These photos are of an art class I taught about 3 years ago. I mostly keep these classes in the "stressul memories" section of my brain. But the photos show an entirely different reality than I remember, namely that kids are incredible.

I started every class by playing dynamic music and having the kids draw what they heard; to dance with charcoal. Looking back, it's an odd request. Most adults would cramp up if they were told to to this. But these kids danced with abandon, unconcerned about the right way to do it. They danced they way a ball bounces.

I once heard about an art professor who assigned his students to Fail At Something. Right?! For a non-kid, that would turn anticiptation of action on its head. But I doubt it would affect the appraoch of these kids. They're already there, in the fearless place. Dance with charcoal to Beethoven's Eroica? Of course.

Done dancing