Category: ART 211 LN

Dr. Raul Cuero’s extremely humble beginnings and several significant events in his life enabled him to rise above the socio-economical norms we all typically experience.  Often we’re not able to see those norms, or boundaries in our lives unless we forcibly break outside them.

In one example, Dr. Cuero was deeply affected by last statements made by his basketball coach when leaving Columbia to pursue higher education on a scholarship.  His coach said (I paraphrase) “We are all given a gift by God.  I believe your gift is basketball.”  Dr. Cuero’s coach failed to see him as anything other than a basketball player, and Dr. Cuero used that limiting comment as motivation to prove the world otherwise.  Dr. Cuero did not allow someone else to define who he was.

One of Dr. Cuero’s keys to creativity is observation.  Observe all things and activities, but mostly observe nature.  Nature’s complexity in simple being holds many creative insights, but observation is not simply looking at or watching something.  Observation requires deep thought and correlation between your experiences and what you are taking in.

I believe the best lesson from this interview is the fact that Dr. Cuero did not allow anyone to discourage him from becoming whatever he wanted to be.  Further, he used discrimination and obstacles in his life as positive motivation to make himself better than anyone ever expected of him.  Never allow anyone else to limit you by listening to their expectations.  The only expectations you should use in your own life are your own expectations.  Keeping that thought with me will allow me to achieve whatever I set out to achieve.

Purple-blue hair.  Awesome.  Professor Rountree strolled in, a couple of minutes late because of the rain and parking, but it was a confident stroll.

She has a European accent and hinted at a small country of origin…I’ll guess Luxembourg.

I’m back in class after taking the summer semester off, but only my second semester of class after decades away from the classroom.  I’m an old guy in a class surrounded by “kids” the same ages as my own.  Awkward.  Fortunately this is a 200-level class, different from my introductory 100-level research and writing class but still very young.  I easily have 25 years on everyone but the purple-haired Professor Roundtree.  I’m uncomfortable.

She refers to someone named “Santiago” who I later assume is a legendary figure here at UT, an artist who is also a programmer…or a programmer who is also an artist.  Regardless, I will have to meet him, because I consider myself in a similar regard…an IT/computer guy who is also an artist.

I took this course mainly to learn the history of art & technology, but I’m also expecting to learn more about composition and creativity.  I’ll apply that different perspective to future web sites.

Prof. Roundtree also took firm control, chastising cell phone use and encouraging writing/doodling note-taking….NO digital note-taking.  That’s a bummer but I can deal with it.  She also stressed attendance.  Confident and firm.  Creativity with structure…looking forward to this one.