Hello to everyone out there in the Do Art Nation!

It’s been an amazing summer so far.  We’ve been amazed by all the cool drawings and amazing art we’ve seen at our comic book and art workshops, and we can’t wait to see even more!

I’ve been down in St Charles, Missouri, for a park district art variety program.  It’s been going great–I’ll add in little thoughts and insights as I go along, but I wanted to give a quick overview.

Day 1 we do drawing: this is more or less the one hour workshop we run at libraries and park districts.  We’re especially fond of this bc it warms up the kids’ creativity and gets them into the spirit of the workshop–the emphasis on audience participation and WACKY energy.

Day 2 we do poetry.  At first I was nervous about following something as exciting as drawing with something like writing, but I’ve been impressed time and again with the way the kids engage with the art form.  I realized that kids LOVE to write, much the way they love to draw.  Writing has an ability to make their ideas and dreams concrete, and when done in a self-directed way, emphasizing the creativity rather than the niceties of spelling and grammar, I’ve been amazed at how kids can explore it.  We make 3 line poems, and have kids write on our old-school typewriter: ALWAYS A HIT!

Day 3 we do PAINTING.  The kids were absolutely looking forward to it on Tuesday, and you can see that they really enjoy the tactile nature of the medium, as well as the versatility.  One group will not only have 12 different paintings, they’ll show you 12 different ways to paint: some kids will draw their design and then paint it (which we gently encourage), while some will simply start to play with colors on the canvas.  Some will mix their paints with water to achieve a watercolor effect.  Some kids will lean more into abstraction, or story, or scenery.  The way they approach painting not only demonstrates their personality, but shows you just how many ways there are to make art!

Day 4 we do ACTING.  I’m excited to see what this one brings: every acting workshop we’ve done has been a revelation.  The way kids will mix spontaneous play inside a semi-structured environment makes for an energetic, funny, and fascinating experience.  We have them say funny lines that they write down, act out SUPERVILLAIN MONOLOGUES, and then practice a dialogue with their friends.  We provide simple props, and hats for costumes–their energy and imaginations do the rest!

Day 5 we make a comic.  I’m excited to see what this group makes on the whiteboard, as well as what they create on their own.  The comic, like the drawing, allows them to come together as a group, mixing art with story to create something unique that manages to mix all of their creativity together.    

We’re a little over halfway through the program as I write this.  Every day teaches me something new and amazing, and drives home that the chant we do before each workshop isn’t just an exciting affirmation, but undoubtedly the truth:

I AM AMAZING

I AM CREATIVE

I AM AN ARTIST!

Hope you all out there are having a good summer!  I can’t wait to see what art you bring into the world!