08/26/2021
I taught an art class at The Recreation Department today. The kids did SO great.
A couple of them were new, and expressed all kinds of fears and stress.
First of all, that is WONDERFUL! This means these kids have been having their feelings heard. They trusted a STRANGER with a mask on, with their fears.
Can we just take a moment, to acknowledge how important that is?
“I feel nervous.” “I’m not good at drawing.”
“I don’t like the way this is coming out.”
“I need help.” These we’re all things they said, in the first few minutes.
Luckily, I was able to convince these little kids, that it’s ok, for their art to not look perfect, and if you want a perfect image of an owl, you can just take a photo.
Today we were not photographers, we were painters. Painters make all kinds of mistakes, and no paintings are perfect. In fact, perfect is boring.
All great artists started out not liking their work. What we were searching for, was self expression, self exceptance, and kindness to our art.
The intended lesson, was on the value of color, meaning how light or dark it is, light source, and bold strokes, but what they all got, because a couple kids, were brave enough to share their fears, was much more valuable.
All the kids left happy, with their art, their efforts and themselves.
I left ecstatic, and like I was actually doing something that mattered. I was actually making a difference.
After the initial high, I felt tired, in a way that can’t really be explained. This happens to me, after every class, that challenges me, to really emotionally engage, and to a lesser degree, every big social engagement.
I’m a complete introvert COVID has taught me. I was a child, who didn’t share her fears with adults, because I didn’t feel safe.
So when the high dropped, and I wondered, what might have happened, had those kids had a different teacher today, who didn’t understand, what these kids needed, they might have demanded the kids “get it right,” and made the whole thing about the product, they could have really done some damage.
In thinking about this I became very worried, for all their creative journeys, and how they could so easily be squashed.
I’m sharing this, as a cautionary tale.
Most the adults who say, “I can’t draw or paint,” will tell you a story, about a day in class, where someone said something, that made their little creative hearts feel squashed.
While I’m sharing, let’s be honest. I’ve said things to my kids, I wish to god I could take back, and the only thing to do after that point, is recognize it, admit it to them, say you’re sorry, and vow to do better.
I’m no more perfect, than the messy painting I made today, and that’s ok.