Hannah: Blog post week 10/26/21-11/2/21

Julian’s previous post on the IWS got me thinking about some of my own feelings regarding the space. I love working in the IWS because it eliminates the barrier of approaching guests that I so often struggle with on the floor. While VDLs are still my favorite part of this job overall, working in the IWS is a close second. That being said, any role and any space presents its challenges, and I wanted to reflect on those here. 

I recognized almost immediately that I would not have been drawn to the IWS as a child. I have always been someone who prefers instructions, rules, and structure, and throughout my younger years I often found art classes and crafting activities stressful, rather than fun. So I find it ironic, then, that the IWS is now my favorite part of the museum to work in. I find it even more ironic that if the structure I would have appreciated as a kid were added to the space, I don’t think I would enjoy facilitating it nearly as much.

This is a recent reflection I had as we were preparing for Member Morning last Saturday. Kevin showed me the motorized cup monster craft that would be out on the floor, and I immediately noticed that the prospect of facilitating this craft felt stressful. Unlike the typical free-choice crafting at the IWS, this activity appeared to have a specific goal: make a monster out of a cup that can move on its own with an attached DIY propeller. I shared my thoughts with Kevin, and he encouraged me to present the activity to guests in a more “MOXI” way. Instead of stating a specific goal, I could show guests that we had some really cool materials to play around and tinker with. 

Reframing the activity in this way was immensely helpful. I encouraged guests to decorate their monster however they wanted, and presented the motor as a cool feature they could add if they chose to. I also showed them that my propeller didn’t “work” perfectly (it’s really hard to keep both wires taped to the battery at the right angle for it to move independently), but that this was OK, because the goal was to have fun. The propeller ended up being a great hook to draw people into the activity—most kids were instantly intrigued when they saw it. Once they sat down and started crafting, though, they became invested in giving their cup monster purple glasses, or a jetpack, or, in one kid’s case, a colorful “brain” made out of pipe cleaners. 

This approach helped mitigate a scenario I am always trying to avoid: children getting upset because their craft isn’t “coming out right.” This comes up from time to time as well when a kid comes into the workshop with a very specific vision or idea for something they want to make. Often it’s a very involved project that would take more artistic or engineering expertise than I bring to the table. Kevin again had very helpful advice for managing these situations, and explained how it often comes down to expectation setting. If I don’t know how to, for example, help them make doll clothes out of fabric, I should be honest about that, and find other ways to engage with the guest on their ideas.

I think I had this gut reaction of stress as a facilitator because I can see something of myself in kids who want to do a craft “right,” or accomplish a specific goal, and know the frustration that comes when things don’t work out as envisioned. I then feel pressure to facilitate their experience in the “right” way, and disappointed in myself when I can’t. By throwing out this mindset altogether, I’m able to enjoy the space and my interactions with guests so much more.

I still don’t spend much time on my own crafts when I’m in the workshop. I think what I love so much about the IWS is that it IS so different from my own interests. I get to watch guests come up with ideas I never would have thought of myself, which is one of the most exciting parts of an informal learning space to me. Even if my own intrinsic motivation (to borrow a term from last week) likely wouldn’t lead me to the IWS, it’s so fun and fascinating to see where people’s creativity takes them if this is a space they are drawn to.