Creativity

I recently watched Sir Ken Robinson's video from TED talks which delves into the idea that schools kill creativity. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

It was an interesting and thought-provoking video which made me think about the role creativity plays in my life, and in my teaching.  I would never say I'm an artist, but I love to create.  Scrapbooks, collages, poetry, abstract pastels and paintings - these are my outlets and personal expressions.  Did I do well in art in the public education system?  No.  Do I still love it, yes. But I do if for myself now, rather than for assessment.  Assessment can be scary.  It really makes me question giving a grade in Fine Arts at all...what is the point?  (Most days I wonder what is the point of assigning grades to any subject or skill, but that is a whole other topic.)  Back to Art...who am I to judge how skilled others are, in techniques that I myself would not excel in?  I can teach skills and be a guide on the journey to discovering the joy in expression in all forms, but beyond that, again, who am I to judge?

I remember in high school when a certain Art instructor was attempting to help me improve my painting, but he took the pencil and brush in his own hands and went over my own work with his ideas and 'improvements.'  I don't remember it being traumatizing, but it definitely had an impact.  Perhaps this is why I cannot bear to call myself an artist...

Creativity - if we were just all allowed the freedom to explore art in its various forms for pure enjoyment.  I see my son dipping his brush, the same one, in multiple paint colours <gasp> without cleaning off his brush in between <double gasp> and throwing (sometimes literally) paint on the paper without planning  or worrying about what it will look like.  He sometimes does one brush stroke and is done.  Other times he sprays paint on for 10-15 minutes at a time.  When he is done, he stops.  Is it a picture that I can decipher? No.  Did he enjoy himself? Absolutely.

We could all do with more time to explore our creative side.  And yes, I do believe we all have one.  We spend so much time, as Sir Ken puts it, on one side of our brain.  Society rewards it.  Let's play more and celebrate our whole selves.


To do this more often, and encourage it in my students, I have recently picked up a new book (see below) that I am so excited to use on my own and with my students, soooo!...off to play

The Journal Junkies Workshop: Visual Ammunition for the Art Addict

 

Wealth

This is defined in many ways by different people. I am in the midst of a very wealthy weekend.  A massage. Tea with a friend on her new back porch.  All day canning 350 pounds of tomatoes with an amazing team of great people.  Drinks with the neighbour gals.  REAL conversations.  A sense of community.  A husband who took care of our son while I took time to do all this. A son who ran and gave me a hug when I returned and enjoys popping bubble wrap for long times.  And shortly we are on our way to Point Roberts to spend the day playing with friends and exploring the beach...The weekend is barely half over and it is already filled with abundance.

The spaces in-between...

I first came across this poem in my Literacy course and made so many connections to my teaching, and the balance between teaching and home life. As I sit here, in a quiet moment after dropping Kai off at daycare and before errands begin, the words come back to me:

Fire

What makes a fire burn
is a space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing,
too many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the falmes
almost as surely
as a pail of water would.

So building fires
requires attention
to the spaces in between,
as much as to the wood.

When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way
we have learned
to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how
it is fuel, and absence of the fuel
together, that make fire possible.

We only need to lay a log
lightly from time to time.
A fire
grows
simply because the space is there,
with openings
in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn
can find its way.

-Judy Brown

Although it is not January and it is not the traditional time to set New Year's resolutions, I am going to do just that right now.  I will take more time to find and enjoy the spaces in between.  I hope you can do the same.

Another beginning...

I LOVE beginnings...they make me excited, overwhelmed and energetic all at once.  As another summer ends, I am getting ready to head back to work, do my last semester of grad class, and put my son back into full-time daycare.  I have so many journals, scrapbooks, lists of things I want to do and see...I am hoping by creating this blog that I will have a place to express myself without having lists posted all over my room.  It is for me, but perhaps someone out there will gain something from reading it as I have gained from reading those of others.  Enjoy!

Where I Am Right Now: Jan. 4, 2010

1.  Enjoying my last day of holidays, which have been both fun and relaxing.

2. Wishing I gave myself more time to just 'hang out.' The holidays were a good start.

3. Learning all I can about eating local, sustainable food.  I just finished reading the 100-Mile Diet, written by two Kitsilano locals.  Jason and Callie gave me two more books to read on the topic, and Glenys emailed me a list of where she shops locally for quality food.  Marc and I have also been watching BBC's 'Future of Food' on the globalisation of food.

4. About to 'strip' Kai's diapers for the first time...apparently it's detergent build-up that causes them to smell when he pees...parenthood - so much to learn!

5.  Processing our uncut Halloween pumpkins so I can use them in baking.  Who knew?!

6.  Leisurely working on my 'Journal Your Christmas' scrapbook.  It will be such a good memory-keeper.

7.  Realizing how Stay-at-Home Moms and Dads spend their time.  There is so much to do!  So much to try.  So much to learn.

8.  Noticing again how I'm definitely not a late-night person.  It wrecks my mojo...it takes a full day of napping to recover!

9.  Thinking about location vacationing in the summer rather than going to Spain.  Not wanting to miss out on the free airfare for Kai, though.

10.  Glad I have journaling in my life.  It centers me and makes me so much calmer.

For Today: December 13, 2009

Outside my window... snow gently falling, lightly covering the trees and the ground.

I am thinking...why am I so tired? All weekend I've felt exhausted.  Fighting illness? Recovering from non-stop schoolwork and Kai?

I am thankful for...spending time with Kai and Marc all weekend without thoughts of deadlines and what needs done.

From the kitchen... the beginnings of a pot roast, hot milky-sweet tea and dreams of Christmas baking to come.

I am wearing...jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and a red sweater...and of course, my slippers.

I am creating... more tiem to spend with my family, a Christmas scrapbook and a unit on Japan.

I am going...to enjoy being home with my family until my basketball game tonight.

I am reading... recipe books and Kai's books to him.

I am hoping...to gain some energy back.

I am hearing...the silence of snow on a background of Marc's electric drill as he makes our kitchen stool safe for Kai, with rails.

Around the house...I smell pine from our Christmas tree.

One of my favourite things...slowing down in preparation for the holidays.

A few plans for the rest of the week...get my Fluevogs repaired, go to the Family Place with Kai, plan my first week back after holiday so I can relax...

For Today: December 13, 2009

Outside my window... snow gently falling, lightly covering the trees and the ground.

I am thinking... why am I so tired? All weekend I've felt exhausted.  Fighting illness? Recoving from my non-stop schoolwork and work?

I am thankful for...spending time with Marc and Kai all weekend without thoughts of deadlines and what needs done.

From the kitchen...the beginnings of a pot roast, hot milky-sweet tea and dreams of Christmas baking to come.

I am wearing... jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and a red sweater...and, of course, my slippers.

I am creating...more time to spend with my family, a Christmas scrapbook and a unit on Japan.

I am going...to enjoy being home with my family until my basketball game tonight.

I am reading...recipe books and Kai's books to him.

I am hoping...to gain some energy back.

I am hearing...the silence of snow on a background of Marc's electric drill as he make our kitchen stool safe, with rails for Kai.

Around the house...I smell pine from our Christmas tree.

One of my favourite things...slowing down in preparation for the holidays..

A few plans for the rest of the week...get my Fluevogs repaired, go the the Family Place with Kai, plan my first week back after holidays so I can relax...