When we are young, we feel talented at many things. Ask a four year old to draw a self portrait and that four year old is expecting that piece of art to hold the front and center spot on the refrigerator. Ask an extroverted little girl prancing through the grocery store to dance for you in those rockin’ cowgirl boots and she just might do you a twirl and a jig. Ask a boy to sing you a tune and he’ll belt out something. At the top of his lungs.
Kids get the arts.
And then those same kids grow up into you and me.
And we don’t feel so talented anymore.
But here’s the thing. Each of us needs a voice. Needs the therapy creativity allows us. The arts are of utmost necessity if this world is to not only survive, but develop and move forward. Because while academics and errands and all the things of our ordinary days moves us on in a marching fashion, it is often the arts that truly wake us up. That song on the radio that suddenly captivates. The one that makes us spontaneously cry. The vibrant color in nature triggering new ideas on long walks. Seeing the ordinary in a brighter light, a different perspective, a kinder nature. Making our lives not just trudge along, but dance and twirl and sing out loud. Creativity and the arts help us breathe with purpose beyond ourselves.
Point is, we need creativity. Kids need creativity. And communities need the art coming out of our creativity. So this section is devoted to creating. And to sharing. And having fun with it all.
Educating Patricia Hatch 