LOOKING FOR ART'S HEALING PRESENCE

It's been a while since I've posted art by Michael. Well, what better excuse than to share a holiday card he made for another student as part of his school's "Secret Santa" gift sharing! To wit:



Michael has a natural talent at drawing (that may not be captured in the above simple image). But he's ignored art for the past several months. I've been saddened to see how he's not continuing with his artistic talent. But I can understand it. Setting children down with paper and crayolas is often a de facto babysitting tool in orphanages. I'm not sure if that's what happened in Michael's case, but it's likely that in Michael's mind, drawing is something that evokes (bad) memories of having lived in an institution. I can only hope that Art-making won't be yet another fall-out from his troubled past.

It's ridiculous what happens when children are not raised well. Something like Art, which is therapeutic for many, becomes perverted in his case to be a less-than-positive experience. Michael's healing would be the most fabulous gift I could ever receive....

Meanwhile, Happy Holidays to All, or what Michael drew here: