One of my favourite books is one of my 3 yr old sons! It is called The Dot by Peter Reynolds. It is about a little girl, Vashti, who at the end of an art class still has a blank sheet of paper because she things she cannot draw. Her teacher asks her to “Just make a mark and see where it takes you”. So she jabs the paper with a felt pen making a dot. The teacher then quietly asks her to sign it. When Vashti comes in to the classroom for their next art class there it is, framed and hanging behind the teachers desk. Vashti decides she can do a better dot than that and it unfolds her creativity.
I think it is a beautiful and poignant book. The art teacher was based on Peter’s maths teacher at school.
“When I was in 7th grade, something remarkable happened that changed my life in a wonderful way. An amazing teacher, Jim Matson, pulled me aside for drawing in class, instead of paying attention. Rather than scolding me, Mr. Matson asked me to try a project, tapping into art and storytelling to help other students understand a math concept.”
This teacher gave Peter permission to follow his creativity and he created a comic book helping fellow pupils understand maths. Through this he untapped his passion and talent as well as seeing maths textbooks in a new light! (I wish there were more teachers like Jim Matson, helping people learn by using their own intrinsic motivation rather than a carrot or stick but that I am digressing!) This lead Peter to an animated film and a career using his passion and talent for drawing and communication.
So what hold us back from making our mark and seeing where it takes us? For me it is often my thoughts telling me I am silly, it won’t work or lead to anything, I’m not good enough etc. I have learnt that my thoughts are not reality. Our thoughts create an illusion of reality but then deceive us by telling us they are a result of this ‘reality’ not the creator of it. So we end up believing our thoughts, thinking they are based on reality. I have learn’t to catch myself when my thoughts spiral out of control, letting them settle, perhaps asking myself what story I am telling myself because that is the illusion, false reality I am creating and believing.
I used to think I wasn’t creative of good with words having trained as an engineer. I now use language as an art form, the medium being coaching people to let go of what is holding them back in their life…helping them to make a mark and to see where it takes them.
What illusions are you thoughts creating? What story are you telling yourself that is holding you back form making a mark….and seeing where it takes you.
