Saturday, November 5, 2011

My first really bad experience

I missed my volunteer time Friday last week, I went to see my sister's band The Marvins play as the Stone Temple Pilots at the Crow Foot (which incidentally is where The Art Experience's Gala celebration will be held on December fourth, there will be an auction, food, music and lots of fun to be had.)
I missed the previous week and when I came in for my usual 6:30-9:00 p.m. I found that the gentlemen I was helping with the grid and the baseball player had been "helped" by the other volunteer ________.The parts that I was not there to sit with him and explain every square where drawn with a different style. I inferred that the other volunteer ______ had drawn these lines. The gentlemen who I had  to persuaded to draw his own drawing rather then use the outline which was drawn for him by another volunteer a few weeks ago, was back to letting everyone do it for him. He can't draw the detroit D on the baseball cap, no he will have ________ do it since ________ did it last time. His confidence was cut down to being dependent and he no longer wanted my help. So, I worked on  my treasure box; it is coming along quite nicely. About twenty minutes later, when the other usual client comes in to work, a young man with autism who had a show there with _______ the previous weeks, wanted to paint animals and ___________ abandoned the baseball gentleman to help the young autistic man. _________ said if you need any help, I or Sydney will be here. So the baseball gentleman comes over and wants to  know if the teeth he drew are accurate, he wanted ______ but _______ said Sydney will show you. So, I went over to help, I went back to the line for line process we where doing. I tried to explain a good way to shade with color pencil, he tried but ________ who's style is very flat has informed everyone to color things in completely so there is no white showing through. I tried to explain that this is not always the case. When shading something, it is ok to have white coming through. I tried to build up his confidence by saying you are the artist and however it looks you can be proud because you made it. He yelled at me "I don't want to talk to you." I said "If I did something to hurt your feelings I am sorry I really don't mind helping you" He said "No don't talk to me EVER again"

Some things that I am not sure about:
Am I ethically allowed to talk about the specific subject matter the client is drawing?
Should I use fake names to represent the people so my stories don't seem so hard to follow?
I am ethically against drawing on a clients paper, especially drawing for the client. I voiced my opinion of this when the supervisor came to talk to me. This situtation is hard because I felt really awful I did not know what to do.

It is hard to gauge if the outburst is because I would not draw for him, if he could sense my dissapointment in the other volunteer through my actions even though I did put on a happy face, or if it was because I missed this indiviudals birthday it was the previous week and I was at a halloween party. I think his feelings were hurt from this, and that is the root of the problem. I also was working on my treasure box rather than give him my undivided attention, so this could have also been a reason for the outburst.

Is it appropriate to make him a birthday card?
What an awful experience.

1 comment:

  1. Sydney, this sounds awful. I also wonder if he was getting confused because the help he was getting from the two of you was so different. I don't know if he has any disabilities but maybe he couldn't transition from one style to another. I'm curious what kind of advice you got from the supervisor? Was she equally concerned about you and the client or more for one of you? Also, did she make any effort to help you guys work out the situation? It seems that this would be part of a studio experience that the client could learn from and practice real world social skills, if he had been directed with that in mind. How frustrating for you. I must say I like your approach though.

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