The Parakeet loves all things creative. Bring on the music, the literature, the dance, the theater. Show her the paintings, the sculptures, and the architecture. She’s happy to encourage all cooking, designing and building things. Use those creative muscles.
When Little O wanted to check out a book from the library on how to draw Super Heros, she wasn’t phased. They spent many hours of the past week or so copying the shapes in the book and turning them into Heroes. The Heroes earned names like Green Bean, Growth Spurt, and Super Chef! Little O got out his never-too-far-away tape dispenser and began hanging them all over the house. He relied on mom for a lot of the shapes but eventually branched out on his own.
After visiting the Art Institute, he decided to add a self-portrait. He only somewhat self-consciously told his mother, “It might not look just like me because it’s from when I was a baby”.
He then became very fixated on the idea of having an Art Show. It would be on Easter Day. The families who were coming for Easter dinner would stay and watch his Art Show. He wrote a speech to tell them about how to look at his show. It started with, “Stop. Freeze. Unfreeze. I have some words to tell you….”
He brought paper and crayons to church all weekend to keep adding to his exhibition. His understanding parents allowed these drawings to cover the kitchen stairs and upstairs bedrooms.
The show went off without a hitch, don’t worry. He wouldn’t answer questions about his work, but maybe that just makes him a typical artist.
The talk that warmed the Parakeet’s heart the most though was to hear Little O talk of his work. On Saturday as he prepared he told her, “Mom, making art shows is my JOB. I will always make shows. I won’t forget when I’m a grown-up. I’ll fly ” (and then he held his arms out to show flying) “I’ll fly all over and I’ll bring my crayons and my paper and I’ll make shows inside places and outside places and everywhere they want to see art. I’ll make shows and shows and shows.”
Oh. Wow. Please, Little O, DON’T forget.
A Bird, A Carpenter, and a Baby 