attempting ...

...to write a new short essay on attitude and possibility using the process and aesthetic convention of stone sculpture as a metaphor. I am in the process of working on a small piece of shale which has many fractures, inclusions and other "imperfections."  I also work with more traditional materials such as granite and marble which are more or less free from  such flaws. But tend to prefer the less than perfect pieces that others would most likely overlook, because I learn more from them.

Michelangelo told us that a piece of stone already contained the finished sculpture, and that it was the sculptors job to simply remove those parts which were concealing the true potential of the work.
To actually do this requires a great deal of  sensitivity on the part of the artist. Most artists back then and now though, didn't and don't attempt such a fete. It's far beyond the skills of many very talented and even quite gifted people.  Instead they impose their vision on the stone, and  in many cases the results are breath-taking. But it's possible that it would have been even more remarkable if the true essence of the  rock was revealed.
Using seemingly flawed stone, suggests many different paths. I have to  make decision. I don't follow up on every hint. Sometimes I successfully find my way and sometimes I ruin a piece. These objects help me to perfect my skills so that I will be more likely to feel and reveal the nature of a beautiful rock. The texture itself of even the most apparently flawless stone contains subtle variations and suggests direction and depth. It is a challenge, but a most rewarding one.

After thirty years of teaching, it is my sad observation that in quite a similar manner, students are more often than not shaped to preconceived standards rather than being allowed to reveal their uniqueness.  Fortunately the scope of modern education is rather limited and much of the original child remains in the young adult produced by our one size fits all system. But many are damaged along the way, both students and teachers. Teachers who actually know how to inspire are all too often not allowed to really exercise their skills. And those who are doing so are probably in violation of some rule.