Let the little children lead us
Maddie has no doubt that she’s an artist. “Of COURSE I’m an artist,” she told me one day as she put brush to paper, just after I’d mused “maybe you’ll be an artist when you grow up”. Why would there be any doubt – if she can pick up a paint brush, dip it in the paint, and apply it liberally to the paper – that she’s an artist? Sheesh! Moms are SO silly sometimes!
Maddie is seven. Last night, I picked her up from her weekly “young artists” class at the local leisure centre. After waving her art in front of my face, she bounded through the parking lot, talking a mile a minute about all the projects they were going to make. “Next week, we’re making DOLLS! Can you imagine? I don’t know HOW we’re going to make dolls! I’ve never made a doll before! And then the week after that, we’re making paper maché. I don’t know what paper maché is yet. Today we did finger painting and I forgot to wear my paint shirt, and – Mom – I’m sorry I got it all over my clothes, but the teacher says it’s washable. And why would you EVER make any paint that wasn’t washable? ‘Cause really – kids are gonna get it on their clothes!” She didn’t stop chattering – from the moment I picked her up, all the way through the grocery store, to the moment she got home. I think the only reason she stopped talking was because she needed to divert her mouth to the task of eating!
Oh the joy and confidence of a seven year old in love with art! I want that effortless joy, that confidence that I really AM an artist just by virtue of picking up a brush, that willingness to experiment with things I haven’t tried yet, that willingness to give away my art without doubting that it will be lovingly received, that unabashed delight in getting dirty, and that ability to make mistakes without translating that to mean I AM a mistake.
Hi, I'm Heather Plett. I'm excited that you've stopped by to learn more about how we can make the world a better place through the sharing of our gifts and creativity. I've been thinking about these topics for a lot of years now. Through my work in creative communication, workshop facilitation, fundraising, leadership training, and freelance writing, I've gathered a lot of wisdom and stories from my own experiences and the experiences of the people I've been blessed with knowing.
I really enjoyed this post, Heather. Thanks for sharing. I love Maddie’s take on being an artist!
My Little One has been exploring art since she was a little younger than Maddie. She’s going on 11 now, and I’m already certain that she will be a professional-quality artist by the time she graduates high school. It’s just like you describe it: just picking up a brush or trying a new technique or whatever, just because you love it, and screwing up, and then trying and trying and trying until you figure out how to get the result you want, all because you have a passion for it.
-TimK
And how lucky and blessed Maddie is, Heather (and Tim), to have a parent (or parents) that just accepts it as truth. You don’t challenge her assumptions. You don’t critique her or tell her she is silly. There are so many other ways to respond to this besides the unconditional love with which YOU respond.
The beauty and artistry of your Conscious Parenting is just as breath taking as is her enthusiasm and conviction that she has every right.
Thank you.
I am smiling all over myself. I can just SEE Maddie, proud of her paint-spattered clothes. I can HEAR her jabbering away. But best of all, through you we are able to LISTEN to the wisdom of the young: “Of COURSE I’m an artist!”
As I think you know, my daughter’s been drawing and painting since she could wrap her hands around the utensils. She gets better and better — and she calls herself an artist. She is an artist — and I’ll encourage her to go as far with it as she wishes.
Here’s to raising our girls to be their true, creative selves!
I just want to hug you! So … *HUG*!