Denise Clyne: My Job Is Better Than Yours (S2 E7)

Kites and Strings

This episode, as much as any Kites and Strings episodes to date, looks at the process of creating creatives. Denise Clyne is a veteran art teacher who midway through her 31-year (and counting) career, recognized that the curriculum she was using was off-base. It focused on trying to convince the powers that be that there should be a place for art in the schools because it could cozy up to other more stayed subjects. As if nervously screaming "hey every body, look at me in the artroom, we also do math and history and social studies and all sorts of stuff, can we be part of your school too." Denise was good at that but realized that that approach failed at providing authentic experiences for her students and it certainly didn't appreciate and celebrate the creative energy that they brought into the room. She saw that although they maybe could paint a picture that looked like an old master's, it was ultimately failing them in the task of helping them become creative, self-assured adults. As such, she jumped whole-heartedly into the Teaching Artistic Behaviors curriculum.
In this episode, Denise shares her own story of playing in the woods and fields behind her childhood suburban home, to getting goose bumbs in art museums, to her quick, yet strategic decision to head to Texas to teach art, but she also shares her plan to take some pretty cool ideas into her retirement. All with a mix of live music and a bit of pole dancing for green jello. We hope you enjoy this episode where we have a great time learning about how Denise Clyne grabs that string and flies her kite.
For more information in Teaching For Artistic Behavior
https://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/
Also referenced in this episode, The Land Adventure Playgrounds
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/04/03/395797459/the-value-of-wild-risky-play-fire-mud-hammers-and-nails

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Our theme music is by Harrison Amir, and all other original music by purple planet music at https://www.purple-planet.com. Our logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.
Kites and String's is produced and edited by Steve Ploum at Turning Stones Counseling, Inc.