"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."Pablo Picasso.
Simon, what am I doing here again?
What prompts these lines?
I have a few inklings.
I shall take a moment to reflect.
What is the essence of the drawing, the scribble on this page?
It came uncalled for, drawn instantly, haphazardly in an application called 53 paper.
Why did it capture my attention, then, amongst all the apps offering me plenitude... for 53 seconds.
I even had to deliberately choose to delete some apps that had been lingering on my iPad to make space for it.
That is the advantage of limited space, limited time - one has to make a conscious choice.
It inspired another haiku. You know haiku?
(I didn't, the concept was introduced properly to me by Keith Hamon in a 'hacking post' for #clmooc.
Now Keith, I know from his writing, from his voice in #rhizo14. We spend time together and apart...it appears, criss-crossing at moments like these with many others in these spaces.
There's Terry Elliot, another fellow-traveller from #rhizo14. [So I suppose that I should explain briefly that #rhizo14 refers to a "Souk MOOC" organised by a one Dave Cormier.] Ah yes and then there is Maha Bali who I am always bumping into and Clarissa and crew. And then of course there is Kevin Hodgson who is always sparking off ideas...often poetry)
Excuse me, I digress. All these connections...
So, thanks to criss-crossed connections, which can be traced backwards but not forwards, I came to write the following haiku:
Feint intention.
Scrawl etched on surface
Criss-crossing haphazard lines;
Feint intention felt.
Ah yes, I almost forgot the application
I wanted this application because it connected with a yearning to express myself in a particular way digitally.
Ironically, it amplifies my scribble, a practice of free drawing which connects me to myself the child, it flows out somehow beyond my control.
I empty my mind, I let my gestures vagabond across a page to reveal a new, unimagined space. I have been investigating writing in this genre this year, (this is another example) and at the moment, it appears that the graphic scrawl has got my intention, my attention.
I am holiday
Most of the time, I avoid work, I was always the child who was told off for concentrating on what he liked! Well on holiday, I confess I had little motivation for following the Connected Learning MOOC despite my friends being present.
I was, I am digitally saturated.
I am lurking. I was lurking.
Then, I sort of got tangled up in play...for a moment.
Ah yes, I almost forgot the applications...
OMG, there are billions of them. We need them all to educate ourselves and our children... for ever.
Kevin Hodgson asked me what I thought of Steller, an app.
I answered flippantly: "Another app."
At least at first sight, my comment was flippant.
On closer inspection, I feel that I am close to the point of what I am writing here (though I didn't know it.)
Terry Elliot, opened up a comment stream not so many minutes ago on the overload of art-work, apps, likes, 1's and the like in the Connected Learning MOOC.
Weren't we missing the essence? (I felt he said).
Well, I suppose Terry, this is my answer to that.
I value greatly the comments and the encouragement of friends, colleagues, and fellow-travellers who tell me how they feel about what we, what I am doing here.
We never have enough time to spend with those we love, particularly ourselves, and our inner children.
Let's not just value making and doing, hard work and application(s).
Let us be mindful.
Unintentioned scribble in a blank space might just inspire reflection....
With love.
P.S. I feel love is of essence.
