Ethan brought a painting home from art the other day, and it blew me away. Initially I was like ‘Holy sh*t! Ethan has definitely got Kelly’s genes when it comes to art and drawing’. A couple of days later I looked at it again and I started wondering about the theme and reason for the story in the picture.
The piece is a picture of boy riding a dragon. He has his hands aloft and a smile on his face. The fierce looking dragon is soaring over a landscape with a sunset in the background. “What does this mean?” I thought. Is this a symbolic representation of Ethan’s recent struggles. Does the dragon represent the loss of his mom? Has he conquered the grief and is he riding this tumultuous beast into a beautiful future? I spent quite a bit of time looking at the detail and trying to interpret the meaning. The more I looked at it the more I believed the story I was telling myself.
Kelly would have reminded me about the power of art. She would have told me about the freedom of getting lost in the process and the beauty of submersing oneself in the detail. She would have talked about the reward for the artist and the observer. I would have probably laughed and made some playful comment about getting the same from crafting a great round together on the golf course. I wasn’t always tactful in these interactions…
Back to the Ethan’s painting. After coming to the conclusion that Ethan had liberated himself and conquered his metaphorical dragon, I felt inspired. If Ethan can do this; if he can conquer the darkness and come out smiling, then so can I! I too can ride into the sunset alongside him, soaring high on the back of my own demons! “YES”, I thought. This is progress, this is great.
Later that morning I got the opportunity to ask Ethan about the drawing in more detail. I was eagerly awaiting the interpretation to come forth from his own mouth. “Why did you draw yourself on the back of a dragon?” I asked. He looked at me quizzically, squinting slightly and turning his head to the one side. I could read his mind – “Is this a trick question”? he thought. I could feel the anticipation as he started to respond…The answer wasn’t what I was expecting to hear – “Mrs Jansen told us to draw a boy on the back of a dragon” he said. “That is great” I said, “I think it is brilliant!”. I walked away and reflected on how I had come to a very wrong conclusion.
I guess I am looking for answers and inspiration. I am looking for positive re-enforcement that everything is going to turn out for the best and that I am going to soar into the sunset. Sometimes I might need a reminder that things just are. Its neither this nor that. It just is. The dragons remain and might need a little time to conquer.