September feels like one of those months where everything is shifting, morphing and changing. Some things for the better, and some things for the worse. My 2 year old cat, Evilynn, ran away August 24th and hasn't been back. It's been extremely hard on me. Friendships are dying away and forming stronger ones elsewhere. The weather is turning cold. The thoughts in my head these days aren't the same thoughts that were in my head only a month ago.
This past Saturday my mom, my cousin Amy and I put up a tent at a craft show. We joked about it being a bonding experience, but it really did teach me a lot.
I learned that the general public has little to no appreciation for artistic, quality items.
I learned that no matter what group of angry nasty people you're in, (you would be amazed at how horribly unhappy vendors can be.) there will always be someone else (such as the happy, loud face painting woman in the tie dye shirt who I spoke with throughout the day,) who has a similar perspective on life as you.
I learned that being the happy bright people in a group of unhappy people is important to me.
I also learned that being an entrepenur, selling my art, going to craft shows...doesn't work for me. Which maybe isn't such a big deal, but when that, friends, and photography are all you've lived for lately, all that has been distracting you from your missing cat and unhappy friends, and suddenly and abruptly you realize that you've lost one of those things, it's hard to adjust.
This sounds really whiny so here's my point; none of this, none of these shifts, are bad things. I know this. It has all taught me so much about life, and learning about life is very important to me. I am in no way stating that unpleasant experiences are a necessary way to learn these things, but merely that it is how I am learning them, and that is okay.
On an almost completely different note, I would also like to mention that Andrew, my boyfriend, started classes at Harvard Extension September 1st. Andrew has never been to school before in his life and the experiences he is having are...thought provoking and interesting (aren't those two one and the same though?). It is interesting to learn along with him about how to construct a counter argument, a summary, and many other things. It is also interesting to learn that being a good Technical Director somehow involves needing to know Expository Writing and Astronomy. I could never enjoy college.
He is also taking Astronomy which I have found fascinating. I've found some interesting similarities between Astronomy and Photography.
Which brings me around to the last topic I'd like to discuss today: Photography. Now that I will only be making crafts for my own artistic gain and to sell to people I know at conferences, I need a new way to make money. While I am not the greatest or most experienced photographer, photography (at least the way that I do photography) is an exhausting job that requires extreme attention to detail and hours of my time. I feel that I am at a level now where $25-50 isn't asking much of people, especially if they don't/can't offer a trade of talents/cookies in return. It's a big step for me to be able to tell myself that I am good enough for this. I hope I don't chicken out :)
Alright, I think this post is full of enough random goodness for one day. Comments are appreciated!
September 21, 2009
July 24, 2009
Learn Nothing Day.
Today is learn nothing day. I have been awake for half an hour and have already completely failed.
Today I learned:
-That broken toes heal faster than I thought.
-That Quinn's birthday is indeed not today, but in September.
-That I'm capable of recording stop motion video.
-That my cat Evilynn's obsession with glasses full of water has escalated and he now will jump up onto furniture to get a better angle on a cup he's trying to tip over.
I'm not sure if these things count, because they're not purely academic, and they're all rather random. Personally, I see worth in everything I do, whether it be watching TV, surfing the internet, crocheting, writing, or having deep conversations. One is not worth more than the last.
This has become what Learn Nothing Day means to me. Not a time to learn nothing - but a time to learn that "Nothing" is worth a whole lot too.
I've seen a lot of unhappy families - and happy families turned unhappy - who are only unhappy because one or two people of the group decided that their idea of "productive" and "useful" ways to spend time should apply to everyone they share space and food and large amounts of time with.
So many conflicts could be avoided if everyone were allowed their own idea of what is right and wrong, worthy of spending time doing or not worthy.
June 16, 2009
Trust, Body Modifications, and Monsters.
Lately I've been preparing for summer by making many many monster bags to sell at the conference - if I sell them all, I'll be able to do the traveling I want (Arkansas here I come!) and also go to some concerts and just generally have money again. Yay!
On a completely separate topic, I'd like to talk about body modifications a bit.
I'm very interested in body modification and know a lot about it. I don't think I'd ever be able to be a piercer or tattoo artist (too squeamish), but it's enough to know that my friends and the people around me know that if they are having a problem with their piercings or tattoos, they know that they can come to me and get accurate advice. Along with the medical knowledge I have of piercings, I love discussing peoples rights to body modification and what body modification means to us today. The controversy is fascinating, and the fact that people think they can control how another person expresses themselves through their body modifications sickens me.
