A Breather

Today, I'm home. I've been fighting a cold all weekend and my body and spirit just need a rest. It's been a while since I've visited this space. Life has changed. Children have grown. Yet, much remains the same. I'm still striving for that place of balance, that place of peace and beauty and purpose. I'm forever walking that fine line between accomplishment and inspiration.

But, today, a breather...

Ephemeral Art Projects

Last winter, I was introduced to the breathtaking works of artist Andy Goldsworthy.  Mr. Goldsworthy creates what is called ephemeral art from the materials he finds in nature.  He is inspired by what he sees around him, by the seasons, by the light, by the weather, by the natural world.   He creates these incredible works and them leaves them to the elements to do with what they will. 


In March, inspired by Playful Learning's Mariah Bruehl, I checked out some of his books from our local library and encouraged my girls to start making their own Andy Goldsworthy-inspired ephemeral art projects on the coffee table inside a sand-filled shadow box.  My girls poked some sticks, rocks and shells into the sand, but didn't really seem to care too much about the project.  Finally, I got sick of vacuuming sand up off the floor, I put the project away and, quite honestly, felt a little disappointed.  

Then, I stumbled upon this film and thought, "Oh, surely this will inspire them!"  and promptly ordered it from Netflix.  It is an incredible film that documents some of Mr. Goldsworthy's projects.  My girls were amazed by the painstaking process that the artist takes with each work.  They felt his pain as a work fell apart after hours of effort.  Then, they simply couldn't believe that many of his works are simply washed away by the elements and all that remains is a photograph of the astonishing creation.  "So, it's just gone, Mama?  That is so sad."  Nothing else was mentioned.  At all. 

We hadn't made any additional attempts at ephemeral art projects of late, but the other night we had some friends over for dinner and all four children (ages 4-10) were playing outdoors on our back deck while the other mother and I were catching up.  Suddenly, it was quiet.  I don't know about you, but that quiet that happens when a group of children are playing produces a bit of anxiety.  It can mean one of three things; 1) some "undesirable" activity is underway that is going to require a lot of clean-up, 2) the children have ventured into another yard while chasing some sort of critter and need to be recalled or 3) they are completely engaged and creating something really special...

Ephemeral Art Project, a photo by saraheliz1525 on Flickr.

It just goes to show you that children are always working on new ideas,  integrating what they've been exposed to with what they see in their day-to-day lives.  I had thought all of my attempts at inspiring my daughters with Andy Goldsworthy's work was for naught, but this just goes to show you that it wasn't.  They just needed some time and space to work on it on their own before inspiration could set in.  As these works blew away with a storm that night, there was no sadness, just an appreciation for the time spent with friends working on a creative project.

Warms a mama's heart...

Through the Lens: Explorations in Photo Journaling

My children are doing the most amazing e-course called "Through the Lens:  Explorations in Photo Journaling" with Playful Learning's Mariah Bruehl.

The course uses VoiceThread as a e-community for all of the 50 or so students who are between the ages of 6 and 12.  Mariah posts an assignment each week for the children that includes a photography component and a journaling/writing component.  Mariah expertly combines creativity, critical thinking, writing skills, an introduction to photography and community building in this innovative experience. 


It is incredible and my girls absolutely love it.  They are constantly checking in to see if anyone has posted something new or if someone has commented on their work.  They are getting to know their virtual community members (which includes children from all over the US as well as Australia and New Zealand.)  My girls responded with surprise when a fellow "classmate" from New Zealand mentioned that it is now winter there and she's freezing.  "What?" they said, "How can it be winter there when it's summer here?"  This prompted a whole discussion about how seasons are different depending on which hemisphere one resides in.  Their world is getting bigger by participating in this class from our kitchen table.

The other thing I like about this format is that I don't have to send my kids off to camp.  I love having my girls around in the summer and I don't need the daycare that summer day-camps can provide.  They do participate in an occasional day-camp for a special interest, but, mostly, we're home together.  This class has been a great opportunity for us to spend time together doing something fun and learning something new.  I love experiencing these things with my children rather than sending them off to do it without me.  


When the class started, Mariah said to the parents, "You are pioneers.  There haven't been e-courses for children, but I believe they have tremendous potential."  I couldn't agree more and my mind is spinning with the possibilities, especially as I begin this next chapter in the world of elementary education.

A Winter's Walk

Recently, we went snowshoeing at our favorite places near the cabin...

Though winter was still here in Colorado, nature produces visions most beautiful and inspiring.

I am always amazed at how everyone gets quiet as we make our way through the tall pine trees.  It feels as though peace makes its way into each of our hearts and calm prevails with each step. 

It's always good to get away from the daily routine and responsibilities, but this was a day to treasure.  Sometimes I feel like my heart is just going to burst with love for these three.  

Torn

This time of year, I always feel torn.  Torn between staying the course with homework and school activities and following my heart to play outdoors and enjoy the first signs of spring.  I'm torn between signing my girls up for all of the amazing summer camps that are available and keeping our summer days unscheduled and lazy.  This year, I'm also torn between following a dream of becoming a teacher and keeping my children and family as the priority of my daily existence.  I just feel so torn. 

I suppose it all comes down to that ever-elusive term, balance.  What the heck is balance?  Is it achieving some happy equilibrium or is it riding the wave of the constant balancing act of too heavy/too light.  Does one every achieve balance?  I think I know the answer.  I'm thinking it isn't an achievable "state," but the latter, ongoing act of adding to and subtracting from.  Today, I just feel tired of the act of balancing eveything.  Maybe that means that today is a day to compensate for the craziness of activites and schedules and just go with the flow...

Creativity

Recently, we had an "Art Day" with some dear friends on a day off from school.  These photos, snapped with a very old package of SX70 Polaroid film, remind me about how passionate I am about creativity.  I think creativity is the very lifeblood of an individual and, I think, the very essence of who we are.  I don't think I can exist without a creative outlet in my life and it took me too long to realize it.  I need to write daily.  I need to paint, take picture, sew, knit and craft.  I feel incomplete and irritable without the self expression, but it took me nearly 37 years to realize this about myself and to acknowledge that I have a voice worth hearing. 

I think children possess a natural creative inclination.  From the time they are toddlers, they create.  They create new words, new toys, new ideas and ways of doing things, not to mention new ways of doing art.  My daughters are the most creatively talented people I know.  Unfortunately, I worry every day that this creativity is going to be "beaten out of them."  Our society pushes perfection.  Their school rewards the "correct" answer, not the most insightful, inquisitive, creative answer.  As they get older, they are pushed to spend their time studying, playing soccer, or "achieving" in some fashion.  Art for the sake of art seems a waste of time and certainly isn't encouraged.  As they are older, their homemade gifts are received with less enthusiasm, which teaches them that money for store-bought gifts is better.  Their creative writing is stifled as it is viewed with a critical eye for correct spelling and punctuation and not for the ideas and insights.

I'm making my girls a promise right now.  I will always be more thrilled with a homemade gift than with a store-bought one.  I will never read a creative story with an eye for grammar and spelling.  I will never think that creative expression is a waste of time.  I will always make room for Art Day.  And I will hope that they carry on the tradition forever.    

So You Think You Can Dance.

Boy, this girl really can.