A story of a little girl and her art

Daughter wants to grow up and be an artist.  She’s really into art.  And can draw.  Artist level or not remains to be seen; with her interest, goals setting and desire to work towards this goal, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her become one.  Or become something totally different.  She’s 8 (soon to be 9, yelp!), so who cares?  That she’s showing interest is enough to set about projects like the one chronicled here.

Geninne’s Art Blog – check out the picture of her art table at night.  A friend forwarded this to me long, long ago.  For a long time, this was in my links.  I would open it and drool over the set up and enjoy feeling of creative just looking at the picture.  My favourite saying on accountants and creativity is that creative accountants go to jail.  So you know just by the fact of my location, I am not creative!  Yet, we lust and try to provide others with a space that encourages her interest.

After results like this collage of another favourite – the Rainbow Magic series, how can one not take the effort to clear out the guest room (which rarely sees guests staying over any more – the occasional friends, the once-in-a-few-years sister can still be accommodated comfortably!) to get her a lovely space?

A pine chest that had been our entertainment center in the US had to be cleaned out of its current junk….papers and folders and unopened mail, papers that should have been filed away.  The top was full of bags and kids’ school work from last year and just general junk.

The table has a nice corner by the window to occupy.  Another art table organized well gave some more ideas.  Some were hurriedly changed when something that cost $5 ended up closer to $70 at an Indian stationery store.  Cork boards were re-purposed and some fun was had shopping with daughter’s glee in mind.

The planned end result is a ledge with hooks to hang these colourful buckets, a caddy that screams Bunty Aur Bubli just perfectly, some curtain rings glued together for holding paintbrushes, a chart basket (a plastic dustbin covered up with newspaper), a set of drawers meant for spices now have beads, sequins and shiny supplies – voila, a space where her art books and supplies shall lie ready for inspiration to strike.

Son is not to be left behind – besides liking to make pictures, he has to feel it is fair (not, since he is not ready to do or maintain a lot of stuff she can…this is her thing like sports is his), has to be provided something to just keep out of her hair.  He loves to sit and colour, jabbering away when someone’s around…the company angle works.  She is his guru – she gives him ideas, shows him techniques, helps him by demo-ing on rough paper.  It is ideal brother-sister time, so long as there’s no tussle for the same resources.  If that is the case, the feeling of enthusiasm and well being lasts about 10 minutes, 15 minutes on a good day.  Duplicate resources, it shall have to be!

This mechanic’s table is his now for art.  He came to me some time ago and told me he thought the mechano stuff we have is too baby.  You know, the feeling of loss comes through in little things in his case.  He can’t give away stuff, finds it hard to make a choice because in taking one he has to let another go, has to cling to stuff above and beyond normal – this is vehement refusal to give away torn, beyond well-used t-shirt that he doesn’t even know he had.  This is a kid who will say no to new stuff because then he won’t use his old stuff as much any more.

Yes, all children deal with this to some degree – this is clearly above and beyond, can’t be written off as normal or even slightly above normal.  One more opportunity to coach and be flexible.  This can’t mean we’re chockful of junk, broken toys and stained clothes.  Clutter in the cupboard reflects mental clutter to me and often times a spring cleaned cupboard is a lighter mind.

A common resource cupboard is an old telephone table.

A bird consorts with a doll, waiting and watching.

Daugher no. 2 was a constant companion through all this – inspecting the collage….

before settling down to what I suspect might be a well used space of her own.

If at the end of my life, they think they had opportunity and space and grumble about the little stuff like my idiosyncrasies of going to Costa Coffee (they hire differently abled people and actually make process changes to accommodate them comfortably) versus another coffee shop nearby…I would consider myself successful.  Plus us ‘good’ (you make the creativity connection!) accountants need some fun and colour too.

Have a wonderful week.  May the colour gods favour you and yours with a surfeit of fun.

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