How Learning by Doing Shapes Creative Career

"Erik: What draws you most to experiential learning? Cathy: I’ve just always loved being active and actually learning by doing things rather than, you know, reading books, reading articles on the internet. You know, you can get sucked into that, I’ve seen people get sucked into that all day. And you feel like you accomplished so much. But, um, something like, here is the perfect example, like cooking, I don’t read too much cooking literature. Um, actually, literature is another thing I like food writing like a narrative writing. But, I don’t read too much recipes, cookbooks. I like looking through it for inspiration but I would rather just get in the kitchen with a friend or somebody who is marginally interested in food and or just myself and just making something and learning from that. Erik: And, have you always been that way? Cathy: Yeah, I think that um, I wasn’t always that studious. I think I must have ADD or something, so, um, before the days of Ritalin. [laughs] So, ah, you know, I would like, you know, make up plays with my friends or dance routines. I’m like coming up. We actually did a video series with me and my brother with some neighborhood friends, created like a news show, so… Erik: Really? Cathy: Yes, instead of sitting in front of the TV, we were just like, ‘Let’s make a show. Okay!’"