Goddard- reflections: Finding our soul link

I'm starting to feel better, just getting over a cold that I brought home with my diploma from Vermont.  I thought I should perhaps put down some of my thoughts about the experience at Goddard.  This will be done in several posts.

My daughter came with me on my trip.  She is 26, an artist, designer, writer, and photographer and an over all incredible person.  She fit right in on the campus.  It had not occurred to me that this was probably very similar to the experiences she had at The High School For Performing and Visual Arts, but on a much deeper level. She tells me she enjoyed the conversations and creative stimulation. You cannot go to a Goddard residency without having that. I read her post on her blog  learned that the experience has inspired her and I think, that is a typical residency, explore 5 more of those and a semester where you go on your own adventures, with the gentle guidance of an advisor and see how it turns your creativity and thought pattern upside down.

I think one thing that hit home for me as I watched my fellow students who were graduating, was how much damage and pain was done to some of them because of the learning of their craft.  Musicians forced to always hit the right notes, dancers forced to abuse their bodies for the dance and others.  Goddard was a healing experience for them. A safe place to explore, and find themselves and to find a different side of their creativity.  Many come and see that they have lost themselves somewhere amongst the paintings and dancing and creativity that they thought they were doing.  The soul link to the thing they loved had somehow gotten severed. Maybe that is why so many very professional people come to Goddard and then toss out what they learned and "reinvent" themselves at Goddard.  I have often said that getting your MFA-IA at this school is like going through therapy.

It is a wonderful gift Goddard gives creative people.  We can earn our MFA while exploring ourselves, and not necessarily being tied to one discipline or focus.  Life is interdisciplinary. Shouldn't our art be that as well?