Friday, June 24, 2005 
6:36:00 AM EDT 

BIG, WIDE, COLORS!

Kids love to color. There is a period of many years (age: from first time they hold a crayon until maybe age 7 or 8) when they just don't care WHAT they color: walls, the electric bill, sister Barbara's science report, brother Bob's report card, daddy's paycheck, mommy's eyeglasses. They have no reserve -- they just want to see COLORS, and relish in the creative accomplishment they've done. 

Why do we lose that freedom of spirit? Why do we lose that spontaneous creativity? Way before school age is when we're expected to understand "mine and yours" and how "you can mess up your own stuff but don't mess up mine." But then kids are then still content to "mess up" and draw their lovely pictures on "their own" stuff - their books (adding to the illustrations therein), their shoes, their bed frame, their walls, their dolls or trucks....and for a limited time after starting school, even on their lunch box, their own report card.... 

By age 8 though, that all gets squashed as kids are taught that one's art is not valuable in some places and earns grades only if art is made on certain things. Unfortunately, that thing usually is a single-sided sheet of 8 1/2 by 11 inch plain white paper, or worse, papers with pre-drawn designs or pictures to color. Enter the "perfect coloring book" stage. "Stay in the lines," we have told kids so much by age 8 that their only remaining creativity is in their choice of colors. We now have little "artists" by mimeograph/Xerox, as long as they stay in the lines within the small piece of paper.

It's no wonder it takes many people decades to reclaim their true artistic spirit! The first time as an adult when one chooses not only the color, but the space the color uses, releases a new taste of freedom! If you have any doubt, buy a 20 foot by 20 foot canvas (even a tarp will do for the first time) and a 4 inch wide paint brush along with several or more cans of different color paint. Lay out the tarp or canvas and -- Make a swipe! Go ahead! Make another swipe! There's no pre-printed picture, no lines to stay inside. Load your brush and hold it above the tarp and let it just DRIP. Dribble the color around. Fling your paint right to left, or top to bottom with a flip of your wrist. Stab and dab at the surface with the paint. Twirl the brush. How many different ways can you "paint"? 

Stand up and paint. Now sit down (cross-legged if ya can) and add to your creation. Best yet, sprawl out on your belly, propped on elbows, and get real close to your colors and drawing. Experiment. What can you see? What can you dream?

It's real hard to teach oneself to forget to be "reserved." We were are all trained so well when young. But, don't you just want to see the COLORS? And feel good about your creation, whatever it is? And feel good, even if what you've made looks "messed up" to everyone else? (What's so wrong with a mess sometimes?)

Try it. Let your spirit be free - finally! See the COLORS!!!!