‘I am very aware that my comfort zone within my practice sits within low-tech processes, especially in processes that I have developed myself. I have often felt unsure of more technical and complicated processes, and I have often steered away from working in workshops and with technicians because I feel much more comfortable working things out by myself.I think the strength in this is that I have developed a very self-sufficient practice, but this idea of staying in my comfort zone means that I don’t tend to go for opportunities where I rely on more specialist knowledge to get to where I want to go. This has meant that I’ve often held back from making work if it involves learning new skills in a workshop/technical setting, and I’ve preferred to learn new skills that I can teach myself.’
I like her description of low-tech processes and becoming self-sufficient but it seems more like a survival mechanism. I can see how that could be something that is wonderful as well as limiting which seems to be what she’s saying. To support her in exploring different processes could mean having group demonstrations which might put her at ease a bit more especially on reading that she’s had negative experiences with technicians as mentioned here:
‘I think I’ve had a lot of negative experiences with technicians and workshops. Oftentimes people have decided to just do things for me, rather than showing me how to do things’
(perhaps because I am a 5ft, blonde female and people assume I’d be useless). I think this has meant that I have less confidence when approaching people to learn specific skills and leave my comfort zone. I also have quite a strong sense of what I think fits within my concepts/concerns, and sometimes when things don’t fit then I can worry about moving outside of these parameters’.
Participant 3 (male aged 23) also mentioned that technicians sometimes didn’t want to let him do things for himself and that he found this extremely frustrating. This is something I’d share with colleagues, anonymously of course. It also echoes other participants in saying how much they value being trusted to get on with something shortly after being shown a skill. One person mentioned this as a major moment in their development so far – that she was left to work alone with equipment that was potentially hazardous. She was wearing all the safety PPE so she felt safe, but felt that the technician had evaluated her abilities and decided she was ‘good to go’ and get on with the process. The technician had also shown her clearly and confidently, so she felt grounded in the skill.
‘I like to challenge myself when it comes to pushing the limits within my practice. I like to make ambitious work when it comes to scale and pushing myself when it comes to labour-intensive processes. I’ve really enjoyed, in the past, working with unusual or unconventional spaces, and the limitations of these kinds of spaces can be a really exciting, as well as challenging, because I enjoy problem-solving. and I don’t often like asking for help’
This student describes problem solving as being a mechanism to take her places. I run workshops which allow students to be playful and I sometimes set fun challenges that mean learning about a material through trying to do something mundane with it like build the highest tower you can from a cup of casting plaster. This is something I will instigate more of as students describe using materials to get outside of their comfort zone without noticing.
This is Particpant 4’s comfort zone diagram:
