{"id":8650,"date":"2022-03-04T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/2022\/03\/04\/mara-costa-an-artistically-self-directed-learning-journey\/"},"modified":"2023-11-20T16:11:33","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T16:11:33","slug":"mara-costa-an-artistically-self-directed-learning-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/2022\/03\/04\/mara-costa-an-artistically-self-directed-learning-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Mara Costa: An Artistically Self-Directed Learning Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When senior Mara Costa, a self-taught realistic artist, first began her studies at Clonlara School, she felt a little \u201cdisplaced,\u201d so she passed time reading and sketching. \u201cI spent endless hours drawing,\u201d she says, \u201cwithout rushing, without demanding anything of myself, without expectations from myself or others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She soon found that the flexibility of her schedule at Clonlara gave her the time to slowly create, carefully observe, and deeply reflect on her work. \u201cI was unconsciously analyzing what was wrong, what had to be improved.\u201d The result was an astounding evolution of skill over a very short period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mara-progression-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10887\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Experiencing Flow<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When reading a book far into the night, practicing a tennis serve thousands of times, or, like Mara, sketching with pencils for hours on end, students may lose the sense of time. Author Mih\u00e1ly Cs\u00edkszentmih\u00e1lyi described this as the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/positivepsychology.com\/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">experience of flow<\/a>,\u201d a focused state of mind in which one immerses oneself completely in an activity. It is an \u201coptimal experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStudying something I really like and am interested in flows like a game,\u201d says Mara. \u201cStudying something I\u2019m not so interested in seems like a waste of time.\u201d How, then, can students experience learning that feels more engaging, even when the topic does not grab their attention? Mara\u2019s answer: begin with curiosity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI always tried to find a topic that interested me within what I needed to study. I realized that there is always a curiosity to be satisfied by studying a topic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Draw a Nose - Easy TIME-LAPSE TUTORIAL\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KThgxD2e2Ns?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Gift of Reclaimed Time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As a student in Clonlara\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/our-programs\/off-campus-program\/\">Off-Campus Program<\/a>, Mara had the flexibility to fine-tune and mature her artistic skills. When asked how her capabilities improved so quickly and so dramatically, she answered, \u201cTime. Time and dedication. When we learn according to someone else\u2019s program, our tasks are reduced, and time is counted and pre-determined by others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mara\u2019s parents were happy to give both her and her brother the opportunity to learn in a different way through Clonlara, especially because it meant they could spend more time together! \u201cWe always enjoyed being with each other, and in a public school that time was limited to an hour or two a day and a weekend that would fly by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Learning Feels Like Playing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Mara describes herself as a very strong-willed child, so even when asked to work on subjects she found uninteresting, she was still able to find a way to make them \u201chers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe biggest change I felt after switching to Clonlara\u2019s approach was the feeling of never really \u2018working.\u2019 Contrary to what I felt before, I started to feel that I was playing with the themes I liked and exploring them in a simple, often fun, way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mara-baby.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10882\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning Is a Personal Journey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We often assume a student <em>needs <\/em>an expert from whom to learn specialized skills. However, as Mara explains, finding a master teacher is not necessarily a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI completely understand this fear of not being able to learn without having a guide. I felt it a lot when I first joined Clonlara,\u201d Mara admits. \u201cOver time I came to realize that when we choose a topic that we like to study or follow, we don\u2019t need the voice of another person to guide us in learning. We can take courses, read books, observe, test, make mistakes, and understand how to do it correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Mara did research other artists to understand the materials they used, she points out that her skills grew when she \u201cdecided to dedicate time and patience to the art of observing a reference and reproducing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom then on,\u201d she says, \u201cThe journey was entirely mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advice for Self-Directed Learners<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When allowing your inquisitiveness to lead the way, it can feel a little disconcerting at first. \u201cAnyone starting a self-learning journey realizes that it is not as romanticized a path as it seems,\u201d explains Mara. Autonomous learners oversee the direction they take, and that means the path may contain unexpected obstacles and difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mara faced times when she felt uninspired, discouraged, and aimless which sometimes led to \u201ccreative blocks.\u201d During those times, she would confront her feelings with questions. \u201cI asked myself if I really liked what I was doing or if I was just continuing a routine I had been following for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help navigate surprising hurdles, Mara has three important tips for fellow students on their own self-directed learning journeys:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Don\u2019t isolate yourself. <\/strong>Whenever you can, study with company, ask for help, look for tutors, friends, teachers. Don\u2019t let your singular study become solitude.<br> <\/li><li><strong>Manage your time. <\/strong>Follow your passions with a schedule in mind, don\u2019t let your study or work take up all your time. It is very, very, very important to maintain a good balance between study\/work and pleasure. Take time to read recreationally, to go for a walk, to go see the sea or the stars, to watch a movie, or to do whatever makes you happy. Find a balance between all the parts of your life that make sense for the phase you are going through.<br> <\/li><li><strong>It\u2019s okay to be different. <\/strong>In the early days when I had to explain to the people in my life the new school I was going to and how it works completely different from what they were used to and knew, I felt annoyed and maybe a little ashamed. Now I can see that it\u2019s completely absurd, but at the time it was complicated. All people will reach a point in their lives where they take completely opposite paths and this, although difficult to process, is always a great sign! The difference is what makes you evolve and continue.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>###<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mara\u2019s inspiring story demonstrates how the educational experience can be transformed when students are given the opportunity to eagerly follow their passions and engage purposely in their learning. To see more of her art and possibly sign up in the future for her art lessons, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maracostaart\/\" target=\"_blank\">follow Mara on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Given the opportunity to follow your ideal learning path, what would you choose to study or practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When senior Mara Costa, a self-taught realistic artist, first began her studies at Clonlara School, she felt a little \u201cdisplaced,\u201d so she passed time reading and sketching. \u201cI spent endless hours drawing,\u201d she says, \u201cwithout rushing, without demanding anything of myself, without expectations from myself or others.\u201d She soon found that the flexibility of her [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-spotlight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9047,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8650\/revisions\/9047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clonlara.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}