Impressions:

Students of the 5th class present themselves.

Creativity as a Key for Happiness

Morning session:

This morning starts a little difficult - many students are too late because of the cold weather. It's getting colder and colder from day to day. Many students have to walk for an hour to get to school, and many of them do not have warm clothes.

In these days the morning prayer doesn't take place on the roof any more, because it's too cold for the students. The prayer is done in front of the entrance instead - this place is a little bit more protected.

From tomorrow school will start later, about 9:30 h.

Blind self-portraits

Again I want the students to connect with their creativity, therefore I make them close their eyes and imagine their faces. Then again I make them draw.

As described before, it's hard to concentrate today - we are interrupted a several times, and every new student entering the class needs a pencil, paper and - of course - he needs to be instructed.

When they are allowed to make the painting 'nice', it's rubber-time again, and then we interrupt the process and start again...

I try to explain that art is something very individual, and that these soul-paintings arising from their hearts and then directly transferred onto paper are something really, really beautiful and valuable.

I try to tell them that I don't want them to be perfect or uniform, I want them to be individual.

You have to connect with your feelings to be a real good artist.

Next try:

Then again I make them close their eyes. This time I guide them into a forest - with many trees and flowers, birds are singing.... They are walking and walking and walking.... After a while they get tired and they need a rest.... Suddenly they see a hut, a small wooden hut within the forest.... A little bit frightened, but at the same time curious and very very tired, they are knocking on the door...

A person is opening the door, a very strange person.... It can be young or very old, it can be male or female. The person offers them a place at the fire and something to eat and drink... They are feeling very comfortable now, warm and content....It's a good place to relax and take rest....

The person's name is CREATIVITY...

After a while they feel fresh again - they say 'Thank you' and 'Goodbye' to the very good person, and they are leaving the hut to go home again. They are not tired any more, in fact they are very, very excited now. And they have a very warm feeling deep inside which is spreading all over the body. They can even feel it in their writing hands....

And with this feeling in their hands they take the pencil and start painting what they have seen in the forest - without opening their eyes.

Experience:

The students start painting at once - highly concentrated. There is no noise or whispering in the classroom.

And the results are unbelievably honest and individual.

I'm feeling grateful and very, very happy - and the students are beaming with pride and joy.

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