Encouragement is key. When I started drawing I was no Emily Carr but with my Mom's encouragement I had confidence to try new things. If we don't encourage children to expand their own creativity then we shouldn't be surprised when they want to just give up.
I love this picture I found by Ted Harrison. The bottom of the picture he says, "Paint how you feel and what you feel. Don't allow anyone to tell you that it must be done in a certain way. Be yourself. A lot of people are put off art because they have an art teacher who tells them exactly how to do everything and it inhibits them. It's like going to play hockey for the first time and expecting to be a Gretzky. You've got to start from the bottom and just enjoy yourself. In the enjoyment you become keen and motivated. If you don't enjoy yourself there's something wrong."
When I first read this quote I was moved. I found it so easy to relate to Ted Harrison's view being an athlete myself. When I was starting hockey I was not the best player out there but with support, encouragement, and dedication I was able to improve a lot over the years.
I hope this quote by Ted Harrison will inspire other people the way it inspires me.
2 comments:
So basically you keep on keepin' on? Is that what you're saying? =D
'Cause I think that's a great attitude to have!
I liked hearing that someone else was inspired by Gretzky. In fact, I did four book reports on "Wayne Gretzky, An Autobiography with Rick Reily" throughout my school years. Role models are important - what we see in others is the potential that we have in ourselves.
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