My family does not understand why I do a lot of the things I decide to do to my body - they have never personally felt a need, so that's understandable. But they understand that it's part of me and my being, and they respect my choices and know that I know what I'm doing.
Because of the trust my family has for me (a crucial requirement if you're going to unschool.) there is never a need for sneaking around and getting piercings done behind their back, in an unsterilized and unsafe environment when they are not there to tell me I can't.
As much as some of these parents refusing permission to be pierced think they are protecting their child, I must be honest and say that any person who wishes strongly to have body mods done is going to get them done, one way or another. This "protection" backfires when the child just goes ahead and does the piercing themselves, or finds a piercing salon sleazy enough to pierce underage people without parental permission, or has a friend do it. (Though I do know many people who do their own piercings are are very responsible, safe and sterile about it. "Responsible" is used lightly. Doing any piercings yourself without an experienced piercer at least supervising is dangerous on at least some level).
I can only hope that one day people will realize that you cannot relinquish "some" control. They cannot pick and choose if they want a full, healthy, trusting relationship between themselves and their child. Not very many years ago people thought it outrageous to dye hair unnatural colors - if one is going to accept this, one must accept everything else as well.
Sure, eventually piercings will become accepted and then permission will be granted more easily. But someone has to start the movement. Someone (or many someones) has to let go and embrace trust. Why can't it be us?
On a completely separate topic, I'd like to talk about body modifications a bit.
I'm very interested in body modification and know a lot about it. I don't think I'd ever be able to be a piercer or tattoo artist (too squeamish), but it's enough to know that my friends and the people around me know that if they are having a problem with their piercings or tattoos, they know that they can come to me and get accurate advice. Along with the medical knowledge I have of piercings, I love discussing peoples rights to body modification and what body modification means to us today. The controversy is fascinating, and the fact that people think they can control how another person expresses themselves through their body modifications sickens me.
My family does not understand why I do a lot of the things I decide to do to my body - they have never personally felt a need, so that's understandable. But they understand that it's part of me and my being, and they respect my choices and know that I know what I'm doing.
Because of the trust my family has for me (a crucial requirement if you're going to unschool.) there is never a need for sneaking around and getting piercings done behind their back, in an unsterilized and unsafe environment when they are not there to tell me I can't.
As much as some of these parents refusing permission to be pierced think they are protecting their child, I must be honest and say that any person who wishes strongly to have body mods done is going to get them done, one way or another. This "protection" backfires when the child just goes ahead and does the piercing themselves, or finds a piercing salon sleazy enough to pierce underage people without parental permission, or has a friend do it. (Though I do know many people who do their own piercings are are very responsible, safe and sterile about it. "Responsible" is used lightly. Doing any piercings yourself without an experienced piercer at least supervising is dangerous on at least some level).
I can only hope that one day people will realize that you cannot relinquish "some" control. They cannot pick and choose if they want a full, healthy, trusting relationship between themselves and their child. Not very many years ago people thought it outrageous to dye hair unnatural colors - if one is going to accept this, one must accept everything else as well.
Sure, eventually piercings will become accepted and then permission will be granted more easily. But someone has to start the movement. Someone (or many someones) has to let go and embrace trust. Why can't it be us?
May 12, 2009
Friends, Photography, Plants and Socks.
This week - no, this month, has been hectic. We had wonderful people over and had wonderful discussions, we didn't get much sleep, we took a lot of pictures, we laughed a lot.
A picture I took was in an article for Stoneham Theatre's newsletter, a well known theatre just outside of Boston, and Cameron used a picture I took of him on his website, www.theautodidactsymposium.com!
I have a lot of editing to do for my next batch of Stoneham Theatre pictures - Andrew and I got them down from 173 to 42, which is perfect, but now I need to add copyright info to the metadata and burn them to a disk and I don't really have time for that, because Wendy will be here today, until Saturday! I can't wait to see her, it's been too long. Jesse will be arriving the 24th...I haven't seen him since November I think. I miss him very much and it'll be good to catch up.
Yesterday I learned that dress rehersals don't, apparently, HAVE to go badly. According to Rowan anyway, who seems to have had a perfect one. Her concert is this Saturday!
Also, I figured out Curves in Photoshop! I have finally passed a serious learning curve with Photoshop - and I did it all by myself, at 12:30 in the morning, half asleep. But I get it now and I actually fixed a blue picture(white balance was off) without pressing any "auto levels" or "auto colors" buttons! Yay!
This weekend we planted Swiss Chard, Spinach, Rosemary, Jalapeno Pepper, and Basil.
