“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”

~ e.e. cummings

When school came to an end a boy in my class gave me a beautiful framed message that
he had written himself, each word in a different colour.  It read, “Thank you for inspiring me every day.”  When I first met this boy, he would do impulsive things like cut the front of his t-shirt in half with scissors because he desperately needed to make a super hero cape that instant.  Sometimes I would give just about anything to be four years old again – to give in to wild creative impulses, to just make things and have a devil-may-care attitude about it.  If anything, I should thank him for inspiring me, especially during those times when I am hardly an inspiration to myself.  I write a lot about creativity but don’t always practise what I preach, and recently my creative energy level has been at an all time low.  And so I decided it was time to do something about this situation – to run into the nearest phone booth, and emerge, revealing to the world my secret identity – Artist Girl!

Earlier in July I took a short course in printmaking, something far removed from my usual interests of music, writing and knitting.  I felt it was important to step out of my comfort zone if I truly was going to flex my creative muscles.  Although I was a little nervous at first, I soon discovered that I was in the midst of supportive people who explained and demonstrated techniques, and who allowed me to observe them in full flow as they explored making linocuts, etchings on zinc plates and silk screened images.  It was very exciting to see so many projects developing at the same time, to feel a renewed sense of creative energy, to tap into my own imagination (or other resources such as photos I had taken) in order to launch my own projects.  At the end of thirty hours I had made two linocuts, tried a few things with my etching, and created a t-shirt with some “knitting humour”.  I also discovered that printmaking was more demanding than I had realized.  I honestly felt the effects of my creative efforts in my joints, my tendons and muscles, but it was the kind of discomfort that reminded me that something vital was still alive inside of me.  If this is what it feels like to be an artist, then I have a new and deepened respect for artists and for their work.

Taking the printmaking course made me think that perhaps there is a real artist within me, living a quiet, secret other life, waiting for “actual me” to send out the Artist Girl distress signal – a call for help and inspiration, an invitation for the artist to emerge.  I don’t always have the strength or courage to conjure her myself. And I know that I just don’t do it often enough.  Maybe what I needed was a safe and accepting space, and the presence of people with a positive and creative spirit.  It was nice to feel permitted to explore, ask questions and even to take pride in what I had produced and to say, “Look what I made!”  It was nice to feel four years old again.  I discovered that while creating art has a solitary aspect, sharing art has a way of allowing a person to bloom, and to form connections with others and to actually be their inner Artist Girl.

This blog post is dedicated to Diego Fernandez, who will forever be a superhero in my heart.

A great way to feel inspired is to recall positive experiences from childhood that you connect with creative things you did.  When I was young I loved music – listening to it, singing along, making up little melodies.  I had a small harmonica and could learn to play simple songs by ear, eventually composing a few little tunes.  My mother named one of my songs Little French Town - this one had a clear beginning and conclusion, an ABA structure and a complex rhythm pattern.  I remember performing it at the school assembly, and everyone applauding.  On reflection it was a rather nice piece, though in no way the product of any special musical training.

I have no explanation for that.  I was not immersed in music theory, so when I played I didn’t know anything about keys or time signatures or musical notation, only that what I played sounded right.  It was much later when I took courses in musicianship and learned about sight singing that I could hear the melody, assign a key signature to it, figure out the notes and rhythm patterns and at last see what it looked like written down.  This was a really important development in my musical understanding.  While part of me wishes I had known more about sight singing and music theory earlier on, the other part is glad to know that there was a time when I could just spontaneously create a piece of music.  Something in me wanted to sing and play, and somehow found a way to do it. 

Then for a stretch of time, the music making stopped.  Even after I’d been teaching for a while, music hid in the margins of my classroom.

I would often hear the children singing while they played, and remember when I once did that.  Where did the inspiration go?  Prior to the time I began music studies, circle time would be when we usually sang a bit.  Circle times can provide such a wonderful opportunity for everyone to sing and make music just for the joy of it.  So often, teachers are nervous about singing in front of children – as I was – because they worry about being out of tune or feel that if they don’t have musical talent that maybe it’s best not to sing. 

I think we get far too intimidated by the idea that we need beautiful singing voices or enormous musical talent in order to share music with children.  If we don’t sing for the love of it, even if we’re not skilled musicians, that sends the message to children that you should only sing if you’re good enough.  Do you remember that popular Sesame Street Song, “Sing?”  I used to listen to it all the time, and remember the praise I got from my mother when I sang the whole song for her.  In fact, I still have the record – yes, vinyl - and cherish it. 

Recently, I found a really wonderful and quite funny You Tube video with numerous celebrities performing “Sing” and watched it again and again.  The next time you feel any hesitation about singing with children, treat yourself to this video.  It’s quite liberating!  It’s OK to sing, even if you don’t have the most amazing voice.  Give yourself and the children permission to just sing.

A List Celebrities \”Sing\” Sesame Street