art hanging in the museum

Yesterday, I picked Silas up from school a little early to visit the art museum; he was bummed he didn’t get to get out of school early a couple of weeks ago when we took his brothers to the Drake and J. Cole concert in Columbus, Ohio, so I told him I’d get him from school early, and we’d check out the art museum together.

Earlier in the week, I told him how I was excited to spend the afternoon with him and for him to see all of the great and different types of art. I then planted a seed and told him that one day, he could have some of his art hanging in an art museum. Silas took that seed, and rather than just leave it planted in the soil (his subconscious), he watered it, shined the sun on it, and helped the seed sprout in just a week instead of years.

Silas grabbed some paper, a pencil, and his markers and went to work creating a new piece of art to bring with him to hang in the art museum; he drew a scene that included Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie.

When it was time to head to the museum, we almost forgot his art and stopped by the house to grab it—I’m so glad I didn’t just brush it off and tell him, “next time.”

Upon arriving at the museum, we checked in at the members counter, and I smiled, winked, and asked the woman checking us in if they had somewhere in the museum where Silas could hang his art for everyone to see. She smiled back, clearly understanding what was going on, and said that she would be right back–she wanted to check with someone else.

I expected her to return and say that she would take the piece and make sure it was hung and let Silas think (and therefore believe) his art would be hanging in the museum. But she came back with a surprise. She explained there were two areas in the museum where there are collages of pictures drawn by children visiting the museum and Silas could hang his art there.

Silas’s face lit up.

I thanked the kind woman who could have easily just said no and returned to work but chose to play along and help make a core memory for Silas; I hope she realizes what her kindness meant to us.

We took off to find the collage in the contemporary section of the museum, as this was the best location for Silas’s work. He looked for the perfect spot and clipped his art on the wall.

Naturally, I took a picture of Silas next to his work to document his achievement–at the age of six, he had art hanging in Newfields Museum of Art.

While you and I know his art hanging is not quite the same as the Monet we saw later on, in Silas’s mind, he doesn’t know the difference, which is what I want. He believes his art is on the same level as the framed art we looked at the rest of the afternoon—funny moment, Silas did as when they were going to frame his art. He didn’t ask because he thought his art wasn’t “good enough.” Instead, he was asking because he expected it to be framed just like the others—that belief and confidence will lead to him having work in a museum framed and with his name next to it one day.

And that’s what I want for him.

It reminds me of the saying that is often misquoted, “you will see it when you believe it.” The misquote is "I'll believe it when I see it."

Once I told Silas he might have art hanging in the art museum one day, he believed it. He then created his art, brought it to the museum with confidence (I’m willing to bet he already visualized hanging it up), and got to see his belief manifest as he hung up his art.

He saw it happen, before I even thought it would happen, because he believed it.

I’m hopeful this memory stays with him and is the foundation for the belief in his Self that will lead to him being a featured artist in museums around the world. I told Ang last night that in the future his drawing is going to resurface and be worth millions because it'll be one of Silas's first pieces of art---imagine having a Picasso from his childhood.

We should all channel our inner childhood innocence, believe more, and see what we see.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC
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