good morning
:***

interesting, this notion of play...one of my students today was in great distress over the assignment (even though it was wide open to interpretaton). I watched her body stiffen as she pushed the paint onto the canvas. The other students were totally lost in their exploration. Finally, this student threw up her arms and said "I can't do this...it's too hard"..."I hate these lines"...I asked her what she would like, and in the moment realized that this question was her fear: she didn't know what she liked. I asked her what would make her feel better about the painting...she said if the chaotic lines would go away...I asked her what stopped her from making them go away...there was a flash in the eye and the breathing began again.
The rest is a miracle, as she proceeded to wipe it all out with white paint. Sometimes we just need to have permission to start all over again...learn what it means to breathe through the heart of a child...