January Apprentice Inspirements

Apprentice:
1. Watch "Finding Inspiration in the Arts" by Michael Ballam
2. Read Chapters 15-17 of Music Talks with Children
3. Write your favorite quote(s), thought(s) or question(s) from the video and reading

Then choose one or more of the following

-Explain to the class why you liked a quote or thought using a personal example

-Teach the class a principle you got from the reading or video using an object lessons or a skit

-Create a poem, picture or story from a quote or thought

-Watch Silent Night on BYUtv.org.  See if you can find any connections between Joseph Mohr and the Music Talks chapters or the video.  Come prepared to present what you learned or what inspired you.

January Journeyman Inspirements

Journeyman:
1. Read Haydn in Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers
2. Read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Ch. 6
2. Listen to some music by Haydn
3. Find a favorite painting by Giotto (you can send it to me and I'll have it ready to put up)

Then choose one or more of the following
- Learn more about Giotto's life - you may look online (http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/giotto/) or find a children's book about him or his art (I recommend "A Boy named Giotto" or "A Glorious Impossible" (including the afterword).  Teach us what you leaned through a presentation, speech, or your own creative way.

-Choose a favorite song by Haydn, see if you can find some information about it (when he wrote it or why) and present some of the song as well as what you learned in class. (You can send the song to me if you'd like and I'll have it ready to play)

-Do a detailed drawing of your hand in a position of your choice. You can follow the directions from the Modified Contour Drawing exercises in DRS, or you can do it on your own. Try to think of the details of your hands as shapes. Share your results and thoughts about it.

-Look around the room, select something, and try drawing it without looking at the paper. Set a certain time for yourself, and during that time, don't look at the paper; just concentrate on the lines and shapes. Observe the results. Does it show detail? If you are willing, share your results.

I LOVED this beautiful video from depicting Haydn's "The Creation", you can't help being filled with gratitude and reverence as you watch it:

January Master Inspirements

Master:
1. Watch the clip above
2. Read Remembering Isaac (or another book by Ben Behunin if you've already read Remembering Isaac).

Then do one of the following

- Take notes as you read or underline favorite passages. When you are done with the book, look back through your notes and be ready to present and teach about what you got from the book.

- Choose one or more "Inspirements to Do" AND one or more "Inspirements to Answer" from the bookmark. Be prepared share your thoughts to the class in a presentation or in writing.

Here they are if you didn't print out your bookmark (written by Sis. Johnson):

Answer:
This book is full of morals! What morals stood out to you
from the book? Write them down to share

Do:
Look up Niederbipp. Does it exist? What did you learn about
it? Would it be a place you would like to visit someday?

Answer:
Would you have gone to Niederbipp? Would you have taken
your dream if you didn't feel ready for it? What do you think
Jake decides? Are you ever afraid of your big dreams?

Do:
Did you enjoy the authors doodles and sketches? Create a
book full of your doodles and sketches. Think about why you
like to doodle or sketch. Share with us your doodles and
thoughts

Answer:
Which of the towns people are you favorite? Which ones are
you similar to? Which ones really bug you? Why?

Do:
If someone had to make a bench for you what would you want
it to include? What type of a person do you want to be
remembered as? Sketch your own bench design

Answer:
Are you like Jake? How does Jake begin to become Isaac?

Answer
Are you like Isaac? How do you want to become like Isaac?

Do:
Jake learns about tithing in the book. Why do you think the
author included this in the book? What are your feelings about
tithing. Pay your tithing and look for the blessings to come.

Answer:
What are some good things about living in a small town?
What are some bad things? How is where you live similar or
different from the story? What can you change about the
environment you live in right now to make it better?

Do:
Jake has to learn the lessons of the pottery collection...do you
have a collection? Why or why not? Begin a collection that is
a “teaching collection” what collection ideas did you come up
with?

Answer:
Pg 288...” His knowledge led him to action”..pg 289 ”.He
inspired us all to be better people” How does knowledge lead
us to action? How can you inspire others to be better
people?

Do:
Look up all the scriptures that are referenced in the book.
Why do you think potters are mentioned so many times in the
scriptures? Are there any references to potters that were not
included in the book

Answer:
This book is a parable of sorts. What did you learn from this
parable. What other books have you read that are parables?
Why are parables so powerful?

Do:
Jake writes in his sketchbook the things that he has learned.
Do likewise. Every time Jake writes in his sketchbook you
write in your journal, bookmark, sketchbook, etc things you
learn from the book

Answer:
Do you have anyone in your life who is an Isaac to
you...teaching you, leading you? How can you show your
gratitude to the Isaac's in your life?

Do:
Write a paper contrasting ownership vs stewardship. Share it
with us

Answer:
Umm...there is a hint of romance in this book (sorry boys) Do
you think that it is a good relationship? Do you think it is a
healthy relationship? Why or why not?

