Inspiration

When I go to a concert, I come home wanting to put together my own recital. When I go to a museum, my fingers itch to paint, draw, create. I guess those tendencies run in the family. This morning I took my kids to our University’s art gallery to see a wonderful little exhibit of Renaissance prints. While we were there we stopped into another exhibit that was decidedly different and postmodern, but also colorful and appealing. Everybody enjoyed themselves. There was no need to stay for a long time, but it made for a fabulous mini-field trip.

Did they understand everything there? Probably not. Did they love everything they saw? Definitely not. But it didn’t really matter.

When we got home, Youngest made her own gorgeous series of pictures. My favorite is this self-portrait:

Oldest sat down to write a story, and didn’t complain when I helped him edit and prepare a second draft. He showed me the folder he created on the computer to hold all his writing, and I couldn’t help but notice the pride with which he surveyed his accumulating work, not to mention the diligence with which he recorded the word count for every piece.

Middle likes to let things simmer for a while, but I know she has a head full of new images and ideas just waiting to be turned into something concrete. Her eyes are shining with the fullness of her thoughts.

There are people in my town who think the university here is an elitist institution. There are people in the university who think that music and fine arts have no part to play on a liberal arts campus. My kids don’t know anything about these discussions. What they do know is that the desire to create, to express, to communicate, and to share is a basic part of human nature. They saw art and responded with their own. And nobody needed to ask or tell them to join the Conversation.