So in the interest of time management (not my strongest skill) today's post is pretty simple - just a little something I wanted to share.
When I do school visits, one of the things I tell the kids is that each of their voices is important. Each person has things to say that no one else can say in quite the same way. Each person's view of the world is unique. And whether they share that view through writing, art, dance, music, or any other medium, it is theirs and theirs alone.
Yesterday, my husband showed me a quote from Martha Graham, and it turns out she says essentially the same thing (in her own way :)) and she's somebody famous :)
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open". from The Life and Work of Martha Graham
I find these words inspiring, comforting, empowering. I hope you do, too. Are there certain quotes that you find uplifting? Please share!
Wow...what a thought-provoking quote! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have 27 hours in a day too!! There is just too little time for writing.
ReplyDeleteI love your message to kids. I'll try to remember to share that with my kindergarteners. Many of them are very motivated to write (much to the surprise of the other two kindergarten teachers, whose students never choose to visit the writing centre. My students often write their own small books, but I haven't talked with them about how what they decide to write about and how they write is unique.
I always think it would be a fun exercise to give them the first couple words of a sentence and let them all finish it. It would have to be in writing, not out loud or they would influence each other, so it might be too hard for Kindergarten. But they would see how no two kids finished the sentence the same way. And a whole story would be even more different. I think I just thought of a fun idea for a post... :)
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