"Let her go places that we've never been"..... it is a line from Neil Gaiman's book Blueberry Girl. I feel like I'm in one of those places. I need to go places I've never been, but it is hard and scary. I've been teaching lately. I'm not good at math, games where balls are thrown at me, world history, or wearing matching socks (as long as they are both white-it works), but teaching comes easily. Teaching kids to express themselves through art and though acting in a fun, comfortable safe atmosphere is my thing. Well, it was my thing. Then I had this baby and we both cried every morning when I would leave for school. So we moved and downsized a bit so I could be home with the baby (toddler) and then another baby came and we were oh so happy, but those babies just grow and grow and even go off to school so I had to figure out What do I do now?Sometimes God whispers and sometimes he shouts and thunks you on the forehead. I am better with the thunks.
I want to be with kids and lead them though silly games and let them use their imaginations and act out and pretend and be a little crazy. I want each child to be a creator, make stuff, get messy and show the world how brilliant they are because they colored their lion green instead of yellow.
But, I need to be home. I need to play princess vs. bad queen with my three year old and read her thirty books a day. I need to pick my boy up from school and take him home for chocolate milk and playing in the yard time. I need to make meals and wash clothes and try to help my husband so he can be a great professor.
I'm not really sure how to balance it all. My dream is to have a studio, gallery, teaching space someday.
So, my step for right now is TaDa! Creative Adventures. They are workshops for kids with storytelling, drama activities and expressive art projects. I've done a few already and they have been a blast. I hope to teach more this summer and get into more school classrooms next fall. Who knows where it will all lead, but I doing my best to hold on and enjoy the ride.
