TEACHING CONCEPTS Maria Nikl, MFA
The three things most important to me not only in teaching, but also in life are, integrity, awareness and vision. All the rest spins off these three…
A Healer facilitates changes in others, while a Teacher facilitates others in causing the
changes themselves. I use a hands on approach, not talking about, but inspire and stimulate actual experiences that are unique and specific to the individual.
Creative process is a lot like living life itself—it involves experiments and risk taking—one has to be willing to perceive and experience new things, in order to have a full and satisfying life. Full in a sense that you are a creator, you have total freedom, especially in creating abstract imagery, where you are able to transcend the already existing realms.
This, or any change can be hard to experience, not for Spirit, but for the Body—think about someone trying to quit smoking. He made a decision, a concept of it, he created the idea. But for the body, to actually experience this concept, has to go through a lot of ordeals. The idea of integration to me means to bridge the gap between the abilities and actual manifestations of Spirit and Body as Creators. Integration in this sense can be rephrased as alignment, or communication, where both Essence and Form/Matter are recognized.
This process requires a lot of certainty; a safe and grounded space that is held up, even if the individual temporarily tumbles. This holding and setting the space that can accommodate change is what a large part of my function is as a teacher. The other is to stimulate the student’s already existing, innate information and vision, and help them bring it forth with the aid of my curriculum. My assignments are designed to evoke and cause experiences that the students can call their own, and use in the future for their own purposes, if they so chose.
Besides my teaching experience at my studio and at the College of Marin, in California, my work as a creative consultant also granted me insights of individuals’ creative processes and pointed out their tumbling blocks. My clients came to me when they felt stuck on their path, progress, and creative processes. Knowing where to direct their attention I helped them envision and create their own changes.
My traveling teaching experience in Hungary, The Netherlands, and Peru, together with my position at the San Francisco Art Institute working with small groups of foreign students, honed my ability to custom tailor my communication and information packaging. I enjoy the challenge to observe cultural and individual conditions and create my lesson plans and curriculum according to actual capacities and needs.
I carefully structured these courses are to call forth the ability of picture making, both mentally, clairvoyantly, and in actual manifestation, where spirit regains its innate freedom to manifest in the world of materials/matter.
Abstract Painting Workshops:
All Marks Are Valid
Tangible and Intangible Textures
Your True Colors
Your Own Inspiration
The Paradox of Line In Abstract Painting