My garlic is still growing...for some reason I got it into my head that it would be done in two weeks. Don't ask me how. And of course now it's been about 4 weeks and the scapes are only just starting to be noticeable :P
We also replanted a bunch of bulbs and mom and dad moved all of the blueberry bushes to the side of the garage...hopefully I'll have an after shot of that area soon to go along with the before shot. And Cameron and I transplanted a Japanese Maple tree to the "orchard" area in the hopes that we will get more privacy from our neighbors.
Rowan is working on some sort of herb garden, but I'm not exactly sure what's in it so I'm not going to guess.
Moms socks are almost done!
And now I'm off to have breakfast.
A picture I took was in an article for Stoneham Theatre's newsletter, a well known theatre just outside of Boston, and Cameron used a picture I took of him on his website, www.theautodidactsymposium.com!
I have a lot of editing to do for my next batch of Stoneham Theatre pictures - Andrew and I got them down from 173 to 42, which is perfect, but now I need to add copyright info to the metadata and burn them to a disk and I don't really have time for that, because Wendy will be here today, until Saturday! I can't wait to see her, it's been too long. Jesse will be arriving the 24th...I haven't seen him since November I think. I miss him very much and it'll be good to catch up.
Yesterday I learned that dress rehersals don't, apparently, HAVE to go badly. According to Rowan anyway, who seems to have had a perfect one. Her concert is this Saturday!
Also, I figured out Curves in Photoshop! I have finally passed a serious learning curve with Photoshop - and I did it all by myself, at 12:30 in the morning, half asleep. But I get it now and I actually fixed a blue picture(white balance was off) without pressing any "auto levels" or "auto colors" buttons! Yay!
This weekend we planted Swiss Chard, Spinach, Rosemary, Jalapeno Pepper, and Basil.
My garlic is still growing...for some reason I got it into my head that it would be done in two weeks. Don't ask me how. And of course now it's been about 4 weeks and the scapes are only just starting to be noticeable :P
We also replanted a bunch of bulbs and mom and dad moved all of the blueberry bushes to the side of the garage...hopefully I'll have an after shot of that area soon to go along with the before shot. And Cameron and I transplanted a Japanese Maple tree to the "orchard" area in the hopes that we will get more privacy from our neighbors.
Rowan is working on some sort of herb garden, but I'm not exactly sure what's in it so I'm not going to guess.
Moms socks are almost done!
And now I'm off to have breakfast.
May 1, 2009
Swine Flu, anybody?
Today I learned that cats have allergies too. I guess I sort of assumed that they didn't for some reason. Probably because they think they're so much better than us, so why would they have allergies?
I also found out that this Swine Flu "pandemic"? Yeah, people have died. But the only person to actually die from it here in the US was brought to Texas from Mexico for treatment. Silly, eh? Everyone needs to remember to breathe - that is also something I've learned. Also, despite absolutely no evidence that the virus is present in swine, Egypt's parliament ordered 250,000 pigs killed immediately. This, as a vegetarian and animal lover, sickens me.
Wednesday I learned how to operate a Canon GL-2 video camera (basically a semi-professional portable video camera we'll be borrowing from a local cable station) so that I can help Andrew's mom Vicky record a documentary style show on breastfeeding, because a bill was just recently passed in MA protecting breastfeeding mothers in public. I'm psyched, for that and also the fact that we may be interviewing the governor and I'll get to bring my 50D into the state house. I've had so many wonderful photography experiences lately!
Alright...that's all for now.
Dagny~
I also found out that this Swine Flu "pandemic"? Yeah, people have died. But the only person to actually die from it here in the US was brought to Texas from Mexico for treatment. Silly, eh? Everyone needs to remember to breathe - that is also something I've learned. Also, despite absolutely no evidence that the virus is present in swine, Egypt's parliament ordered 250,000 pigs killed immediately. This, as a vegetarian and animal lover, sickens me.
Wednesday I learned how to operate a Canon GL-2 video camera (basically a semi-professional portable video camera we'll be borrowing from a local cable station) so that I can help Andrew's mom Vicky record a documentary style show on breastfeeding, because a bill was just recently passed in MA protecting breastfeeding mothers in public. I'm psyched, for that and also the fact that we may be interviewing the governor and I'll get to bring my 50D into the state house. I've had so many wonderful photography experiences lately!
Alright...that's all for now.
