Advice from the Heart of a Teaching Artist
An Audio Project by Mary Amato
I love teaching. I’ve been at it since I taught my first dance classes as a teen. Over the years, I’ve taught dance, music, art, and creative writing in studios, schools, universities, museums, libraries, camp settings, and community centers. I’ve taught individuals, groups, and huge auditorium-sized crowds. I’ve taught three-year-olds and ninety-three-year-olds and every age in between. I’ve taught beginners and seasoned colleagues. I’ve taught family members, friends, and strangers who became friends. I’ve even taught myself.
Sometimes after a lesson, I think of more I want to say—not about a particular technique or skill, but rather about the emotional issues that arise with creative work. These open letters are my thoughts about how to deal with things like perfectionism, criticism, performance anxiety, and more. I’m releasing them in audio format whenever I can. They’ll range from two minutes to ten minutes in length. They won’t be packages of perfection; they will be honest and passionate. May they reach my students as well as new colleagues who are on the art-making journey. Please pass them on.
After I’m done recording all of these, if there’s interest, I’ll collect them and published them all in both audio and print format.
Stay tuned, stay in touch, and keep creating.