Playing with Clay

After going to the Museum of Natural History I had my children choose a project that was inspired by something they had seen. My daughter wanted to paint and my son decided to create a marionette. Before we got home we stopped at the neighborhood art store, Artist & Craftsman Supply at 2108 7th Avenue and we picked up some supplies.

My daughter loves this store but my son was quite impatient and not looking forward to starting his marionette. He in fact told me that he "hates art" and did not want to be bothered. Despite his reluctance he chose parts for his puppet and we went home.

Because he was so irritable I left him alone for an hour to decompress but after I cooked dinner I offered we play with some clay. He was hesitant because he did not want to commit to a project and I told him it was just playing. I wanted him to experience the clay without rules and/or conditions and during this play we made different things such as people, objects and a pinch bowl.

What I love about playing with clay is the versatility, its textural nature and impermanence. You can easily spend 10 to 20 minutes creating something and destroy it in just a couple of seconds. In a world filled with stuff, I think it is easy to become a consumer/hoarder trying to keep all that you can but here we learned the value of non-attachment and why it is okay to let some things go. We also practiced letting go creatively. We made what we felt like making and after 30 minutes we decided to stop. And we did.

Above is a picture from the video I took of us crushing our pinch pots/bowls. After we crush them you can hear my son's little squeal of delight as we pulverize our creations and prepare to make something new. Video Link: https://youtu.be/hbQKORcOrWg

I share my son's moodiness not to embarrass him or to make light of his discomfort. I appreciate and love him however he behaves (as long as its not detrimental to him or others). I share this so that when parents find it difficult to engage their children in a cultural and/or art experiences and they are greeted by moodiness and frustration, Don't feel bad and/or give up! Taking breaks is good! everybody experiences some sort of conflict when raising children. That is a part of life :) It also doesn't mean the child is not receiving the information. I to, was that moody child at that stage of my life and all of my experiences helped me become the person/artist/mother I am today.