The Joy of Being a Blockhead reminded me of this story about Kurt Vonnegut that I posted a couple of years ago:
In 2006, a teacher at Xavier High School in New York had her students write a letter to their favorite author inviting him/her to come speak to the class. Only one author, Kurt Vonnegut, answered. He turned down the invitation, but his reply is heartwarming:
November 5, 2006
Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and Congiusta:
I thank you for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana. What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and
sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net.
Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms.
Lockwood. OK? Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash receptacles. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow.God bless you all!
Kurt Vonnegut
lovely idea…so with another home issue annoying me “big time” not just the watery issue – I’ve been at my “still life bench” – creating and photography…
I’m sorry you’ve been hit with yet another problem, but I’m glad you have your art — that can help so much.
A very good lesson.
Iām still trying to do just this!
When I was young, I was told not to waste paper when drawing.
I was taught to make every effort worthwhile and to have something to show for it.
Of course this resulted in paralyzing my creative process.
So YES! I need to tear it up into tiny pieces!
(But I know Iād still scoop them up and hide them in an envelope. Ha!)
When I started playing with oil pastels a few years ago I keep thinking of Lynda Barry’s quote,
It was inspirational, and fortunately I wasn’t tempted to save much if anything of my explorations. š
At the moment I’m playing with some drawing/painting apps on my iPad so I don’t have to worry about the paper.
I once made a purple tree. hasn’t every child done similar?
and I remember being told by the teacher that they weren’t purple and to do it properly.
such small minds teaching eager little minds that see the world in wonder and possibilities! luckily I still love fantasy and make believe. she at least didn’t kill it completely. š
and the piece Vonnegut wrote is wonderful! have never read it.
wouldn’t actually have thought that of him! š
My first grade teacher used to tease me about my drawings, until one day I drew an extremely simple picture of a girl holding a bouquet of flowers. I told her it was a bride, she loved it, and from then on that’s all I would draw — the teacher told my mother that I must have been impressed by a wedding. I liked the teacher, but she was certainly clueless about that one. š
I used to draw ships, boats and airplanes all the time when I was in my lower classes and was encouraged by my teachers. Then reality kicked in and I stopped. Now my creative juices flow in my attempts at writing my blog posts.
We have all sorts of opportunities available. We live in a great time.
Very sound advice. It sounds like schools still need a lot less rote learning and a lot more personal exploring, experimenting and talent-nurturing.
Unfortunately the schools here seem to be going in the opposite direction. From what I’ve heard they’re pushing for desk work even for kindergarteners. Schools and teachers are graded on how well their students do on standardized tests. Noses to the grindstone, no exploring, thinking outside the box.