I have never been able to draw. I have a standard stick person (which covers both genders and all ages), a stick animal (which encompasses animals of the land, see, and air), and a basic house, tree, and flower. Any time I play a game with my own children that requires drawing, I just groan. And silently question why Santa brought those games to begin with - what WAS he thinking?
This winter, Santa brought an independent drawing game that both the kids and I LOVE. Not because I can draw now, but because it requires creative thought! (And, one person can play by themselves, relieving me from a drawing requirement.)
It is called The Extraordinaires Design Studio.
In the above image, my daughter drew the Extraordinaire card "future child" and the project card "ceremony place". Her design title is China's New Year, and she has created a transportation tube, reusable fireworks (maybe because our family describes fireworks as watching your money burn up in front of you), a hover board, a floating dragon, and the future child with flaps and rocket boots.
As for me, I still can't draw. But, I am trying. I have been working on developing a Growth Mindset along with my students, grades kindergarten through eighth. In most areas, I do have a growth mindset, but when it comes to drawing, I have a fixed mindset. Fixed as in "set in concrete and never going to change type of mindset". So, as an example to my students, I am working on drawing. I know that I will never be great at drawing, but I can get better.
Here is a "before" example:
We were playing Who What Where Jr. The Funny Drawing Game for Kids. In this game, you draw three cards: a who, a what, and a where, and combine them into a picture. Using my interpretive skills, I think this example was a snake/worm, flying a kite, in a barn. My family always lets me draw multiple cards of each category, knowing that I need to find something that I can make halfway recognizable for them.
I recently discovered the book You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less. I am actually only on day seven in the book, it has been about four months, but I am learning to draw!
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| You Can Draw in 30 Days (affiliate link) |
Here are my "learning to draw" examples:
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| Day 3 Advanced Level Spheres |
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| Day 6 Stacking Tables |
While my drawings are more recognizable (my goal), and a huge step forward from the snake/worm flying a kite in a barn, I still need the heavily structured advice of the book. I can work step-by-step through a lesson and draw a picture that my family can recognize. I am not yet able to transfer my skills to a random drawing situation (which I still avoid at all costs). But, I have only completed seven lessons (in four months). And, as I tell my students, a growth mindset means "I can work hard and improve", so I will keep working.
What are you working on?
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