Saturday, August 8, 2009

coloring inside the lines?

Swinging
Singing
winging

La la la....



School bells ringing
bringing
clinging
children back to class.



One of my assignments in my BPT class this year is to teach Eddie how to color inside the lines. WHAT?
He is very smart but his fine motor skills are not well developed.
WHAT?
Yes!
I actually have to teach someone how to color inside the lines!
This is so strange since I have fought against this conformity
for so long.

It feels good to tell a student about freedom of expression.
One of my mantras has been
"Don't be afraid to color outside the lines"
Hello!

Wondering what the meaning of this may symbolize in my life.

I have told Eddie to
"slow down for better control."

Still pondering this.

Meanwhile you may enlarge the drawing on this page and color it
inside or outside the lines however you choose.

15 comments:

  1. I read somewhere the other day that if you feel out of balance or your energies are scattered to go sit on a swing.. and swing for as long as it takes to bring you back to centre.. thanks for the colouring in picture...can I colour in outside the lines? I think that would do me good!

    hope you can come up with a creative way to get Eddie to keep inside the lines... these children have much to teach us all...that is why they are here... and 'those in control', try to tame them and make them conform..sheesh.

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  2. Your line drawing drew me in from my google page. It's wonderful. We were going to build a swing for the wedding, for the kids, but it's one of the things that didn't get done.

    An adult coloring book would be nice - a la Jung's mandalas or the anatomy coloring books for people studying health fields.

    There is something to what you said to Eddie. It's about control, not whether he's in the lines.

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  3. Gemma: I smile as I read this post. When my children were in elemetary schools..I told the teachers that I "did NOT want my child to be told to color inside the lines" Man did I get the looks and attitude from those teachers.
    Any way they both were free to express what their hearts desired and now as parents themselves.. they understand.Yes control and whether one is inside a line are two very different things.
    Good post.
    Prayers at 9:30 a.m on Tues. hugs :) xo

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  4. Love the drawing. It does seem bad to have to tell someone they can't do it their way but must conform. Good Luck this school year. Love Hugs and Blessings

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  5. I am part of the conforming mob and I'm sure the expectation of having to color within the lines, to some degree now, stiffles my creative efforts. Often the creative effort feels like swimming upstream. When it all flows, I'm finally my happiest.

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  6. I love your drawing. What a hoot, YOU teaching someone to color inside the lines. Well, I guess it's all about balance. There is a time and place for coloring inside the lines and thinking inside the box, even if it goes against our grain. :)

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  7. I already wrote one comment, but I couldn't get it to post. Anyway, I wanted to say, I just love that tree. And what kind of school administrators these days encourage kids to color inside the lines. Kids are supposed to make their own lines. I thought coloring pages were passe.

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  8. I love your charming tree drawing! Can't decide how/ if I will color it! I like it like it is!

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  9. I never really enjoyed coulouring between the lines as a child - I preferred to have free rein with lots of bright colours. Still do!

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  10. oh


    i so LOVE this drawing

    wait
    wait
    wait

    is that a little owl home
    drawn into you tree?

    :-)

    that knot?

    ohhhh...

    yes

    it is an owl Pre~Home Place
    i just know it!

    ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

    "slow down for better control"
    is the perfect thing!

    i say that to myself sometimes
    even...

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  11. I grew up in a time and an area where it was considered "good" to stay within the lines and I was very good at doing that! Now in my older years I find it more difficult to get out of that habit but I'm continually trying! I think forcing children to stay inside the lines stifles their artistic freedom so much more than anyone realizes.

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  12. Hi there.
    I am going to print these off and have a wee colouring fest with my girls. Thanks Gem!

    And there should be no rules to colouring, it's all in how YOU see it, right?
    xo

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  13. This drawing is Wonderful.

    I am sad for Eddie. As a child, I too, 'failed' coloring, for not smoothly and seamlessly filling in the sky with blue. The nuns chastised me routinely (for that indiscretion and many, many others). As a result, I became an artist. I hope Eddie's fate is better. (;

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  14. (that last bit was a wink and nod!)

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