Waxing Elequent

O.K. so the title is a bit misleading. Here is something that I sent to BYU Magazine but I'm sure they're not going to publish. So, to heck with them, I'll publish is here (oh, the joys of vanity press) and submit all of you to my endless diatribes....

What I Learned in My Field of Study that Helps Me in My Field of Lifeby Shelly Morris
Acting can lead to lots of rejections. It’s an ugly but necessary part of the field. While studying at BYU one of my Theater professors, in reference to this fact of “the business”, talked about how “Being told that we aren’t good at something” is incredibly stifling to our creative selves. She believed that children are born thinking that they can accomplish pretty much anything. It’s experiences that begin to shape whether we believe we can accomplish things. If we are told that we are not good at drawing then we might stop trying.
This conversation changed the way I care for my own children. I’m very careful in how I respond to their creative attempts to draw, or sing, or dance. I applaud their efforts to make-up stories, build with clay, or pretend to cook. I’m cautious not to be negative. I try to praise with honesty their attempts to bravely be themselves. I’m so proud of them and glad we have creative time as a chance to reaffirm that they are unique, clever, children of God, with talents all their own.
This truth also relates to the way they feel about themselves in general. I try to make sure that they understand that I believe that they are beautiful and good. I try, the best I can, to create an environment where they can see themselves as God sees them. They ARE capable of pretty much anything. God knows that. Sure we have our limitations, but why dwell on them? We might be surprised how far we can reach.