Dagny~
Purpose
The purpose of this blog is not to prove to myself that I am learning with every breathe I take - I know that for fact already. Really, it is not to "prove" it to anyone. It is to show you that this is real. That we (unschoolers) are not people to be afraid of meeting in a dark alley. That we are learning. That we are socialized and well-rounded happy human beings who want to get to know you and learn from you and hear your story. And I want you to hear my story too - the good, and the bad, because I am not perfect either and I don't want you to think that I am.
Originally, this was going to be a 365 day project where I posted a summary of my day for you once a day for an entire year, but the structure that would require would not be a pleasant experience for me in the long run. So, just expect consistent updates -when my time allows it- about my life, my friends, my family, what I learned recently (but understand that whatever you're hearing is hardly the half of it. I couldn't possibly write EVERYTHING down.) and anything else I feel like telling you. My goal is that you will see a 16 year old unschooled girl go through life, and in the process you will realize that we aren't the hell-raising, "stupid" demon children that you might think we are.
We're real, normal, aware people who just happen to not go to school. Sure, this may make us different in the sense that we are able to express who we are instead of going with the crowd, and in that sense we may seem "unique" in our styles and our views of the world, but we are not bad people just because our opinions are formed through logical thinking and many discussions with many other people of many different backgrounds.
We go to dances, we go to math clubs and choir, some of us go to Harvard. We go to drivers ed, and we play with our neighbors and travel the world, and volunteer, and go to concerts, and help others and breathe and laugh and learn and DO things with our lives from the minute we are able.
What better way to prepare for the real world than by being in it every day of our lives?
I want to be a photographer. That's a very hard profession that requires good marketing skills and a large network. Not to mention talent, which I'm pretty sure I've got, and technical skills, which I'm working on every day.
The resources that have been made available to me since it became widely known in my unschooling community that this is what I want to do is tremendous and heart warming. I take pictures with a wonderful professional photographer who is also an unschooling mom, this equals experience, learning, networking, etc.
My boyfriend, Andrew, works at a theater and so does his mom Vicky. She introduced me to the marketing director and now I'm taking pictures at events for them for their website and newsletter. This translates to major networking and experience with all sorts of things; fluorescent lighting, children, adults, still life, watermarking and copyrighting, shooting the sets in low-light, etc etc etc. My parents helped me buy a semi-professional camera. It took two years to save up for it and it was worth every penny...I use it nearly every day. I'm doing the 365 days of self portraits project and I post them on Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dagnykream/ it's an intense project that requires a lot of dedication and discipline. To look back at my first few photos at the beginning of the project is amusing and satisfying, knowing how much I have improved and grown in merely 160-something days at this point.
Again I would like to remind you, maybe all of this about my photography seems like a lot, or not very much. But there is so much more under the surface that I couldn't even begin to write down. It amazes me everyday, and I hope eventually it will amaze you too. I'm not trying to convert anybody, you'll do what you want with your children and your parenting and that's fine. But unschooling deserves respect, and that is why I bring you When Life Gives You Oranges.
Note: It seems many people have their own personal definition of unschooling, so here I would like to define mine for you so that you understand how I was raised and what I believe works. I went to kindergarten and did not want to be there. My little 2 year old (at the time) sister cried and cried every morning when they had to drop me off. My family was miserable. I was bullied. It didn't make sense to me - I was learning these things already, why was this lady drilling it into our heads and why wasn't she doing it very well or very nicely? I stayed through kindergarten for my best friend, even though we had discovered unschooling and I was told I could just stop going, but I never went back and I've never been happier.
I have always been trusted to learn things at my own pace when I felt it was useful information that I needed at that point in my life. My parents were eager to help me learn whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.
I've never had a curriculum, I've never taken a test . I've never had the food I ate or the TV I watched restricted and I've never had a bedtime. My parents treat me as equals and encourage an open and respectful relationship between everyone in my family. I trust my 12 year old sisters grammar skills over my own (though mine are more than adequate, in case you were wondering. It comes from being obsessed with books and writing). Age has never been a determining factor in the friendships I make or the facts I trust, and this is something I believe in very strongly in many respects, because my boyfriend is 4 years older than me and we started dating when I was 13 and he was 17. It has never been easy for us. I believe trust is the basis, the trunk of the tree, of unschooling, and I believe that if you cannot trust your child completely with their own education and their own bodies and their own needs, you're not truly unschooling. I have many strong opinions that shine through and get me in trouble. I don't know everything. But I know a lot, and I would love to share it with you.
Note2: You may have noticed a small sidebar titled OurSevenCents. This is an daily unschooling vlog capturing the lives of seven unschoolers from all different backgrounds all over the United States. I strongly suggest you watch it if you want a "raw" view of teenage unschoolers, but please watch with an open mind.
