Templates or Freedom?
There is considerable determination to supply children with pre drawn images to 'colour-in'.
A childhood spent 'following the rules', keeping within the boundaries is the opposite of developing the tools that young people need to manage themselves.
If young people have the opportunity of a blank space in front of them and invited to put whatever they want onto that blank space then a huge amount of emotions develop.
"Anything you want"
Anything - What is anything? Materials, dimensions, how can I use this paper/medium?
You - Who am I? Do I have an expectation to fulfill or can I go somewhere else inside me and see what is there?
Want - What is there to want? What is want? Who am I to want, require, need, imagine, dream, believe?
Freedom to investigate oneself when presented with 'blankness' - an opportunity to go into oneself and find out something new each time.
The newness, the fresh, is pulled out and played with on the medium supplied.
When supplied with fresh new medium we find our resourcefulness, we investigate and are curious about what is possible and available for our use, from within us.
A blank slate is confronting. Practicing and learning how to deal with the confrontation and confidently find the inner answers is how to powerfully manage oneself.
If you have always had a template to practice creativity you won't have the skills to draw on your inner... own strength and ability to come up with the fresh, new, innovative and
Sit, close eyes, own television behind the eyes, what is it that you start seeing. Nobody else knows that, you are responsible for that. What you can make happen there is your own business, nobody else can help you. Start drawing... get the idea where you are going. Unique, dealing with what is possible for themselves for their own, unique authentic being.
Who or what they are really are... gather that up, close eyes, what is that I feel...that I know about myself...about...play with what happens.
If anyone copies, they are not being authentic, just copying. What is available for them. Waiting for them to source.
Oku Moe Moia, The Dream that Is Bigger Than I Am.
It is waiting for them to draw down and play with it.
Not looking at anyone else...look into themselves.
Providing the space for young people to have a crack at it, ask the question.. who am I?
Start somewhere, on their own personal journey, their work, discovering about themselves every time.
Using the hands, head and heart... visiting the soul and it feels good, comfortable, like home.
Congratulate everyone who starts...
Give all children a blank paper. It is their very personal journey. Their property. And no assessment, judgement can be made because it is personal.
Awakening. Discovering inner strength. Not Art Therapy. No templates.
