How Celebrations Pave the Way for Confidence and Success
In sports, you drill, practice and train for the big game or tournament. People are invited to come and watch you. Why? Because you are celebrating all of the hard work that you’ve done and it just wouldn’t be the same without the audience there to cheer you on.
When my kids were little, after hitting a softball or baseball or making a basket, they would always look to the stands to hear my banshee call. I don’t know where I picked that up, but my Ethiopian friends tell me that it is seriously the call they do in the wild. It has served me well in showing everyone, especially my kids, that I was a fan of their accomplishments!
Art isn’t usually a team sport and it doesn’t always bring in the crowd support that athletic activities do. So we try to create that camaraderie with our little bell celebration. And after completing several pieces of artwork, having an art show is the next step. It’s the big tournament at the end of the year, or the final game of the baseball season.
Last night, one of my teens said she was absolutely not going to do the upcoming show. She was too afraid.
Then the others started talking about how fun it was and that it wasn’t so scary. They added, “We will all stand together and it’s okay if you don’t want to talk because you won’t be alone.” I almost cried. I didn’t have to convince our new student because her peers were giving her the courage to show her work. They would be there to support her. Later that evening I got a note from her mom saying that our shy student would indeed come to the show and share her work. Yusss!
Tonight, we’re celebrating our teens’ accomplishments in their art class. They’ve worked hard. They’ve stayed the course until they have completed several pieces of art. And they’ve rung the bell more than once.
Will you celebrate with us? Come to downtown Camas and support these young artists! There is so much power in celebrations and your presence will build up these students and pave the way for so many more successes!
