Beating the Odds Starts with the Inner Work

Kassidy Jordan, a 4th grader at Novato Charter School, made this self-portrait in my private art class. The colored pencil and chalk drawing shows her night self and day self, her contented self and her sorrowful self, her complexity and her dragons. At her young age, she grasps something that I didn’t get until I was in my late twenties: That we have simultaneous, conflicting feelings living in one body. One of her dragons holds a yin/yang, the other a feather and a stone. Her image is rooted in the earth, moon and sun, held by an interwoven design. When I have seen and honored my range of emotions as Kassidy has in her drawing, I become authentic and trustworthy. When I haven’t done my inner work, destructive, unconscious behaviors have ripped my family, my friends, my colleagues and my mates apart. This is the inner work that is the key to Beating the Odds.

Below is a self-portrait I made of my inner landscape when I was heart-broken. I called upon the inner light to combat despair and pain. The act of creating transformed the pain into a tangible mirror of my complexity and my connection to earth, sun and moon.

Aqeela Shirrells, who brokered a deal between the Crips and Bloods in L.A. and who also lost his 18 year-old son to violence, said that the most important thing we can do now is to share the stories of our woundedness with each other. That reminds me of the practice of Cheyenne warriors of painting their hopes, fears and dreams on their shields. They greeted others with their vulnerability. As Thomas Moore points outs, our soul dwells in our complexity, the interplay of fragility and strength. The inner work that will help us beat the odds focuses on listening to the quiet voice inside as well as the roaring dragons. This inner work puts us closer to our soul.

Creativity & Community Do It Again

Travis and I adding final touches to “We Must Care for the Earth”

When asked what they were most proud of in making this mural, many of the students at the Grant Grover School of the College of Marin said that they were able to make something together with the whole school. It was their sense of community, intertwined with their creativity, that gave them the greatest satisfaction. I know that these elements – total inclusion, no matter what the limitations, and imagination, plus hard work – is how the devastating odds that we’re up against can be solved.

Maurice painting while Devrie films.

Elias and Travis take a break

Carlos painting with help from his loving teacher.

Julieann paints the rainbow.

Reducing Stress Beats the Odds

Making art increases the perception of control. This painting of a bear with the eco-system that supports him depicted inside of the figure was made by my students at Novato Charter School in 4th grade. Many of the students, now in 7th grade, are included in the movie link below, playing music in a market.

The fabulously practical, caring and cutting edge brain-science expert Eric Jensen shares five ways to decrease stress: the perception of control, breathing, movement, music and belonging. Too many schools don’t incorporate all of these elements in their daily practices. Many Waldorf schools, both private and public, do. The Novato Charter School (NCS) goes one step further, empowering students by having them take their music to real audiences in the world. Below you’ll see a two minute movie of the NCS fiddle club, organized by the visionary music teacher Kenny Blacklock, playing in Whole Foods and bringing stress relief to the customers as well as the students. Click on this link to see the movie: Ashokan Farewell