FEATURED ARTICLE
PAMELA
HAWKINS
“On Behalf of Art Teachers, I Apologize”
i
WORK WITH PEOPLLE TO HELP
them express their authentic creativity.
What comes up for you when you read
that? Many people will not even listen
to the rest of what I say, because they
don't think it's for them.
Many people's initial response when
they hear the words “creative,” “art” or “painting,” don’t
relate, because they don’t believe they’re an “artist”. Perhaps
you've even said or thought one of the following, “I don't
have a creative bone in my body.” “I can't even draw a
straight line.” “I can barely draw stick figures.” “Someone
else in the family got all the artistic talent.”
I’ve heard so many stories from adults who remember the
exact moment someone told them, “that wasn't the way to
paint something", “that’s not how it’s supposed to look;”
“that’s wrong.” Judging, shaming, criticizing…even
wadding up the drawing and throwing it back to them.
Unfortunately, this often happened with a teacher, and
worse yet, an art teacher. So the child decided right then
and there they would never pick up a paintbrush again.
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If that, or something similar, happened to you, I want to
apologize. On behalf of your art teacher, your teacher, your
parent…I'm sorry they said or did that. I’m sorry, though
well-meaning, they inadvertently caused a deep wound to
your innocent, open, natural creative tendency, and perhaps
shut down your own loving and free connection to creative
source and your own beautiful imagination.
How can your imagination possibly be wrong? Who says
your purple tree is wrong; your bird can’t have three wings,
or your monster shouldn’t have eyes for a belly button?
What if someone said, “show me more” instead of “that’s
not right.”
We live in a culture where the definition of "artist" is very
narrow. Being able to draw something and make it look real
is a skill, but it really has nothing to do with your authentic
creative expression. You are a walking, breathing, living
creation. Creativity is something that comes naturally to
each of us and children express this easily and joyfully, with-
out hesitation or inhibition.
For many, this now lies dormant, hidden from us and it’s a
APRIL 2017