“The Land of Anything”
An Altered Book Dream Journal by Megan Raab Greenholt
It begins at a welcome mat
Beyond the door, a winding tunnel leads to a staircase
Each step unique, each pressing on to the summit
At the peak, the world is blurred, visibility: a thousand miles
On the way down, rocks turn to stones which turn to sand
Once at a level place, a spirited wind spins a path to the incoming tide
Driftwood becomes a platform
Leaves catching on a sapling and stretching to channel the unruly wind
Minutes, hours, days float by
Until finally, the wind slows to a stop, a figure in arms’ reach
The Guide pulls the ship ashore, and pridefully announces:
“Here in the Land of Anything, EVERYTHING CAN HAPPEN!”
There is time to discover and explore
New possibilities and connections
In a safe and mindful place where mistakes are welcome
As part of a collaborative process
Between individuals
Respecting the qualities of everyone’s creativity
As a young child I spent hours with books studying the illustrations. These images would animate in my mind and tell the story before I could read the words on the page. Concurrently, my father wove tall tales while spinning a globe of the world, beginning the tale wherever his finger landed. My teaching philosophy is inspired by the power of creativity and its ability to create images from words or words from images. Recently, I visually altered a recycled book in response to the poem above. The poem journeys through a land that holds every possible outcome. It is the discovery of the creative process that best describes my role as an art educator.
In “The Land of Anything”, the student enters the art room where everyone is welcome and the educational journey begins. The creative process is varied, undefined, and directly linked to individual discovery. As a facilitator, I provide diverse learning opportunities that empower the student to fully engage as a thinking artist with open-ended projects. As an artist, they will learn to develop the capacity to think experimentally. An interdisciplinary approach creates a variety of connections that form a foundation for future discoveries.
Learning in a supportive environment where each member is practicing respectful communication and collaboration, develops a community of explorers responsible for their own learning and willing to take creative risks. While modeling a responsive and reflective practice in the classroom I encourage the process to develop the ideas within the materials, the creative potential.
Ideas generated by curiosity lead to more creative inquiry. They continue to change as students experiment, grow, and respond to diversity in the classroom, school, and greater community. The creative skills learned in the art room become the tools of knowledge used to initiate change.
An Altered Book Dream Journal by Megan Raab Greenholt
It begins at a welcome mat
Beyond the door, a winding tunnel leads to a staircase
Each step unique, each pressing on to the summit
At the peak, the world is blurred, visibility: a thousand miles
On the way down, rocks turn to stones which turn to sand
Once at a level place, a spirited wind spins a path to the incoming tide
Driftwood becomes a platform
Leaves catching on a sapling and stretching to channel the unruly wind
Minutes, hours, days float by
Until finally, the wind slows to a stop, a figure in arms’ reach
The Guide pulls the ship ashore, and pridefully announces:
“Here in the Land of Anything, EVERYTHING CAN HAPPEN!”
There is time to discover and explore
New possibilities and connections
In a safe and mindful place where mistakes are welcome
As part of a collaborative process
Between individuals
Respecting the qualities of everyone’s creativity
As a young child I spent hours with books studying the illustrations. These images would animate in my mind and tell the story before I could read the words on the page. Concurrently, my father wove tall tales while spinning a globe of the world, beginning the tale wherever his finger landed. My teaching philosophy is inspired by the power of creativity and its ability to create images from words or words from images. Recently, I visually altered a recycled book in response to the poem above. The poem journeys through a land that holds every possible outcome. It is the discovery of the creative process that best describes my role as an art educator.
In “The Land of Anything”, the student enters the art room where everyone is welcome and the educational journey begins. The creative process is varied, undefined, and directly linked to individual discovery. As a facilitator, I provide diverse learning opportunities that empower the student to fully engage as a thinking artist with open-ended projects. As an artist, they will learn to develop the capacity to think experimentally. An interdisciplinary approach creates a variety of connections that form a foundation for future discoveries.
Learning in a supportive environment where each member is practicing respectful communication and collaboration, develops a community of explorers responsible for their own learning and willing to take creative risks. While modeling a responsive and reflective practice in the classroom I encourage the process to develop the ideas within the materials, the creative potential.
Ideas generated by curiosity lead to more creative inquiry. They continue to change as students experiment, grow, and respond to diversity in the classroom, school, and greater community. The creative skills learned in the art room become the tools of knowledge used to initiate change.