Peace&love and more to come...
Dagny~
Originally, this was going to be a 365 day project where I posted a summary of my day for you once a day for an entire year, but the structure that would require would not be a pleasant experience for me in the long run. So, just expect consistent updates -when my time allows it- about my life, my friends, my family, what I learned recently (but understand that whatever you're hearing is hardly the half of it. I couldn't possibly write EVERYTHING down.) and anything else I feel like telling you. My goal is that you will see a 16 year old unschooled girl go through life, and in the process you will realize that we aren't the hell-raising, "stupid" demon children that you might think we are.
We're real, normal, aware people who just happen to not go to school. Sure, this may make us different in the sense that we are able to express who we are instead of going with the crowd, and in that sense we may seem "unique" in our styles and our views of the world, but we are not bad people just because our opinions are formed through logical thinking and many discussions with many other people of many different backgrounds.
We go to dances, we go to math clubs and choir, some of us go to Harvard. We go to drivers ed, and we play with our neighbors and travel the world, and volunteer, and go to concerts, and help others and breathe and laugh and learn and DO things with our lives from the minute we are able.
What better way to prepare for the real world than by being in it every day of our lives?
I want to be a photographer. That's a very hard profession that requires good marketing skills and a large network. Not to mention talent, which I'm pretty sure I've got, and technical skills, which I'm working on every day.
The resources that have been made available to me since it became widely known in my unschooling community that this is what I want to do is tremendous and heart warming. I take pictures with a wonderful professional photographer who is also an unschooling mom, this equals experience, learning, networking, etc.
My boyfriend, Andrew, works at a theater and so does his mom Vicky. She introduced me to the marketing director and now I'm taking pictures at events for them for their website and newsletter. This translates to major networking and experience with all sorts of things; fluorescent lighting, children, adults, still life, watermarking and copyrighting, shooting the sets in low-light, etc etc etc. My parents helped me buy a semi-professional camera. It took two years to save up for it and it was worth every penny...I use it nearly every day. I'm doing the 365 days of self portraits project and I post them on Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dagnykream/ it's an intense project that requires a lot of dedication and discipline. To look back at my first few photos at the beginning of the project is amusing and satisfying, knowing how much I have improved and grown in merely 160-something days at this point.
Again I would like to remind you, maybe all of this about my photography seems like a lot, or not very much. But there is so much more under the surface that I couldn't even begin to write down. It amazes me everyday, and I hope eventually it will amaze you too. I'm not trying to convert anybody, you'll do what you want with your children and your parenting and that's fine. But unschooling deserves respect, and that is why I bring you When Life Gives You Oranges.
Note: It seems many people have their own personal definition of unschooling, so here I would like to define mine for you so that you understand how I was raised and what I believe works. I went to kindergarten and did not want to be there. My little 2 year old (at the time) sister cried and cried every morning when they had to drop me off. My family was miserable. I was bullied. It didn't make sense to me - I was learning these things already, why was this lady drilling it into our heads and why wasn't she doing it very well or very nicely? I stayed through kindergarten for my best friend, even though we had discovered unschooling and I was told I could just stop going, but I never went back and I've never been happier.
I have always been trusted to learn things at my own pace when I felt it was useful information that I needed at that point in my life. My parents were eager to help me learn whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.
I've never had a curriculum, I've never taken a test . I've never had the food I ate or the TV I watched restricted and I've never had a bedtime. My parents treat me as equals and encourage an open and respectful relationship between everyone in my family. I trust my 12 year old sisters grammar skills over my own (though mine are more than adequate, in case you were wondering. It comes from being obsessed with books and writing). Age has never been a determining factor in the friendships I make or the facts I trust, and this is something I believe in very strongly in many respects, because my boyfriend is 4 years older than me and we started dating when I was 13 and he was 17. It has never been easy for us. I believe trust is the basis, the trunk of the tree, of unschooling, and I believe that if you cannot trust your child completely with their own education and their own bodies and their own needs, you're not truly unschooling. I have many strong opinions that shine through and get me in trouble. I don't know everything. But I know a lot, and I would love to share it with you.
Note2: You may have noticed a small sidebar titled OurSevenCents. This is an daily unschooling vlog capturing the lives of seven unschoolers from all different backgrounds all over the United States. I strongly suggest you watch it if you want a "raw" view of teenage unschoolers, but please watch with an open mind.
Peace&love and more to come...
Dagny~
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