I weave into my discussions and lectures the work of Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences. Through individual discussions and group lectues I help my students identify their learning strengths. I present the cognitive learning ladder from the work of Benjamin Bloom, siting examples specific to the course content. I take the biographical nature of the dialog from the discussion and form the basis and content of the first project. Thus there are aspects of the first project that are specific to the individual students. My experience has been that success with the first project incites excitement and self motivation, clears the way for experimentation, and importantly builds independence.

Threaded throughout the semester I present common, emotional, cultural, perceptual, and intellectual blocks to creativity, and perform specific problem solving tasks specific to each type of block. These creative problems will often touch upon other disciplines I maintain a strong relationship to the visual arts. While designed for the student, these experiences often expand and enrich my approach to communicating and interacting with students. Stimulating, directing and exposing students to options and opportunities by way of visual thinking, developing specific skills and furthering their growth as artists.

Self-motivation and independence are key to problem solving and experimentation, essentials for a young artist. With these a young artist can develop the ability to flow to, from, and between different media, and develop their vision as an artist, for students will not always be students, and as an artist in contemporary culture these are fundamental qualities.