Notes from a winter afternoon ♪ ༘⋆

Safety comes before imagination

Hi friends! ✿

I lit some candles because it’s pitch black outside and we need cosiness over here ⋆꙳•❅‧*₊⋆☃︎‧*❆₊⋆
I’m playing this cd that I bought recently at a concert and the mood is just right to talk to a friend, so while the soup is brewing, let’s catch up!

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The first week in the Youth Art Studio went great!

To prepare for the workshops I create the projects at home first. I want to understand how long they take to make, what challenges I face, if making it is boring…

This week alone I had 2 successful crafting afternoons making these. What a joy! I would n-e-v-e-r make this for my portfolio, but here I was: in the zone, doing something cute and simple, something to have fun with, something everyone has done before 𐔌՞ ܸ.ˬ.ܸ՞𐦯

Moving on…

A dragon and a unicorn

On our first day together at the Youth Art Studio I wanted to understand what is it that the kids love drawing the most, I wanted to craft with them the projects I showed you above but it was very important for me to make them draw their own thing and not just copy what I did… So I told them:

KIDS! TODAY WE ARE GOING TO DRAW YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL!

Favourite, favorite? - they asked
Yes, your most favourite! - I was so proud of myself, I’m such an innovative tutor, they will feel so happy and free and… 5 minutes later, no one is drawing.
But how do I start?
Well, with the dragon’s head! And then it’s teeth and the eyes, BIG EYES!
No one is drawing… Well kids, cmon, you can use any pens and pencils ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
But how do I do a dragon’s head? Can you help a bit more…?

This was chocking to me. I though kids had infinite imagination and braveness but these kids where not risking it. I was having a panic attack at this point. I didn’t want to teach them ‘‘how to draw a dragon’’ or ‘‘how to draw a bunny’’ that goes against everything I wanted! If anything, I wanted them to be unique and show me their unique perspectives. I don’t want to spoil them and tell them how to draw, they will become boring adults who make boring art!

Slowly crafting a tunnel illustration

But looking at their expressions of fear of failing, I realized that they wanted to feel safe first… After all a child’s purpose is to be a child, to play, have fun and be safe!
A child’s purpose is not only to become a successful adult. And so I sat down with each one of them and we drew together, I helped a lot, I showed them how to do it until I was no longer needed, and it was enlightening!

We had fun making art….

I’m officially out of my reading slump!

Last night I finished the manga series, Girls’ Last Tour:

It’s about 2 girls traveling in the end of the world. We follow their days navigating the ruins of civilization. This is a very wintery book! It’s set on a post-apocalyptic winter and they never see the sun since it all happens underground… Much like Iceland. Their goal is to reach the top.
My favourite quote is:

Travelers and gods are alike in that they both exist
in a place unfettered by the interest of society

Speaking of books, I want to recommend you a really good manga I’m reading:

If you want to learn how to live in the moment just dive into this one…
The boy on the right is a carefree spirit with no permanent job and no worries about the future. He begins living together with his cousin, the cute right in the left, who has moved to Tokyo to attend art school. The boy finds himself surrounded by people who are troubled by work, relationships, and vague anxieties about the future but his personality shifts their perspectives little by little, and hopefully yours too ⎚-⎚
Story and art by Keigo Shinzo

The sun is up and the soup is ready 𓐐𓎩(˶˃⤙˂˶)
We’re going to put our christmas tree down today, we’re the laziest couple in town…

Have a nice daaay (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟand feel free to recommend me comic books 📖