Weak Points
Like a football player’s knees, we have our weak points. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the leading cause of artistic demise now that almost everyone is sitting at a keyboard. For those of you who never leave your keyboards, don’t worry, your hands will just disconnect at the wrist one day as you make your way to the kitchen for a bottle of water (or spirits, whichever may be the case). For those of you unfamiliar with dead limb syndrome, the tendon that crosses the two bones at the wrist thickens due to overuse, injury and scarring. This scarring puts pressure on the delicate nerves that run through a small tunnel to the hand. Tissues and nerves become inflamed, and the inflammation fills the tiny space with fluid. This cuts off circulation and causes numbness, tingling and all sorts of pain in those who do not rest and recuperate at the first sign of discomfort. Eventually, the pain may become constant; the fluid permanently trapped. Over the years, it moves up to the shoulder and neck, following the nerve bundle. The worst cases also sometimes exhibit a nasty, golf-ball sized lump on the wrist, not very attractive to an aesthetically pleasing group like art directors and designers. Few people report marked improvement after surgery; and, in fact, the loss of strength will continue with age. Think twice before you let someone cut on the instrument of your art when the risks far outweigh the benefits. Of course, the old cure was a rapid whack on the fluid filled cavity in the doctor's office—to quote Dr. McCoy of the Star Ship Enterprise, “What is this, the dark ages?”
One of the instructors at a local community college required physical rehabilitation after surgery to repair the tendons and tunnels that are the first to go. For a short time, I taught typography and design to fill in for the poor guy in the cast. It sounded like fun; not the cast, but the teaching. I met the department head who said, “You intimidate the hell out of me.” Great—welcome to the cesspool of academic politics. In one class, the design students had previously been assigned a CD cover, a poster for a new band and a mailer. I noticed they didn’t know a sanserif from a serif, the height of a 72 point character, how many picas were in an inch, or the difference between spot and process, among many other basics. It was the spring of their second year in a two year program; soon they would be set loose on the world calling themselves designers. God save the hiring public.
I spent my second class going through the basics, defining terms on the chalkboard. At least I could give them a working knowledge of how to produce what they designed. The department head stood outside the classroom listening. “Oh, you’re doing just fine, just fine. I‘ve already learned a few things from you. These kids aren’t going to amount to anything. They’ll end up in Kwik Copies and InstaPrints, so don’t work too hard.”
Part of a teacher’s job is to motivate and inspire. But like a judge who determines guilt before he’s heard the evidence, this teacher had lost interest. He wasn’t troubled by his student's lack of motivation; in fact, he had already given up on them. He had accepted his own mediocrity, perhaps based on his few dismal achievements, perhaps not. Worse yet, he was passing it on to the very students he was paid to educate and inspire.
For those of you paying for education, persist beyond the occasional poor teacher and demand what you pay for; do whatever it takes. When a production class taught by a visiting professional didn’t clarify production techniques at my alma mater, a group of us got together and demanded a repeat at no charge; to which the administration agreed. Advocate for yourself, take your concerns to the administration, and demand a replacement course. Look for other sources of motivation and inspiration; but don’t let time slip through your fingers without learning everything you can. Your education is more important than your equipment, so make sure you get what you pay for; just as you would if you were shopping for a new computer.
When I was in high school, I wanted to be a teacher, well, until my art teacher said in a chiding tone, “That’s a good thing for a woman to be.” I was sixteen—what did I know? I knew I wanted to be the best I could be and strive for the unlimited potential our teachers said we had. Without the support and nurturing of my teachers, my potential was limited to my tiny reality in Painesville, Ohio. Teaching is a high calling that takes dedication and devotion; with a touch of unselfish advocacy for future generations. My advice for sorry ass teachers is get out before you trample too many potentials. You’ll have far less impact on society if you flip burgers with apathy than if you flip students. Setting the bar within easy reach is a fast track to mediocrity. To students, no matter what your age; dream the biggest dream and then build a solid foundation and you’ll have firm ground to stand on no matter what kind of winds blow.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Look for more stories and adventures in advertising design in my book Start and Run a Creative Services Business. It's filled with great links and a full spectrum of experiences that will prepare you to face the unknown in freelance and the world of design. Not an artist? You'll be in stitches as you follow the adventures of self-employment. And if you've been freelancing for a while, you'll find new information and a trustworthy mentor to stand by your side through thick and thin in Start and Run a Creative Services Business. Excerpts are available online at my website.
"Holy Distal Radio-Ulnar Articulation, Batman!" I though you were going to be talking about carpel tunnel syndrome. Then I realized you were using CTS as a metaphor for the unfortunate abatement of a teacher's desire to inspire. (I guess it's a metaphor.)
If you think I'm making too much of the connection, consider that one of the cures (albeit temporary) is to stop doing what is causing the pain in your hand.
Every one of us, in the trenches, needs a break now and again. What would have happened to that judgemental professor if he had taken a breather and perhaps regained his sense of leadership?
Unless you believe that apathy is your lot in life, "Never give up! Never surrender!"
just on CTS.....
In a lot of cases the operation works - me included. Yes, I lost the strength in my hand for a couple of months, but a year later it was like new, absolutly the best thing I ever did.
SDK responds: That's excellent. But surgery is always risky, so think long and hard. Too bad the medical profession isn't required to make guarantees. It's always a ballpark with them, never an absolute hit.
You're right on with both the carpal tunnel and the teaching stories. I had carpal tunnel (and a few other problems) so bad they wouldn't operate. For 4+ years, I had real problems making a living. So, after some life changes, on a particularly painful evening, a couple of friends prayed and asked God to heal it - 48 hours later, it was like I had brand new hands. I work long hard hours on the computer now, and still have no problems with my hands. My point? Besides the fact that I'm so happy to have my hands back - nothing is impossible - maybe the instructor in your story should get a faith check towards the futures of his students.
Re carpal tunnel:
A chiropractor can do a variation of the whack on the wrist over a series of visits, where she manipulates the effective area to get the tunnel open and the fluids moving again. Mine cured me three years ago in about four visits.
For safety's sake, pick a chiro who's been around awhile and has some professional certification in sports medicine or personal training, or entusaiastically recommended by your superjock friend/relative/AE/client. A physical therapist might also help -- PTs need a prescription from an MD.
Here's another thing that might be helping me to this day: tennis.
I've always been told that overuse injuries also involve muscle imbalances. So I suspect that any exercise that strengthens the whole arm and hand and moves them together in long, sweeping swings would be a good counterbalance. If tennis isn't your thing, rowing and swimming would also work, along with weight training or painting giant Jackson Pollock-inspired canvases at the rate of two a week.
As for those teachers:
How did an innocent like your department head come to be the department head? No wonder he can't see a future for his students.