I wasn’t much of an artist back in grade school. I didn’t
make any real attempt at that until I was a little older. I liked to doodle and
make designs or other marks on the paper but as far as drawing something,
anything, that anyone could view as art, that wasn’t happening. I didn’t have
time for such things.
But that didn’t stop my teachers from insisting that I
needed to at least TRY to draw. Of course, I resisted.
One day, the assignment was to draw a house—simple enough.
But always ready and willing to be cantankerous, I decided to make things easy
on myself and I drew a teepee. My drawing consisted of about five lines; that
was it. I was fully prepared to argue that a teepee was indeed a house. She
hadn’t specified what kind of house, after all. Still, I knew she wouldn’t be
amused.
Thing is, about half of the students at the school I
attended were Indians. And as I discovered, it wasn’t too difficult to convince
a few of my classmates to join me in my stubborn sidestep of the assignment.
They actually thought it was a great idea. Me, I just figured if I wasn’t
alone, the teacher might not be so hard on me.
My theory must have worked because she didn’t really say
anything; just gave me, and the rest of my brave cohorts, a disapproving look.
But, toward the end of the school year, after a few more
such antics by me, she finally voiced her discontentment. Surprisingly, she
wasn’t really upset by my behavior. Rather, she was concerned because I never
took things seriously enough. She said a few other things too, most of which I
didn’t hear because, well, I wasn’t listening. But one thing I did hear was
that I would probably never be an artist. But that was okay, she said, not
everyone can be an artist.
A couple of years later, once I’d gotten serious about giving my
creative side a chance, I drew the picture below. I’d like to think it was perhaps
partly inspired by my teacher. And although, I’m not into naming my artwork, if
I were, I think I’d call this piece, A Tribute To The Teacher Who Said I’d
Never Be An Artist! ~
