I Heart Books

View from my seat

​Su Chun Lin - Graphic and Media Design

I started my first placement at Book Arts Workshop in LCC.
 
Book Arts is a workspace mainly for manual work. There are various kinds of binding, technique such as foil blocking, and even paper making for students to explore, to apply on their work.
 
I am deeply fascinated by any kinds of paper related objects, such as papers (obviously), books, pamphlets, brochures, note pads, boxes, and so much more. Working in this space allows me to develop various possibilities of the materials in my free time.
 
When I am not free, my duty is mainly assisting the technician, Rahel, during workshops and inductions. Also, in the first few days, Rahel asked me to be familiar with the foil blocking machine, so I am proficient enough to instruct to other students.
 
Since this month is the beginning of the term, there were a lot of inductions and workshops running for freshers. What I observed during the sessions was that understanding and teaching are two totally different things. Understanding is more inwards, whereas teaching is like to transfer (or even translate) the knowledge to others. Interestingly, some people find easier to understand through text, some find easier through figures. There is not right or wrong, better or worse, it is just about which way works effectively for learners.
 
Furthermore, after running so many workshops with Rahel, I realize that it can be challenging when an interest turns into a job. Because it is actually quite tiring to repeat exact the same thing four times a week, if there is not enough motivation, the passion can be gradually exhausted.
I then had a chat with Rahel about how she keeps the enthusiasm without getting bored of repeating the routine. ‘When I see students get down to it and sometimes receive positive feedback after the session, I will forget about the tiredness.’ She gave me a warm response.
 
Working closely with a book making expert is a valuable opportunity to not only learn the handcraft method, but also problem solving and communication skills, which there was not as much chance to experience in my everyday life before. I am really satisfied for what I have gained so far, and looking forward to confronting more impressive things in the remaining journey.

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