give As, students would lose their motivation. However, at Full Sail, we have had several opportunities of “Risk Free” assignments. I know that I care about my grades. I would risk far less in creativity and experimentation if I thought less than perfect work would result in a B or C. If I am guaranteed an A, I usually put myself at greater risk and am able to try new things.
I usually also put forth more effort, due to a feeling of obligation. I wonder if the same is true if someone stopped charging a fixed price for something and worked off donation only… A recipe for failure? Or the opening of unlimited possibilities.
If it didn’t work out you could always wave your hands in the air and exclaim, “How Fascinating!”
Sources:
Art of Possibility - Benjamin Zander
Ted Talk - Benjamin Zander
Your points are the ones that I also picked up through the reading this week. I like the idea of having a simple catch phrase to remind me to think differently. I think people get so caught up in daily life that they tend to see things the same way that they have always seen them and think about things as they have always thought about them, when we all need to shift our thinking to be more positive. In teaching profession, you often run into more Negative Nacys and Negative Neds. I avoid the teacher’s lounge for that reason. The art teacher at my school once asked me: “How come you always have a smile on your face when everyone else in your grade level always looks stressed and crabby?” I told her that is just the way I am. She said that she didn’t know my face any other way. This year, I have found myself becoming more like the others in my grade level. I had to remind myself to smile and let the stress just roll off my back. This book has already served as a good reminder for me to stay positive.
ReplyDeleteI met a yoga instructor that runs her business by donations only. I didn’t quite believe her at first. It seemed that there must be a catch or the quality of the class wouldn’t be good. I attended one of her classes. She was wonderful. (Yoga just isn’t for me.) She has a studio in Manhattan that is very successful. She has also been featured on 20/20 for her business model. I know her business thrives in Manhattan but I am not sure that she is quite as successful in her new location. People don’t seem as willing here. I haven’t seen her in a while so I wonder if her business is growing or if she couldn’t make it work in this small town. Interesting concept, though!