The phrase "Be the Whale" is one that is often spoken in the Art room. It's origin comes from the video to the right. A young boy sets out drawing. His drawings however, are not like the drawings made by the other boys and girls in his class. His drawings all seem to be "BLACK". Over and over this boys turns a white piece of paper cold and dark.
As you may imagine, this state of affairs alarms his teacher, his parents, and even his doctors. This story doesn't seem to be going well for our young artist, but then, a discovery is made. A new perspective is gained when many small pieces come together to form a whole.
What seemed to be a sad story of a troubled boy is now seen in it's true light. This is really a story of imagination, of persistence, and grit. A story of hope, and trust, and love. A story in which the adults can learn from the young.
I would like my students to display some of the same attributes, the same grit as this young artist did. I would tell them to, "Be the Boy" but, "be the boy" just doesn't have the same ring. Have been "the whale" today?