Bruce Spang

viafrank:

This is Part 3 in a series of 4 about visual culture, consumption, and nourishment. A new part will be posted each weekday. Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 (You are here.) · Part 4 (The Future!)

“Some people just can’t handle honesty, I guess,” Paul shrugged.

He poured me a coffee from his thermos and invited me to take a seat in his office. I looked over my shoulder and got one last guilty glance at the student running out crying. I sat down. “What did you say to her?”

“The usual. About how she wasn’t working hard enough. About how when she shows up unprepared it’s a waste of my time, but worse, it steals time from everyone else in the class. How if she’s having issues loving this craft now when she’s doing it for herself, that it’s only going to get more and more difficult to learn to love once she’s got a job with clients.”

After a brief moment of silence, I said, “I think you said something else. You did the part where you say ‘Assuming you get a job,’ didn’t you?”

“Of course! It’s true! She needs to know she has to work harder. She needs to know the reality of the situation. You can’t sugar-coat everything: her work isn’t good enough to pass.”

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