Learning comes sometimes when you least expect it, just being open for it and it drops right in your lap.  And so it happened for me.  It didn’t come from the obvious place, from the top down, but more from the one sitting right next to me.  And even though the collaboration was not encouraged, I know not to ever pass up a good moment!  So I learned more about keyframes and Sherry had a partner for her story and even though we were not “encouraged”,  we rebelliously continued.  Just trust in the process?  But whose?

I think it’s been a good week.  There’s been great weather here away from a good cell phone signal to Tuvia, that wasn’t good especially with major snow back home that he drove in.  The people have been fantastic, as usual, but where the experience is lacking is in the area of facilitation.  There’s a better way.  There’s a way to really share, to collaborate.  But this center is stuck in its own past and proud of that.  You come to their house and eat their food and say thanks at the end of the meal.

But when you have teachers in your midst, be careful, they will rebel!  And thankfully, we did.

It’s hard to believe that Sausalito is just 10 miles away.  A city across from San Fran with people, restuarants, bars, shops, malls. Life and just driving in to watch the bars on my cell phone grow I felt like a famer coming into the big city for a dose of civilization before returning to isolation.  It’s good to be away, but the pace is blinding and I’m not sure necessary.  I’m not sure that we are getting what we asked for, what we were led to believe we would get.  It was cool to work with a photographer today, who by the way will be teaching me some camera before we leave, I hope.  But experiencing a story circle was great and strange.  I think some of the leaders see it more for theraphy and not as a place for the writer to get support.

I don’t know.  I am writing this at the end of two long days, and by Saturday, I think I will feel like it was good, not great, but worth the time  and money.  But it’s not about learning teachnology more deeply.  I think it’s time for a updating here.  Something feels wrong but we haven’t totally put our fingers on it yet…

I love digital stories, but I don’t know if this is the place for teachers.

I love beginning once again.  Probably I need more sleep to get through this day.  It’s the last one before the new participants arrive.  They will be creating digital stories as our more experienced team facilitates their process.  We are 10, they are 6.  I wonder about the over abundance of chiefs in the mix.  Just in filling the roles for facilitation yesterday afternoon I was confused with the process so complicated.  But today is day 2 and I am hoping for clarity especially for my role in all of this.

I loved yesterday morning, that’s for sure and I want to trust that their experience with their process will make this workable and something to take home.  I’m wondering.  I did ask about online software, but no they hadn’t looked at it yet.  I wonder, why not?

What I loved about yesterday was the creation of a ds community with early prompts and sharing ds pieces. The work was wonderful and the conversations, rich and supportive.   But the afternoon took us to the technology planning and that was overwhelming.  Just my small piece on photoshop seems beyond my expertise or comfort level. The facilitator raced through our section at the very end of the long day and I could just nod.  I am hoping though, I get some clarity today.  One of things I liked about the morning session was their focus of each of us and our hopes for the workshop.  I had hoped for more understanding of the nuts and bolts of the software and how they work together.  They are using all the software that I have been playing with but I always want to go deeper.  I’m not sure that this will happen but I am still in it to love it. But I trying to arrive at some clarity.

One of my fears here is that they are set in their ways.  I’m wondering what’s changed since 2003.  I think the process should have become easier.

Again, the place is amazing and the people as well.  I shared my piece about my dad and got great feedback.  I shared my piece about Israel with my housemates and again got great response.  In return, the two young women from Denver are moving their elementary school on with podcasting and that was fascinating.  They have all the teachers, 1st-5th on board and they are working to create an online DS course for the summer.  Love that!  So as I write I am making some meaning here.

I shouldn’t be up.  It’s been a long first day in Workshopland, but I am drinking in the web and even though this is a tech workshop there’s no internet service in our workspace.  They know better than to allow participants to get distracted.  So here I am catching up with my daily documenting activities:downloading sharing the latest photos and writing.  Daily activities that I’ve been loving.

So far the workshop is great but late in the afternoon, I hit the wall and glazed over as Emily presented our tutorial work quickly.  Too quickly for me to relate to so I was there but not really.  I hope we get a chance to really prepare for a lecture that I have to present.  It’s what I know the least.  What I know best is the story and that’s not what I have much to do with.  Strange, I think but maybe there’s a larger piece here or no piece. Anyway, these are the ramblings of a overtired participant in workshopland.  I loved presenting my dad’s piece once again.  I did love seeing the other workhsop pieces and I do love the process of this.

And that’s enough.  So far the pictures are of place.  Tomorrow I think the people will join in.  I will feel more comfortable to invade their privacy.

It’s early here, just 3:15, but it’s really 6:15 somewhere, somewhere… and this is probably the last time I will feel so connected to that somewhere. Once the workshop really begins, I will be back in workshopland and loving it. It’s a land that I have visited many times in many cool places: Taos, Bard, SUNY New Patlz, Sante Fe, Sedona, Oxford, Salzburg, Austria, Arad,Israel, Chico,CA. It was my vacation of choice for many sunners when I started teaching and could make those choices. It is a land that fits me. It welcomes in my passion and fills me with adventure. It creates a community of like-minded souls and now with the web, it offers a way to hold on to the community.
I brough lots of things with me. I still can’t travel light. I even brought my guitar to continue working for my recital. Most people bring guitars with them to play for a fresh audience. I’m not there yet, but that’s my goal. There’s a guy here from Alaska and he has his guitar. When he mentioned that in his intro, I didn’t pipe in and add, me too, me too. Not yet. I’m working on that.
So back to Workshopland. Often they are located in amazing places. Places I don’t know and so it’s true here. The Headlands Art Center. I didn’t know how to get here and sadly my cab driver didn’t know either and even when I was reading the directions to him…turn left here, turn left! He was turning right…But I was proud, he did try to rip me off for his incompetence and I didn’t’ allow that. He has been living here for 15 years, driving a cab. If he doesn’t know how to get to a place he has no maps, no directional, no person back at the station to help. He relied on people on the street etc. Now that doesn’t fill you with confidence. But the worst is when he tried to blame me for his lack of knowledge and no, I couldn’t allow that.
Once I realized that he was not the all knowing cabbie I expected, I asked about the meter and he vebally stopped it. I didn’t forget that. He wanted to reconsider. I already had the money out and in my hands. I was here, move on! Workshopland begins…
When I first saw the mess hall where we are eating our dinners, I thought…Marist Brothers Retreat? where I spent a sleepless night in a room filled with single beds. But as I lugged my suitcases from the mess hall(an old military instilation, Fort Barry) I was helped immediately by two sisters, twins, one in our program. And the house I would be staying in did have a feel like the Marist house but not for long. It’s nicer, more in our world even without TV.s and phone service. It does have a wireless connection.
There are 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms(both on the bottom floor), a kitchen, stocked with all my favorites, and a living room. I have a great room even though it’s upstairs and away from the bathrooms. Compromise. I love the area rugs, totally my taste. There’s couches for sitting, a desk…
Joe Lambert, the heart and founder of the program, shared the history of this place with us last night. It’s rich in a unique art connection. in the 70′s when people were caught up in Watergate, Fort Barry was taken over by the Headlands Art Center and the 45 miles of wilderness around the center would remain parkland. So it’s not hard to imagine just what a unique gem this place is. Joe actually was married in the mess hall…his was the 4th wedding. Since then it’s become very popular for events like that and a good business. But given that fact that we are California, what people would take advantage of a retreat spot such as this…yes, artistis, writers, musicians…and many come and leave something…
So much to explore as I get back into Workshopland.