Our Dogwood Tree bloomed this week;

I was enchanted!

~jvashely                                                                                             DreamArc

My Dancing Dragon (DD) has begun his book, titled The Dark Shadow.  You can view the beginning of his tale at the Story Art section of DreamArc.  He dictated the story to me, and I typed it into the computer, making it official.  The DD was delighted!  We first printed out a sheet with the title across the top.  Using this sheet he made a crayon drawing for the cover art.  While he designed and colored, I had him dictate the first page of the story to me while I typed it onto a sheet I had set up for the inside of the book with text along the left side allowing for art on the right.  When he was finished with his drawing, I scanned it, and then brought it into Photoshop.  There, I added background color to the crayon art under his exact specifications. 

It was great fun for both of us, and got us both through an impatient day at home.  I had taken him to the doctor the previous day with strep-throat.  He couldn’t return to school for two days, but he was feeling peppy the second day and needed entertainment.  The process of beginning to turn his story into a real book delighted both of us.

The Dancing Dragon’s book grew out of the complex tale he had woven after hearing my ideas for my upcoming NaNoWriMo novel.  Realizing right away that he would not be dissuaded from creating his own version of the story/stories, I offered to assist him in building his own book.  He wanted assurance that we could actually turn it into a “real” book with a cover and a hard spine.  I assure him that we could.  I either plan on uploading it to Lulu.com and have a copy printed or actually building our own book with cover. 

My fifth grade teacher had us write and illustrate our own novel and taught us a rudimentary way of Book Binding with cardboard and contact paper.  As I refigure out the process with the DD, I will document it and put it onto the website for your use.

Meanwhile, the Dancing Dragon and I are in the creative state of Story Art.  Visit the Story Art section of DreamArc to see our process.  We are moving slowly, between rounds of strep throat, Boy Scout Campouts, School Homework and the intricate task of building Robot Dragons.

Original Crayon Cover Art

(before Photoshop)

Twenty nine days until National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2009 begins.

Over lunch this week, I shared with my children the new adventure I am about to embark upon, NaNoWriMo!  I am going to take the month of November to write 50,000 words towards a novel!  I even shared with them my three possible story arcs.

To pass the time while riding in the car, (when the DS batteries die, or they were not allowed in transit) we pass the time by telling an ongoing “And Then” story.  One person begins a story.  When they say, “And Then,” the story passes to the next person.  The story grows around and around the car, until the Fashion Fairy kills off the Dancing Dragon or vice-versa, (both literally and figuratively) and the adults call a halt to the whole process.  Hopefully, by this point we are in the garage and ready to get out.

Being well trained in the art of story telling (it may be genetic; you should hear my mother)…They immediately took it upon themselves to begin constructing my story for me.  My daughter offered the name “Bob” as the antagonist, or the nickname “S” short for a name she has not chosen yet.  My son leapt into the mix with a complex weaving of all three of my possible story arcs, carefully bound into one long flowing tale.

I considered explaining to them that this was MY STORY, but knew this would be pointless.  When a story teller is unleashed, there is really no stopping them.  Looks as if I may have to give them their own paper and pencil, so I can write My Own Story.  That is how it works with drawings in our house, and with mathematics, as well.  But that is another story for another day.

Wish Me…Errr…Us Luck!

Thirty one days and counting until National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2009 begins.  Unlike you crazy seat of the pantsers, I am attempting a little prep: Character Analysis and Plotting, prior to the gates opening November 1^st when the prose will begin to pour.  I am providing myself with a handful of crutches lest I come up half way through November and forget how to write…or three days into November.

I gave myself How to Think Sideways as a gift and igniter several months ago.  I have always enjoyed writing and story telling, but will not give it anytime, unless I have a commitment to do so.  Sad that I have to put a requirement to the things that I enjoy doing in order to do them.  Otherwise, I think they seem too much like…well…Play, and who has time for that!?! 

Quoting the powers of Play and the Imagination is easier than actually following through.  So, I am double daring myself with the self gift of How to Think Sideways coupled with joining the NaNoWriMo challenge.  You see, as much as I love creativity, feeding your imagination, and giving it room to play, I am loathe to take time to do it outside of my occupation. 

So, Here We Go!

Note:

Having children who need parental attention, down on the floor with colors and blocks, requires creativity and play out of you also.  

A Good Thing!

Through the industrial age, children were taught to be efficient workers, and that served a need. Now, that jobs are easily out sourced, it is not our efficiency and mechanics that move us ahead, but our ability to be creative, to create and recreate a new and better life.

Our children need the tools to become the architects of their own imagination to design and build a better space in which to inhabit and in which to invite others to join them in living.

Give a child a stack of blocks to play or colors, paper, scissors and glue then stand back as their imagination expands across the living room floor.  Be warned, however, this does make life a little sticky and glittery at times (all the time), and walking can become an obstacle course. 

