When faced with a blank canvas, make art
Editor’s Note: Today is International Artist Day with the aim of encouraging people to break out of their daily routines and participate in something creative.
Sharon Kashani, a research co-op student here at the Ontario Digital Service through the University of Waterloo’s Masters in Public Service shares her story as a member of the Ontario Digital Service Art Council.
Now…. go out there and get creative! Then share your creativity with us below. :)
Art has always been a huge part of my family’s life.
As a young woman growing up in Iran, my mother chose to follow her passions and pursue a fine arts undergraduate degree.
When she and my father immigrated to Canada in the 80s, her crazy-amount-of-talent and tenacity landed her a job in Nelvana as an animator. There she worked on the Canadian cartoons of my childhood, including Franklin and Little Bear.
To my mother, creating art represents the best in all of us. Making artwork involves taking something beautiful within the human soul, and sharing it with the world.
Coming into the Ontario Digital Service (ODS) as a Policy and Research Analyst Co-op student, I was excited to share my passion for art by volunteering to be the chair of the ODS Arts Council. In August, we completed our first collaborative-staff project: a group painting!
On a Friday morning, a foam-board and fifty Crayola markers were splayed onto the 595 kitchen table. Staff members were encouraged to pick up a marker and draw whatever they wanted.
When faced with a blank canvas, many staff were hesitant to doodle. No one wanted to “ruin” the foam board with their “terrible drawings.”
A bit of encouragement increased everyone’s bravery by lunchtime. After being reminded that the point of the painting was to get creative, the ODS staff began to let their artistic juices flow!
By the end of the day, a range of doodles covered the board, including an ice cream cone, a puppy, an Ontario trillium, a taco, and Clippy the Office Assistant.
As public servants, we can be reminded to share the good within ourselves every time we walk past a painting. The outcomes of our day-to-day work can be unexpected, in much the same way that scribbling with a pen can sometimes lead to surprises.
Nevertheless, choosing to look within ourselves and see what insights are worth sharing with Ontarians can create something beautiful.
