My son is six and when asked yesterday to share his favorite part of vacationing he said, “Taking videos in new places.” As I watch him work in his beloved medium, I am reminded of my writing life and also reminded of how an art/skill journey flows.
It is not linear (as my friend Holly recently pointed out via this awesome article), but it is kind of an evolution, although each moment or stage is not just a stepping stone, but a zone full of its own brilliance that is embedded, entangled within the whole.
This has been Indy’s path thus far:
1: Pure heart and soul — He began by running around, camera facing out, screaming. He thought those were hilarious and made us watch each one. We tried to encourage him to at least scream facing the camera, but he’d hear nothing of it.
2: I am Art — After the screaming subsided, tours of the house and neighborhood began. Our trip to NYC is almost entirely documented because of this videographer phase.
3: Imitation of Heroes – He is in this moment now and is imitating what he sees other children make and post on YouTube. He has made 2 stop action camera shorts and is currently putting on plays with his ugly dolls.
What will come? I suspect he will learn more about his craft, maybe start doing more original things that seem raw, and then I imagine a time when that originality will get deeper, richer, and will come more easily.
What matters is that he is filled with purpose and love of his craft, he is joyful when working, and he is creating great stuff. Here is a video I love from one of Indy’s “I Am Art” moments.
His camera ran out of space.
lighting and soundtrack rock. and I’m hungry.
– why did you cancel it?
– ten dollars a month.
deep.
That’s even better than Warhol, if you ask me. It leaves you wanting.
You want to see his whole face. You want it to be centered.
It makes an adult feel uncomfortable. But for a whimsical child, it makes perfect sense.
I am consuming Indy consuming…