Just Be Free

Liv at age 4.  Spirit.  Determination.  Pure will.  Creativity.  Imagination.  Passion.

Uncaged, and with the right mix of sleep deprivation, fatigue, or barometric swings, this can be a full-fledged parenting challenge that sends me straight to the closet to put myself in time-out.  However... without it, I would not have this amazing little imaginative being that Bill and I are so priviledged to be parenting. 

My challenge: not to cage this little spirit, as tempting as it may be.  There are moments when I want her to be more compliant.  When I want her to cut the drama in half....okay....LIE...I want it to decrease exponentially.  But, the voice within tells me to be careful.  Teach wisely.  Guide without snuffing that light out.

I know deep down that out of that fire comes creativity and imagination.  Livvy is top heavy with these two attributes.  She is all about story-telling, drawing, painting, creating...the more details, the better.  About 2 months back, as we were in LaMars Donut shop, I noticed the artwork on the walls and immediately fell in love with it...several multimedia works on canvas of various animals....a turtle, a lion, a croc, etc.  As we're waiting in line, I see a flyer advertising art classes for kids, taught by the artist who made the wall-art, Paige Anderson.  Zingo!  I immediately thought of Liv.  A perfect match to channel that creativity.  I visited the website (check it out, by the way.  It shows a picture of Ms. Paige's ooh-too-cute studio that she's made in her house). 

http://www.justbefree.me/

Thus, Liv started up a little class on Wednesdays. 

Let's just say, she has a newfound love-affair with Ms. Paige and the world of art and creativity that's opened up before her oh-so-wide open eyes.  Ms. Paige is amazing with Liv.  Each class, they learn about an artist and a style (at a 4-year-old level, of course), get to use very cool grown-up art supplies and tools, and work on different techniques to create amazing projects.  Okay, I admit I'm biased. 

Weeks One and Two:  Barnett Newman, "Monochromatic 3D Collage Painting"

Weeks Three and Four:  Working with Clay, "Caterpillar and Pinch Pot"

Weeks Five and Six:  Van Gogh:  "Sunflower made with Pumpkin Seeds"

"This is my sunflower in a field of a hundred different colors."

So, what makes me so proud?  To see Livvy's passion at work.  To see her face light up.  To see  her so proud of what she has accomplished.