Off to work I go ] September 7, 2005
Last night was my first night teaching. For the next 15 weeks, I will be teaching a color theory class at an art and design school in D.C.. The class went well. It's hard talking to a group of people for 2 hours, let alone the four and a half hours that the class is scheduled for. As we wrapped up the course introduction, I decided to tell my students about my crystal meth use, and what I am doing about it. I did this for several reasons:
1) students these days are internet savvy... even if I didn't give them my e-mail address, most likely at least one would have googled me;
2) I believe that in work, school, and relationships we are one person, and that our life situations should not be compartmentalized or hidden, because secrets produce internal stress and open potential for people who are close to us to feel betrayed or shocked when they discover another side of us;
3) Real design comes from real people. In a class on a topic as subjective as color, if people are not comfortable expressing themselves, expressing their thoughts, and expressing their sentiments in the class room, their work will be untrue, over-calculated, and lifeless. I hope to lead by example.
You should have seen their faces.
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