The art of play can not be underestimated.  As Friedrich Froebel, the founder of Kindergarten, said, “Play is the work of children.”  Play is how they experiment and learn how to build the world of tomorrow.  Toys and tools that allow children to manipulate, imagine and create are the biggest brain builders.  Some of my favorites are listed below.  You can find samples of some under the Toys heading at DreamArc, if you need any for your little ones to fill their growing hands and minds.

Construction Toys

The Building Blocks page at DreamArc and the earlier blog entry here give a list of some of the brain building power of these little cubes, rectangles and cylinders. 

Toys for Developing Abstract Design & Spatial Awareness

For the manipulation of color, shapes and design beyond the basic building blocks

Imaginative Play Toys

Puppets and play things to add color and dimension, bringing the imagination to life

Crayons, Markers, Chalk & Paint

The basics to illustrate the stories pouring out of those brains, and for designing the Robot Dragons and Amusement Parks of tomorrow

Remember when you leave for the office in the morning with your suit covered in glitter –

Playing Is Hard Work!    

And Important!

We must write our own story & not rely on our back story. We can not live forever in what has already been.  We must create what will be.

I have been pondering the idea of writing our own story, partly because I love to write and am about to undertake a large writing project. (see NaNoWriMo post and future post on Thinking Sideways)  But more importantly, I believe that we have to be able to see the future we want in order to achieve it.  We have to clearly chart the steps or story that will take us there. 

Designing the world to be

The children’s Story Art section of DreamArc has also opened the idea of drawing as well as writing the future.  This exercise can open the right brain up to the process since it speaks in pictures rather than words.  The right brain is more intuitive and imaginative.  Creative thinking is what we will need to begin the process of designing the future we want.  The left brain will have plenty of opportunity to jump in and plot the course of our future story, but we must conceive the story design first.

Architectural Process

Perhaps this possible process intrigues me, because it is the process I have taken as an architect.  The two sides of the brain have to participate on a fairly consistent basis:  picturing shapes and mass then moving back and forth between program requirements to building codes to square footage requirements and back to the story of who will inhabit this space and how they wish to live, work, worship and play.

Children’s Story Time

These thoughts all bring me back to the Story Art Gallery.

I believe that children have found the key.

Imagine Your Story

Draw Your Story

Tell Your Story

Construct Your Story

          Then…

                   Stay There And Play A While!

National Novel Writing Month or put your fingers to keys and don’t look up until you are done.  I have written about creating… children creating, adults creating.  I believe in dancing with your dragons and flying with your fairies.

Now, I am going to do it!  Yes, I am.

I signed as a member of NaNoWriMo today.  I am putting myself out there for public humiliation if I do not finish. 

National Novel Writing Month is just that.  Everyone participating starts November 1^st and attempts to complete a novel or 50,000 words written by November 30th.  Setting limits on yourself and announcing them publicly aids the creative process by causing you to actually participate IN the creative process.  It is after all, a process, not an end destination.  Participation is necessary rather than mere spectatorship.

I came to the discovery this past week that whatever else I proclaim myself to be; I am ultimately a story teller, a teller of tales.  Even as an architect, I am merely helping my clients realize their story of how they want to live, work, play, and worship.  As an architect, I tell these stories in concrete.

In NanoWriMo I will tell these stories in words.  Join me if you dare!

To be honest, I really enjoyed her videos…THEN I discovered that I agree with her outlook.  Take a look for fun!

http://www.befitenough.com/

After emptying my children’s backpacks, weighing approximately 352lb.s a piece, I add the fresh pile of school papers to the tower now falling off of the kitchen cabinet.  I would move them to my “office space” except for the fact that I am relatively certain that the bottom most papers are adhered to the counter with an unknown substance with the holding capacity far exceeding the current version of super glue.

Teachers, I ask you most sincerely and with the utmost respect for what you do for and with my children and 23 additional wiggling unruly children every day, I ask you this, “Do I REALLY have to read through all these papers?”  Are you sending these to me for informational purposes or to ensure that I suffer a small piece of the pain you go through each day with parent’s excuses, education board forms and county policy reports.  I feel for you!  I do!  I love each and every one of you dearly for what you do each day, but please, please!  After a day of work, fixing dinner, throwing a load of laundry into the washing machine and cleaning up cat vomit, I simply do not posses the mental capacity to screen through the relevant and irrelevant papers.

On the off chance that they are ALL relevant, I am truly doomed!

I can not in good conscious badger my neighbors for another fund raiser, no matter how cool the glowey plastic spinney radio my child will win may be.  I am not going to try out for the assistant teacher’s exam, no matter how many times you send me the form, because, quite simply, I find a class full of small people terrifying!  You are brave and heroic for what you do, just please, put it on a yellow or pink or blue half sheet if I REALLY need to look over it.  Otherwise, it may just become stuck to the counter along with the rest until next fall.

Sincerely,

The Bewildered Mom