Thinking Hands
A phenomenological observation in search of the blueprint.
Looking at a short video a few times will help us notice more and more details about the creator.
We can try to write down actions and verbs: what are they doing?
2.6 toddler is holding a pencil sharpener in his left hand. A plastic container with pencil leftovers is on the table between his body and the notebook. I suggested putting the sharpener and container aside so he’s more comfortable drawing.
He did not want to.
I immediately learned my lesson! He needed to hold the sharpener because it was as important to him as the pencil! Unlike us adults, a sharpener is a temporary tool alongside drawing; for him, it is as important as the pencil. We will soon learn why.
In the video, we join him in the middle of a scribble.
What do we see?
Here is a simple list of actions accumulated while watching the video a few times.
The right hand thinks- works slowly, drawing a shape within a shape.
He tries to close a form with light pressure.
He fills the space he created.
He marks another sign next to it.
He fills the gap between them with more intensity with the crayon.
He enlarges the space he colores.
The notebook slides.
Thus, now he needs the help of his left hand to stabilize it.
He is pulling his right hand away and probably observing.
What do you see? Did I miss something?
How is this connected to his blueprint?
If you read this post, you will notice how interested he is in HOW THINGS WORK and how the world is made. He loves tools! Thus, learning to use the large red sharpener made him joyful – this is probably the reason why he had to hold it.
More about the Spiritual Blueprint
This is one of many posts for Grammar of Drawing in collaboration with Suzanne Axelsson and Roberta Pucci, where our collective wisdom in many languages will be shared.
Grammar of Drawing, Instagram Grammar of Drawing
Swedish translation by Suzanne Axelsson available on Interaction Imagination
Italian translation by Roberta Pucci available on Roberta Pucci Lab
Hebrew translation Nona Orbach available on The Good Enough Studio
Nona, I really appreciate your post. It reminds me of a graduate school assignment that asked us to just obseerve and record a child making art for ten one-hour sessions without engaging in talking. It was such good training for following a child’s natural process of discovering and processing according to their unique blueprint. Working with children as an art therapist taught me so much about how they knew on an intuitive and self-directed way what they needed for integration and self-regulation. Thank you for sharing this!
Cheri Epstein
Thank you, Cheri,
It is wonderful how your art therapy school led you through such a deep observation process!
I believe art educators and kindergarten teachers need to do the same.
We usually see and not observe…..