Quotes and some analysis of data from interviews 1

Question: what is your perception of your comfort zone?

‘What do I do to feel safe taking the plunge on something?’

Participant 13:

‘If it something like speaking in front of others then I just try to block them out and try to focus on telling myself I can do it.

I guess I also try to make sure that I am well prepared and organised so that things are less likely to go wrong’.

Participant 10:

‘I am proactive, more confident as I get older, good at identifying how to get stuff done, breaking difficult/scary tasks into chunks and making a plan. Logical, has lists. Organised’

‘An expert showing you = a teacher. You can grow because you go through the process feeling safe. Removes the mystery and the terror. Doing something carefully and tentatively can be a way of getting through the fear. It depends who’s showing you. It would make a big difference to be shown by someone who is confident. How you are shown’.

Coming in to a workshop, a student is already outside of their comfort zone. Going into a space that they don’t control – its not theirs. It’s a differen kind of space. SO not in their comfort zone but feeling comfortable. You can be comfortable out of your comfort zone. You can be tackling challenges in a way that is comfortable to you. If you freeze, that’s a panic zone and then you don’t get anywhere’.

‘You need an amount of comfort zone – some givens’

Participant 7:

‘Feels most comfortable when my mental environment is balanced. Breaks good – sometimes getting out of the environment is important. Feels good to change the environment.

‘After a really harsh crit my boundaries are not so firm. The edges are blurred, less like a brick wall.

One word – juxtaposition. What colour is comfort zone? Charcoal. Because that can be changed and smudged. Inspired by seeing Bridget Riley’

Participant 6;

‘Confidence of the person showing you the thing – that. Inspires confidence’.

‘As an older student, there’s a tendency to be treated differently. If its shit, tell me, just because I’m old doesn’t mean I can’t take it.’

‘Finding something you’re comfortable with and then going nuts with it. Taking the thing that you love and then taking that with you’.

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