Yesterday, the sun and the moon aligned and I decided to archive their work into their own art books. I had recently picked up 6 extra large binders used to show invitation samples to brides and other party throwers, for just $2.00 each, Thinking they would be perfect for showcasing my 7 and 10 year old's work, I had been storing them on a shelf in my studio.
It took a while to separate their work and put all of it in chronological order, but this allowed me the opportunity to weed out projects that were too thick or large.
Once I had my final stacks for each kid I pulled out the rubber cement and started adhering. Being the devout scrapbooker that I am, I tried to arrange their work with some sort of cohesiveness also keeping esthetics in mind. It took some time, but it was truly a labor of love to be able to reflect on their wonderful lives and growth as humans over the years. I felt so proud to be their mommy.
When I presented the kids with their books the next day they were so touched and excited! They both gave me big bear hugs and told me they loved me. Then they sat down and savored each and every page. Every couple of minutes one of them would say "look daddy, I made this" or would read something they wrote aloud. I felt like I had given them so much more than their history. It seemed as though I gave them a tall glass of self esteem which is the greatest joy I can experience as a parent.
Art is a marvelous medium for living. It communicates as much to the artist as it does to the viewer. I defines feelings and history and joy and it says "I was here and I did something special". No amount of laundry or grocery shopping or mowing the lawn can match that. A reminder all of us artists - each and every human, should consider the next time they feel their creativity peaking.
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