Generations of Creativity

ROAD TRIP!!!

We're on a nearly two week, estimated 2200 mile driving adventure.

Departing sunny FL north thru Augusta, on to Annapolis and resting now in the Poconos we are headed to my two days of participation in "Reading is FUNdamental Festivities" in NY, before a quick heart-beat stop once we start heading south through Columbus for a do-not-pass-go hug fest before we then head on to the Tenn IRA Conference for my presentations there. Got it?

All of these miles give me an opportunity to reflect.

Today's reflection is on creativity.

This gem arrived in my brand-spanking new telephone-from-Mars. It's a capture of my grandson WonderBoy's Pirate-Gingerbread Kindergarten homework. (Haven't really figured out how to answer my phone or make calls, but its neat-o slick that the images show up all sparklie zip on this bigger screen!! Please be patient if you're calling me.)

My WonderBoy arrived to the Planet just under a month 'early' in an emergency scenario that was necessitated to save his mommy's life. He has been playing 'catch-up' ever since. Those early, treasured and significant toddler milestones of walking + talking were reached very d-e-l-i-b-e-r-a-t-e-l-y and with much support and cheering. So now he's in kindergarten and every adult who has ever worked with him is delighted to see his recent efforts!!!

Creativity requires time, materials and support.

As a LUVer of all things R-A-I-N-B-O-W, can you imagine how I felt to open an 'old-school' envelope, delivered cross country into my mail box?

 LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!!

Love the focus. Love the concentration. Love the deliberate exploration of all of those different colors. LOVE it!!! Love my WonderBoy's process.

How do children tap into their innate creativity?

This road-trip is a unique opportunity to consider that very question!

Our six hour 'lay-over' in Augusta was designed to share a few precious moments with my parents. [I can't even believe that I didn't think to take some pictures.... we just had tooooooo much visiting to fit into such a short window of time.]

My mom gifted me with a photo journal she created of my ancsestery..... going back three generations photographically before my existence.... documenting the creativity of my fore-mothers. My mother is the gifted one with words. (Click here for that earlier tribute.) She is the keeper of the family story. She is our generational scribe. She is our historian and word smith.

Mom titled my journal gift, "Little Girls All Grown Up." This title references an earlier present. Previously she had given both my sister and moi a set of eight black and white photos representing five generations of us as young girls... including our own daughters. Each female photo was of us around kindergarten age. The first four pictures below are represented in the adulthood collage above. My mom is in the red dress with her heart shining, and that's me with big hair and earrings from the time capsule of a couple decades ago. Here we are again below in all of our innocence.

Creativity is nurtured by those who come before us.



From Augusta's lay-over we proceeded to the musical home of our youngest daughter and her talented husband just outside Annapolis. These two find their giftedness in the realm of all things music, particularly in the classical realm. Noelle is on target to wrap up her doctoral program this spring with a Doctor of Musical Arts, with her focus being on all things oboe. One does not get a doctoral degree over night.

Developing talent and exploring creativity requires patience, resolve and effort.

We had just walked in their back door from some errand running and I said, "What-ever happened to that idea of adorning your beam with some artistry? Why not now?" So in three clicks they assembled a brand new paintbrush and the perfect paint. Zip, zap, zowie!!!! Just like pixie-fairies, I 'decorated' their beam! Creativity starts with permission.

Not to focus any amount of time on the nature vs. nurture debate let me just do a quick recap.

• Creativity requires permission.
• Creativity requires time.
• Creativity requires materials 
• Creativity requires support.
• Creativity is nurtured by those who come before us.
• Developing talent requires patience, resolve & effort.

Debbie's half-a-dozen on creativity. 

There you have my reflections from the Poconos.