Awakenings

Jamie Rider’s Wishcasting Wednesday asks, “What do you wish to Awaken.”

As always a provocative, and equally pertinent question for the place I find myself. I wish to awaken the unshakable confidence in myself as an artist that I strive to give to my students, my children. What does that mean. For me it is the ability to LIVE what I teach, to BELIEVE what I profess, to trust WHO I AM.

I AM AN ARTIST. How can I awaken my belief in that statement.

My answer is found at the end of the wonderful David McPhail: Drawing Lessons from a Bear. In this as a young bear learns life lessons from various “teachers” he asks the artist bear how he also might become an artist. He is told (very matter-of-factly), “You just say you are an artist, and you are one.” This is the first “lesson” I teach when I work with anyone, of any age. After asking students the “Why are you here?” question, I follow-up with the “Do you want to be an artist?” question. When working with kids, the responses to the first part are usually wild and diverse. They then almost always respond to part two with “YEAH!!!!” Easy, breezy. I wave my arms (sometimes wielding a paintbrush) and give them a “Zappo-rooney-booney!!! WE are all artists!!!!!!!!” And then I tell them the McPhail story.

Adults are proportionately more difficult. The “Why” question is often responded to with “I can’t draw.” Depending on the student this is delivered with a wide variance of tone from whine to palpable fear. I then give them the first exercise: “Take a piece of paper and a writing/drawing/painting implement. Ball point works just fine. On the paper print your name, sign your name, make a circle, a triangle and a rectangle (rectangle, because squares are too traumatizing).” They always comply. Mainly, I’ve noticed, because adults have been regimented into following directions in a “teaching” scenario. I have them look at their papers and tell them, “There–you just drew.” Usually this breaks the ice enough that we can work. I rarely revisit the “Do you want to be an artist?” as a question, but turn it as a statement as we move through the classes. And always with a little humor. “See, this is wonderful! And you said you couldn’t draw!!”

I do believe in this, that I am an artist. I believe that when we allow ourselves, we are all artists. It is the awakening of that little knob of truth we all carry that can blossom into a confidence that empowers and frees. I wish for that awakening for you, for me, for everyone.