To all you flownetters:

I belong to a ceramic listserve (pottery, for all of us oldies), and thought 
you all might appreciate this post.  After all, problem solving skills are 
just as important to us in the medical field as they are to us artists...or 
wannabe artists  :)

Linda  RVT,RDMS,BSVT
Butte, MT

>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: Clayart <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Problem solving skills
>Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 16:45:50 -0700
>
>Hi Antoinatte,
>
>
>
>What an interesting question!
>
>
>Certainly there are many kinds of problem-solveing skills, as can occur in
>many kinds of occupations or involvements...many kinds and many qualities 
>of
>them...of both...
>
>Too, there are problem-creating skills, likewise...
>
>Problem-recognition skills, likewise...
>
>Making problems worse, skills, likewise...
>
>And problem-management skills, too...
>
>Skills for ignoreing, or being in denial about, or having
>cognitive-dissonance with various kinds of 'problems' ( whether as
>'solution' or as 'management' method, or as a way to make more
>problems...or...)
>
>Managing others who make, create, solve, or ignore problems, also...
>
>Collusions or consensus as to just what is/was a 'problem' in the first
>place, and the level of importance to be attributed to it, with respect to
>whether it should be 'solved', and why...and so
>on...
>
>On and on...
>
>In many areas of life, the 'solutions' have not been as good as the
>'problem' had been...or, the solution is much worse than the problem had
>been...or the 'solution' makes new 'problems'...
>
>Atomic Weapons and Nuclear 'Power' may be imagined to be a good example of
>some kind of 'problem' having been identified and 'solved'...and for the 
>new
>'problems' it made, to be ignored or 'managed' in varying degrees of
>cognitive dissonance or denial or cascading problems evolveing from ongoing
>'solutions'.
>
>But I do not know if the "A-Bomb" and "H-Bomb" and Nuclear Power qualify as
>'Art', or more as 'Craft'?
>
>
>I do not think people 'learn' problem-solveing skills from being occupied 
>in
>Art or Craft, unless, maybe, we are limiting it to only some technical
>relations of processes and materials they work with, or transfering
>something familiar to something new ( however well or badly) , then, of
>course they learn in-a-way,
>( or by asking others or by experiment or maybe by use of reason, ) to 
>solve
>certain 'problems' which they have encountered, but this may not be what we
>would call "problem-solveing skills" per-se...or at least I do not think it
>is.
>
>Rather, I think they bring to these occupations or passtimes, whatever
>background level of applicible (by them, in their judgement, of)
>problem-solveing skills they
>will happen to already, ambiently posess or elect to use in any given area
>of involvement.
>
>
>Too, the term "problem-solveing skills" is really very vague, even if it
>connotes some idea of someone, somehow, 'solveing' problems.
>
>Charles Whitman (Aug 1st., 1966 I think it was, just to pull something ouf
>of a hat arbitrarily, ) may be supposed to have acted in a way which for
>him, 'solved' some 'problems' when he ascended that 'tower' in Austin, 
>Texas
>way back when...
>
>Is Marsmanship 'Art'? Or 'Craft'?
>
>
>Thus creating 'problems' and opportunities for contextual 'solutions' for
>sundry
>ER staff and others to confront, as well as 'problems' and opportunities 
>for
>'solutions' for various people's families, creditors, insurance
>underwriters, launderers, courts, and so on...
>
>Likewise with any example, in which what we are really asking/saying, is
>about some order of consensus, and some order of abstraction to elect the
>context, and some order of the qualifications or election criteria of that
>particular
>or general consenus...regarding the abstraction, and the context, and the
>kinds of values which may be attributed to any of it.
>
>The ability to identify a problem I think would come first, and that too is
>tricky, in lots of ways, among which, is that so many people make problems
>in various ways, either just
>because they can, or while trying to 'solve' what they feel is some
>'problem' to them, and, with varying kinds of understanding, or lack of
>understanding, or point-of-view...and various kinds of motive, or empathy 
>or
>appreciation for what those problems left-alone, or solved, or how-solved,
>may mean, or may mean to others.
>
>Or, I think the question needs to be much narrower to be in focus.
>
>Or it is too complicated for me anyway...
>
>
>Lol...
>
>Love,
>
>Phil
>Las Vegas
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Antoinette Badenhorst"
>
>
> > This morning I am flooding you with questions. Sorry! How do you think
>that
> > art and craft activities can help people learn problem solving skills? 
>Do
> > you think that learning these skills in practical life will give people
>and
> > specifically children tools in their hands that they can pull through to
> > their personal lives? Opinions please? Thanks.
>
> > Antoinette Badenhorst
>
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