Despite the Oscar snubs, music shared headliner status at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Several music-related documentaries premiered at the festival, which continues through this Sunday, including films about Neil Young, Paul Simon, and Ice-T. In addition to the films, an extensive list of music performances were scheduled around the city. According to the Associated Press, festival director John Cooper said organizers added more music to the festival this year to encourage relationships between independent filmmakers and musicians.
Wherever you find yourself in the creative world – filmmaker, musician, artist, teacher – one important part of surviving is being a great learner. After all, how else can you improve your craft without learning along the way? It’s about learning from your last audition, learning from your peers, and learning about yourself. Especially for teachers, who are often great learners by nature, it’s important to be able to pass that mindset on to your students. And for us creative types, this is often the best part of the job. We found a great article on the NAfME website detailing the 7 qualities of great learners, as written by researcher and author Kirsten Olson – read on to discover these qualities:
1. Great learners see learning as pleasurable. Develop your passion through intensive learning that involves focused concentration and a sense of challenge. Recognize that “failure is a huge part of the enterprise.”
2. Great learners have learned that effort is more important than inborn ability. Kids with disabilities sometimes can deal with these through their other abilities and through persistence. In Olson’s words, “Thinking of yourself as an entity always ripe for development is a mark of learners who go boldly forward.”
3. Great learners tend to have a strengths-based view of themselves and others. “This attitude,” says Olson, “is at the heart of learning resilience.” Figuring out what you excel at and practicing being satisfied with these traits can help you learn.
4. Great learners practice letting go of negative emotions, of flipping the script on what might be regarded as a failure. Let failure go—don’t brood on it. Pick up where you fell and move on.
5. Great learners are unusual problem-solvers who know how to ask for help. These people are both supported and supporters of others in their quests.
6. Great learners don’t let the institution define them. Although they take their educations seriously, they often question labels and define their own paths.
7. Great learners have passions. According to Olson, “research literature describes the importance of passion, curiosity, and deep interests” in dealing with challenges.
Do you see any of these qualities in yourself? If so, you’re on the right track. Leave a comment and let us know if you have any thoughts, questions, or comments! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.
Suzy S.