My Van gogh

When I was little I used to get totally immersed in my coloring. I would use every single color in the crayon box....and crayola made some pretty hefty crayon boxes back in the day. But I would not leave a section of the paper white after I was done and I would add in my own little drawings on top of the already printed picture on the paper. I would throw in some stars or a sun when it was not already printed on the picture. I absolutely loved being creative and there was nothing more fun for me than coloring when I was a kid.

In my new Kinder class I have a little boy who thinks the same way when it comes to coloring. He is so particular about what colors he uses and gets totally focused on his creative masterpieces. Granted he is only 5 years old, but you can tell when you watch him during playtime that this is his favorite activity. It always puts a smile on my face seeing him think so intently about what color should come next and I love seeing his final product.

Today we made Easter eggs and Easter egg baskets. All the children were content on putting stickers on their eggs, but not him. He asks me with wishful eyes if he could color his egg with crayons. Now, I knew he could possibly break the egg if he pushed too hard but I couldn't turn him down. I told him to color gently and watched as he focused with every ounce of his little body to color his egg perfectly and as gently as possible. By far his egg was the best, and he was ecstatic.

When I watch him color I see him 20 years down the road painting giant canvases with that same intense and focused look on his face. I wonder if my parents ever thought I would grow up and be an artist because of my love for coloring and art. Well, I didn't become an artist but the creative side of me has helped me to be a uniquely gifted teacher for children who need me to think outside the box. Many children with special needs have benefited from my creative side and I have to say I give some of the credit to my coloring days. After all, that's when I first started thinking outside the lines and seeing that there was more to the picture than I was being given.

Life is like that right?.....sometimes you have to add your own touch to it for it to become the perfect picture.