10,000 Hours

Another class, another hump day.

One nice thing about the Olds College is that it is a nice campus with gardens and a wetland area where students can go to pause, reflect, refresh themselves.

The first few days are chaotic and overwhelming.  I'm throwing a lot of information around, and some of the students have not encountered my firehose of information before.  It takes a while to sort out in their minds what they need to do and it all feels like too much, in too little time.

But bit by bit they are working on the in-class assignments and - in spite of what they think - they are making good progress.

I watch them work, explore, discover and revel in the light going on as they begin to understand the immensity of the craft and begin to feel they can grasp the principles.

Since we are always hardest on ourselves, they may not see the progress that they are making.  But I do.

The language of weaving is often confusing, too.  There are inconsistencies between authors.  One may use a sinking shed draw down, another a rising.  It is important to discover that what the symbols mean is more important than what symbol is being used.  The best way to understand a book is to read the introduction to find out the meaning of the symbols being used. If the author doesn't tell you, then it isn't all that hard to figure it out...if you understand the principle of how a weaving draft works.

But it all takes time. It takes work.  It takes that 10,000 hours of mindful practice.