In grade three I discovered that having creative thought was not allowed in Sunday School. My teacher handed us the coloring pages of Jesus and I took that as the cue to let my creativity run wild. It was with gusto I had colored Jesus’s skin green and his hair purple.
The catechism teacher was livid of my creative interpretation of Jesus.
My only defense was “Well! We don’t really know what he looks like. So it is possible he could be green!?”
I was sent home to my parents who gave me another stern lecture and banished me to my room for the night. It all seemed a little extreme from the eyes of a nine-year old especially when no one had ever seen him!
My littlest in Grade 2 is having a phenomenal year in school and has been keeping a visual journal. His teacher has been very instrumental in letting children’s creativity shine through in her classroom.
He is very pleased with his creations and couldn’t wait to share his finished project with me. I smiled as I leafed through the book because they were not your typical rainbows and flowers.
Instead :
Eyes Watching You
Brain Eating Zombies
And Stinky Feet
They show a little man with a wild imagination and a good sense of humor. And if he ever colored Jesus green I don’t think it would be that big of a deal. At the end of the day I pretty sure the big guy in the sky likes a child with a creative eye.
What did you like to draw and color when you were a child? Did you ever get in trouble for your depictions?
I loved coloring, and especially liked coloring books. I never got in trouble except with my first-grade teacher, who thought I didn’t stay within the lines quite well enough. Many years later, I went to work for Southwestern Bell as a Service Representative Trainee. We were the ones who still took information by hand and put it into 1/4″ ruled grids. We HAD to stay inside the lines with each letter and numeral. I didn’t – I couldn’t – and I got fired at the end of my six week probationary period.
It was just as well.
Oh my goodness! I would have doodled my way out of that job! It sounds too painful even for me
Belle – love the brain eating zombies:) Love when kids (and adults too) are able to let their imaginations and creativity just go! I grew up on a farm and I guess a drawing of two farm animals getting it on was not appropriate for a 4th grader – my parents were okay with it but the teacher insisted my parents think about therapy – ha! Have a Great Day:)
That is hilarious! It’s funny how some things can get us into trouble
—-Obviously your Sunday School teacher did not have a creative bone in her ignorant body.
I have a strong feeling Jesus Looooved your green drawing of him!
Awww! Thank you! I suspect he did too
So cliche, but I always like to draw flowers. What a total girls I was, or maybe I just had NO creativity. lol!
I don’t know why but the drawing of Stinky Feet really tickled my funny bone. He wasn’t perhaps drawing your feet, was he? LOL!
LOL. You are one of the most creative people I know Mrs. BlogHer Original post
Congratulations! It looks like a fantastic dish 
Hahaha! How did you know? Once the summer hits my husband bans my sneakers to sit outdoors.
First, thank you for the congratulations, Amiga, I appreciate it!
Hubby bans your sneakers? Well, the nerve of that man. lol!
Giggles! I have to agree they are atrocious! You should smell the shoes I wear to the dog park! I – Karumba!
Yay for you and Green Jesus. I’d guess Jesus would approve.
And yay for your son!
Thank you Nelle
He has had a fantastic year!
Classic! I can’t remember any stinky feet drawings from my childhood, but I do remember getting detention for making beer as my science fair project, ha ha!
Ohhh! I love that idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Now that would have been a pretty wild science fair!
I love your little ones drawings…children’s art is simply the best and your story about being booted out of Sunday School is just awful!!
I can’t remember getting into trouble much and as far as drawing…simple stick figures is as creative as I got.
Thank you! I love a good stick figure drawing! I always find them hilarious!
here’s the head of my stick figure
lol!
Have a great weekend
Giggles! It looks fantastic!!!
Awww…he drew zombies!
I don’t remember getting in trouble for any drawings. I had a lot of Disney coloring books, and I was obsessed with finding crayons that matched the movie colors exactly.
Pages and pages of zombies! I can only imagine what his teacher thinks
That’s funny! Your poor mother trying to buy the exact right set of crayons.
Any teacher worth his or her weight should encourage creativity, in my opinion. Great pics – be a proud mom!
Thank you! She is a really great teacher! She does the reggio approach which has been a wonderful learning experience for my son. I think he is really going to miss her next year
It wasn’t that I couldn’t color between the lines, I did that quite well, actually. I got into trouble repeatedly, though, for asking, “Why do I have to color between the lines?” and a couple of times for using white to hide the lines and drawing in my own lines.
That is a very good question! Why does everything have to be perfect all of the time?
Not only does everything not have to be perfect all the time, but in reality that nothing ever really is. Which in its own way is perfect!
It really is!!! There so much beauty when we scribble outside of the lines.
Belle,
Eyes watching you? BRILLIANT!
Le Clown
hehehe! I know! I think that is his favorite picture
He started a new journal this weekend to keep over the summer. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with!!
One of the most therapeutic things: keeping an art journal. Your son’s pictures are just wonderful: it’s something we should all try….
I have to agree it really is something we should all do
stinky feet? he is so cute…. I love that he has a teacher to encourage him…
He has a great teacher! I am keeping my fingers-crossed for next year
creativity was encouraged by my children’s teachers in all forms. when I was young my musical inclinations were encouraged. I am so glad your children are so expressive in their drawings. I personally liked the eyes.
Thank you! He leaves open in the morning for a joke as he heads to school on that exact page. He is a funny little character!
I blame my lack of visual creativity on one damn day in 2nd grade. We had to paint a picture of our house and could not use blue for the sky. I used a yellowish color, the closest I could get to a dawn or sunset. The f’ing teacher comes by and says, “Skies are not yellow.” Well, hello Miss Azzhole. See, 50 years later I’m still angry at being set up…
Anyway, I think Jesus could make his skin whatever color he wanted. Silly nun.
I think you should paint a picture in the morning with a yellow sky. Imagine! What creativity that teacher lacked!
Sadly, our Sunday school teacher wasn’t even a nun…Just a cranky old biddy!
I never to got in trouble for any drawings, but I never really liked to draw. I loved to sing but was told I’d never learn to sing. My parents were told not to bother with lessons, either, cause they wouldn’t help.
I never quit singing and I even learned to sing opera. I still sing to this day, in tune. It did take a few lessons to get there.
That’s wonderful! I would love to learn to sing! I never had lessons
Your parents must be so proud of your accomplishments especially when you hit the high notes!
Very creative, Indeed!
Thank you
His mind works in mysterious ways. He is already onto his next book for the summer.
This is cute! I am glad you don’t discourage your children from being creative! Being a teacher, I have seen some parents over react! I mean if they like zombies let them draw zombies! cute drawings by the way!
I never got into trouble for my drawings but rather for the lack of artistic skills :p hahah
Thank you! I really don’t get why people over react about such things! Kids have got to be kids