loving art, science and creative kids

CLARITY

To Look, To See, to Envision.

What does it mean to see well, to see the world clearly, as it is, and to envision the future? A newborn discovers her hands and spends hours fascinated by their shape and movement. A mother turns a switch on a mobile above her sons crib so it will rotate to the sound of a lullaby that helps him fall asleep. As the days go by, a fog lifts slowly from the children’s eyes. The mother’s features sharpen as the infants study her closely while held against the warmth of her body. 

Several years later, those same infants were thrust into the reality of every day life in a struggling household. They move through their small apartment, admonished not to wake their sleeping father exhausted from a demanding night job. Their mother, absent by day, returns home after spending eight hours on her feet cleaning houses. She too would like to rest and be left alone but she has to make dinner.

These parents love their children and work without complaining, hoping to provide a better life for their offspring. Unfortunately, money is tight and there is little time to show the children wonders of the world. They cope instead by closing the shades and turning off lights, allowing the glow of children’s cartoons to permeate the living area. Television, the third parent in the home, raises their children, keeping them safe though mindlessly occupied and physically passive. Cartoon images flash with high pitched voices twenty-four-seven, maintaining a continuous backdrop that puts them sleep and greets them awake. 

I’ve observed numerous families like the one I write of above and have seen how the developing brains of their children are affected by the family’s limited finances. They become visually handicap, looking without really see. They don’t have to process the information they see on TV and have few with opportunities to try, fail, persevere, and succeed at challenging projects. It is easier to give up than to make an effort to learn something new.

Interacting with them made me think about the difference between looking, observing deeply, seeing clearly, and envisioning connections between old and new information.  Spending time with children makes me wonder how to inspire them to be curious and to search for truth. What is the best way to help them see and process what they are seeing.

Several wise mentors helped stretch my vision. One interested me in the scientific method and demonstrated how to bring observations into the microcosm of the intellect. Another coached me to recognize edges. I studied a drop of dew on a leaf,  learned to visualize rainbow colors in flashes of sunlight, and smelled the perfumes of everyday objects. A third, showed me subtleties of nature. I was taught to search for the movements of animals and birds against a background of camouflage. 

These teachers made me aware that learning of evolves with stops, starts, twists and turns and influences how I envision the future. They helped me notice that the rocks we stand on, the homes we build, the air we breathe, and the people we love are an interconnected part of nature. 

In thinking about what presents to bestow on youth who cross my path, I decided it is not money or material things they need but rather the gift of curiosity. If I can influence them to look beyond the surface, to search for truth, to see details and nuances, they will never be bored. If they can develop the courage to try, fail, and try again, they will be content, for life is a process, not an end in itself. As they assimilate all that they see and learn, they will be better able to envision a future filled with hope and opportunity. 

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Clarity -  acrylic on canvas / 45” x 36” / silver frame / $699

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