Vision and Voice

The Performer and Explorer  Mindsets

The Challenge of Balancing Performer and ExplorerEvery day, I wrestle with a paradox. I want to learn, and I want to succeed. My students feel this too—it's a tension woven into the creative process. They come to class eager to improve, ready to push their skills further. But beneath that, there’s a deeper, more urgent desire: they want to make something good. Something they like. Something that feels like success.
And yet, these two goals—learning and succeeding—pull in different directions.
The Performer’s MindsetWhen I want to succeed, I lean into what I know. I choose materials, techniques, and ideas that feel safe, familiar, and within my skill set. I make decisions based on preference—what I like, what I think looks good, what has worked for me before. My questions are focused on outcomes:

• What do I like?
• What do I want?
• What do I know how to do?
• How can I use what I know to make what I want?

This is the performer’s mindset—evaluative, result-driven, and rooted in past experience. It’s about using my current abilities to create something I can be proud of. There is nothing wrong with this mindset. In fact, it’s essential when I need to finish a piece, prepare for a show, or present my best work. But if I stay here too long, I stop growing. I risk repeating myself, choosing safety over discovery.
The Explorer’s MindsetLearning requires a different mindset. When I’m exploring, I’m stepping into the unknown. I don’t have a clear destination. I am not trying to succeed—I’m trying to see. I ask different questions:

• What can I try?
• Why do I care?
• What can I change?
• What can I see?
• What is possible?
• Where am I willing to risk?

These questions aren’t about getting it right. They are about expanding what I know. Instead of choosing what I like, I seek what surprises me. Instead of repeating what works, I challenge assumptions. Instead of aiming for a polished piece, I embrace process, experiment with variables, and allow for failure.
The Balancing ActHere’s the challenge: I need both of these mindsets. If I only explore, I might generate endless experiments but never refine my voice. If I only perform, I might perfect what I already know but never evolve.
So how do I balance them?

1. Separate Learning from Performance
   
   • Give yourself permission to explore without the pressure of making a “good” piece.
   • When practicing, let go of the need to like what you make.
2. Define the Purpose of Each Session
   
   • Am I here to explore and discover something new?
   • Or am I here to perform and refine something I already know?
3. Toggle Between the Two
   
   • Start with exploration: Try something new, push boundaries.
   • Then shift into performance: Use what you’ve learned to create something you feel proud of.
4. Use Reflection as a Bridge
   
   • After exploring, ask: What did I discover? What excites me?
   • Before performing, ask: How can I integrate what I’ve learned into my work?

The Real WorkBalancing performer and explorer is not about choosing one over the other. It’s about knowing when to embrace each mindset. It’s about recognizing that growth is not a straight line—it’s a dance between curiosity and mastery, between risk and refinement.
The real challenge is not just learning how to explore, but learning to trust that exploration itself will lead to something valuable—even if we don’t know what that is yet.

Making the Mindshift from Performer to Explorer

The performer mindset has its place in learning—especially when acquiring a new skill. Watching a demonstration, following instructions, and trying to replicate a technique builds foundational knowledge. It allows you to see a successful example and use that image to assess your progress. But at what point does this structured, performance-driven approach limit growth? And when should you shift to the explorer mindset?
When is the Right Time to Shift to Explorer?
The transition from performer to explorer isn’t a single moment; it’s a process of recognizing when you are ready to move beyond imitation and into personal experimentation. Here are key indicators that it's time to shift:

• You have developed basic competency in a skill and feel comfortable executing it.
• You find yourself repeating the same steps without deepening your understanding.
• You feel bored or stuck, unable to express something uniquely your own.
• You are curious about variations, wondering “What if I tried this differently?”
• You feel confident enough to take small creative risks.

Why Make the Shift?
Staying in the performer mindset indefinitely can create limitations:

• Dependence on external validation – You might feel like you need someone else to confirm your progress.
• Fear of making mistakes – If perfection is the goal, you may avoid experimentation.
• Lack of personal expression – Your work may feel like a copy of others rather than a reflection of your own artistic vision.
• Stagnation – Without exploration, growth plateaus.

Shifting to explorer mode opens the door to:

• Deep Learning – Instead of just doing, you begin to understand why things work.
• Creative Freedom – You make choices based on curiosity rather than expectation.
• Personal Voice – You begin integrating your unique interests, instincts, and artistic language.
• Greater Confidence – Through experimentation, you develop problem-solving skills and self-reliance.

What Happens if You Don’t?
Remaining in a performer mindset too long can lead to:

• Burnout from chasing external standards of success.
• Frustration when skills don’t translate into personal expression.
• Imposter Syndrome, feeling like you’re just mimicking others instead of creating something original.
• Creative Block due to fear of stepping outside structured learning.

How to Make the Shift: Tips & Guidelines

1. Reframe Your Goals
   • Instead of “How can I master this technique?” ask “What can I discover by using this technique in a new way?”
2. Turn Performance into Play
   • Challenge yourself with “What happens if…?” experiments.
   • Give yourself permission to create “failures” and embrace surprises.
3. Develop Exploratory Prompts
   • “What if I change one small variable—color, texture, material?”
   • “How can I break the ‘rules’ in a meaningful way?”
   • “What would this technique look like if I made it truly mine?”
4. Mix Skill Practice with Self-Directed Discovery
   • After copying a demo, immediately try a variation of your own.
   • Keep a journal of what worked, what didn’t, and what sparked curiosity.
5. Adopt an Iterative Mindset
   • Expect to revisit ideas, refine them, and evolve rather than “nail it” on the first try.
6. Use Reflection as a Learning Tool
   • Ask: What did I learn from this attempt that I didn’t know before?
   • Celebrate insights, not just polished results.

Mindshift Prompts to Guide Exploration

• Where am I now? → What aspects of this skill do I understand, and where am I still imitating?
• Where would I like to be? → How do I want to express this skill in my own way?
• What small baby step can I take? → What’s one tiny change I can try today?
• What’s getting in my way? → Am I afraid of making mistakes? What happens if I let go of that fear?

By shifting from performer to explorer, you step into ownership of your creativity. You stop chasing external benchmarks and start discovering your unique way of working, learning, and making.

"your teaching method was transformative for me as both an enamel technician and an artist"
-Candie P
If you are new to my style of teaching, please take the time to read "Candie's Story".

Candie's Story

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