When there are no words, we draw.
A note of love and support to our DrawTogether community
Hey there, it’s Kate - DrawTogether’s Director of Education and Impact (and parent grieving the violence of the past couple weeks). I’m stepping in today to share with you the message we just sent out to our DrawTogether Classrooms educators and programs. This includes some drawing resources to help provide calm and peace, and to reduce anxiety. We thought it could be helpful to kids and families at home, too.
(In addition to the list below, it’s an especially good time to do an Inside Weather chart with the people you love.)
Dear DrawTogether educators –
Right now, there are no words we can offer to fully acknowledge the pain and grief of this moment. No words to recognize the particularly devastating impact a school shooting has on educators and families. Truly, no words to make anything better.
But we know that you all are in classrooms and programs right now, today, working with children at schools no different than Robb Elementary. And that you will be there tomorrow, and the day after that, and you will keep showing up for our kids to help them process, heal, learn, and grow.
And so when there are no words, we offer art.
We are inspired by the Twitter feed of a therapist who worked at Connecticut elementary school when the Sandy Hook shooting happened. She shares what we know well, that drawing calms emotions and anxiety, is a way to surround yourself with beautiful and peaceful imagery, and provides something “hands on” to do in a very difficult moment. “Kids, like adults, want to feel helpful when they feel helpless.”
So here are some hands-on DrawTogether resources we recommend:
Try a calming Heart Spirals episode. 6 minutes and 32 seconds of mindful, focused drawing and breathing.
On the podcast, we’ve got five-finger breathing and drawing (8:32) for stressed out times. There’s also an emotional doodles podcast (8:22) to acknowledge (through drawing and scribbling) the range of feelings that we all might be experiencing.
And then there are many ways to draw beautiful, peaceful scenery - like the Rainbow Garden episode (13:10) or (pulling from the vault of classic Instagram Live DrawTogethers) Sandcastles at the Beach (32:11).
Beyond this, there are other areas for action to keep communities safe. We suggest donating to Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action.
If there is anything else we can do to support you or if there are other resources you’d like to share with the DrawTogether community, don’t hesitate to reach out. In moments like this, community means more than anything - and we are here for you and for each other.
Many thanks to everyone reading, and also to Vinny Eng for the generous help with this message.
Wishing you all many ways to be gentle to yourselves and those around you.
We send our love,
Kate, Wendy and the DrawTogether team