If you loved this book. Go the extra mile and read
Discovering Isaac and Becoming Isaac.

November Apprentice Inspirements

Apprentice:
1. Read: Music Talks Chapters 10-13
2. Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers: Handel
3. Read: Rosa Bonheur (from page 136-157 from this book) 
4. Write down your favorite quote, thought, or a question from the readings to share

And do one of the following:

-Do a word study on "Education" - do you agree with the definition of education in chapter 10? Do you agree that learning causes you sorrow as well as joy? Share you definition with the class and think of one thing you can do to improve your education or what price you are willing to pay to develop your talents.

-Why do you think chapter 11 is titled "The Light on the Path?" Draw a picture, write a poem or act out a skit that illustrates the principle from the chapter.

-Read about how one becomes masterful at something in chapter 12. Think of something you would like to master and make a plan of how you will go about mastering it.

-Bring or play part of a favorite song by Handel to share with the class. Is there anything about him that you would like to emulate in your life? Why?

-Bring a favorite painting by Rosa Bonheur to share in class and tell us why you like it and either: Draw a picture in her style or draw a graphic summary or picture of a significant event in her life OR write a paper or present something you learned from her in class.

November Journeyman Inspirements

(This isn't an inspirement - just one of my favorite poems of all time)

Journeyman Inspirements:
1. Read Chapter 8 of Story of Art
2. Read a short biography or watch a short clip about Kipling:
3. Read Chapter 5 of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (DRS)
4. Write your favorite quote, thought or question from your study.

-If you can, find one of your childhood drawings. (If you don't find any, try to remember what it might have looked like.) Compare it to one of your latest drawings. Is there an extreme difference, or is there little change? Look for similarities in the artwork, like certain perspectives, shapes, textures, etc., that show your personal type of drawing. Record or share what you learned.

-Study a famous artist--learn about his/her childhood. Did he/she start out artistic? Or did he/she even like art? Write a report about who you studied or share what you discovered.

-Try to draw a picture that tells a story. (Page 72-73 from DRS has the info about it.) It can be anything you feel like drawing. For instance, see the picture on page 73. The boy that day was very frustrated with his sister, so he drew his sister extra large and with sharp teeth. It shows in his artwork that he was feeling angry or frustrated with his sister.

Put feeling into your artwork. Share your results.

 

-Do the drawing exercise on pages 74-75 on DRS, "Recalled Childhood Landscape." Could you remember your childhood landscape clearly, or did most of it gradually come to you as you draw? Or did you experience something completely different? Share your results

-Make a presentation about Rudyard Kipling or read one of his short stories or poems to present to the class. Find short stories and poems on the left hand side when you scroll down here:

November Master Inspirements

Master Ispirements:
1. Read: The Jungle Book
2. Find your favorite quote, thought or question from your study.

Then do one of the following:
 -Write a short story with animal characters. (You can use the 3 paragraph model we talked about in writing class, even recreating a story from Jungle book in your own way) Try to depict what they might say or think about. Find a lesson from your story or from the book that you could apply to your life.
-Draw a graphic summary from a scene in the book. Don't forget to write the moral from your scene. See if you can apply the lesson to your life.
-Paint a scene from The Jungle Book. Explain why you picked the scene you painted. Find a principle from that scene of from another part of the book that you want to do better at.
-Write down each "Law of the Jungle" as you come across it in the book. See if any of them are similar to our laws. Do you agree or like the laws of the Jungle? Is there any that you would change? Make a set of laws for your life and try to stick by them. If you would like, share how it is going. -Keep track of the characteristics of the people without law (or the monkey people) or any other group of "people" in the book. Do you see any of the character traits in yourself? What law must you follow to rid yourself of or to improve that characteristic? You may share with the class if you choose

The Master Class this week will be at the Ogden Nature Center from 3-5 after class. Bring $2 if you will be attending.

October Reflection

I apologize again for not making time for reflection today.  I need to get that worked out.  It is so important that you get a chance to reflect on how our discussion went and what Heavenly Father would like you to get out of class that day - something to apply so that all of this learning in class is for something.

Here are a few of questions that I invite you to pick from and write in your reflection books about today (since we didn't get to it in class):

-What can I do to fill my mind with uplifting things more often? (You may consider the music you own, the books you read, how you spend your time, what you watch, etc).

-What "ity" virtue can I work on tomorrow?  How will I do it?

-What song will I memorize and sing to myself when bad thoughts come to my mind?

-How can I remember to live more in the moment? How can I be sure to have the Spirit with me at the present moments of my day?

I have more, but I'm sure you could think of some of your own or just write whatever it is that you got out of class today.  The Spirit may have something different that he was telling you as we discussed things, so just write what you feel inspired to do because of class today.  If you have more questions for others to consider, please post them on a comment below - or if you have any ah-has or other thoughts you wouldn't mind sharing from your reflection.