When March came and we had to go to online mode, I, ever the optimist, thought, 'Well this is unfortunate but you know what? We can still change the world FROM ONLINE! Go team go! This will blow over in 2 weeks to a month, max!" And alas! Here we are... March 247th? 8 months later? I will consult the tally marks scratched on my wall and get back to you, chuckle chuckle. But we are here still and our kids still need us to be stubbornly and unwaveringly optimistic - even when we don't necessarily feel it, we can still give them the best of ourselves and then some. (While obviously - still taking care to fill our own cups so we can not be giving from an empty cup!) When I first started the quarantine, I went on a frenzied creative virtual treasure hunt of things I could do with the students with limited supplies and in the context of their own homes (with siblings, parents, with pets, often with no desks and stupid flaky Wifi) I wanted my class to not just be more screen time, but especially as the art teacher, a time for them to be able to get some relief and actually DO something. Through my search I found a bunch of fun different ideas perfect for home. I want my art projects in this time to elevate the mundane. What are the little things in our lives that we take for granted? The objects, the people, the views (even if they are limited to our windows, to our street, our grocery stores?) that make up the intimate moments of our every day life? Though my school will allow me to get some supplies to the kids, I almost want to do without the supplies. Because I want to show my that though nice art supplies are important**, people have been making art out of whatever they had available to them since the dawn of time. We were created to be creators, that is the Divine essence of a human! We make, we feel, we innovate, we survive, we endure. How do we make the best of what we have with what is available to us - no matter how seemingly small or insignificant? How do we teach our kids to make beauty out of what seems ugly and worthless? Because that is not just art - that is also life. But then again art is life. Though, you already knew that I am sure. So here it is. My small contribution to the world during this time. We are all exhausted. We are all done. The world seems to be on fire as we grapple with the upcoming election, the tensions and the injustices in the world, racial and otherwise, and our own private despairs and missing our sense of normalcy. But take some time to look at some of the resources and fun things I have here that you can do with your own students or your own kids at home. If you don't have kids go grab a kid you know somewhere and do this with them. (Don't grab a random kid obviously, that is kidnapping and considered a felony...) Or grab a roommate/friend someone and connect over creating something!
**SHOUT OUT to funding the arts! Please consider how you might support your local art programs, artists and educators in the way you feel called to whether financially or with your time and energy!**
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Lily Raven LeonAs an arts educator, I firmly believe every person is creative and artistic. Like Picasso said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when you grow up." ArchivesCategories |