The Big White Paper in the Studio

At the end of the school year we cover the studio mirrors with large sheets of white paper so the students can practice their dances without the benefit of their reflections. We also put a basket of crayons on the floor. You can probably imagine what comes next...

Two Harry Potters

Three Justin Beibers (one crossed out)

A slice of cheese (with cheese misspelled)

Eighty million kitty cats

Two Spongebobs

A herd of rainbow-colored puppies

A lot of bubble-faced smiling girls with bows on their heads

A zombie

An octopus (this is mine)

Way too many floating eyeballs (One proudly proclaims "I see you")

A piece of toast

A narwhale

etc.

By the time I left work last night, there wasn't much open space left over. The most notable thing about all of this is how excited the kids get when they enter the room and see all the drawings. They can't wait to make their mark, add their character to the vast sea of faces. Then, in classes to come, they proudly point out their drawing to anyone who will listen.

No grand conclusion. Just that it's really inspiring to see how excited they get over the mere act of creation. A crayon and some white paper. It doesn't matter if they're 5 or 18. Everyone goes immediately for the crayons. I think there's hope for us.

Reader's log:

45. Chime - Franny Billingsley