Art is the greatest teacher

It’s the first of the month and I swing into working again today. I have a Len’s Club focus group on bird photography to lead today. I so love facilitating discussions. I learn so much from my students. Tomorrow sees the first class of the year.

Len’s Class. I couldn’t resist the name of it. It is an online series of classroom sessions I am running this year. They will average out to one a fortnight. But I do them in between my location workshops so they actually come in bursts and breaks and bursts again.

For those that remember my Masterclass from years and years ago know, having a regular class is unbelievably fantastic. So I am starting an online one this year. Some might say a Masterclass part 2. But it’s not really as it is aimed at the students. It’s always new content. That’s my joy, teaching something new. How I love researching and piecing together a fantastic class.

Tomorrows first presentation is on ‘What photography teaches me’. I have been thinking a lot about the therapeutic benefits of photography lately. I really want to do some art therapy training this year. Actually if anyone has any suggestions I’d love to hear.

I believe art has been my greatest teacher. I used to think it was Mother Nature The two are linked for me obviously so putting one in front of the other is probably pointless. Photography has allowed me to unravel myself. We put up barriers for protection, we learn to protect ourselves from others and expectations. They start way to young and keep going up with any bad experience. So I believe that my photography has helped me rip them down. Not all at once. No one small piece at a time.

Hence my statement.. Art is the greatest teacher. It is a natural therapist. I wonder how it has effected you? It’s a question I’ll pose to my class tomorrow to reflect on during the week ahead.

I am so excited to get back into teaching this week. I was shattered from the trials of last year. So my January break was just perfect and I’ll write about it and share the photographs with you soon.

I started Len’s Club to be a repository of videos. It’s turned into an online school. Despite my diploma in online learning, I was never able to figure it out. That was the problem actually. Because I couldn’t see it I couldn’t start. Just like art actually. I should have known that by actually starting it I’d soon work out what it would look like. It slowly unfolds, and I discovered last year how incredibly rewarding it is, and the amazing work my students can do. Omg so so wonderful. We are going to share thier work with you this year. That’s part of the point of the new lens journal newsletter that replaces this one.

If you’d like to be part of this years online class you can. It’s included in the Lens Club subscription. At $395 per year it’s an incredibly good bargain. Well I think so. A year of classes. I am under charging yet again.

You can subscribe here https://www.lensschool.com/subscribe#join

I’ll tell you more as we go along, and you can join in whenever you feel like it. This the first time I have written about it. When I have more I’ll let you know. Right now I am focusing on the students I have in Len’s Club, so the marketing material and descriptions are still to come.

Now I am back and refreshed. Am sooo refreshed by the way… I’ll be back writing and sharing my work with you again. Hopefully with this lovely enthusiasm I have today.

If you were sitting in that seat up there? What would you identify thst art has taught you? Photography in particular if that’s your chosen medium.

Narrow Neck, the greater blue mts world heritage area Photograph and Text copyright © Len Metcalf 2021