Homeschool Day at the Schulz

A group of parents and kids, with some faces obscured, in the Schulz Museum's Great Hall. The table at right did a block printing activity, which I thought was terrific (being a novice block printer myself). My table was set up just to their left.

I was a guest speaker and exhibitor at "Homeschool Day" at the Charles M. Schulz Museum earlier today. I do things like that from time to time and don't often post about them, but today was especially neat and fun.

On Homeschool Day, students who fit that description can visit the Museum for a nominal fee, hop from table to table doing little enrichment opportunities, then walk across the street to ice skate if they want to. About 120 tykes showed up. Today's tables featured graphic novelist Emil Wilson, printmakers, ham radio operators, and wool gatherers (by which I mean people who shear wool and turn it into useful fibers), plus games, craft tables and such. In addition, I gave a talk in the museum's theater about drawing expressions. 

My table set-up. I just brought enough books to show people what I did, not to sell, and placed the books about cancer and fire in the back so maybe parents would see them but kids wouldn't. I like to bring a portfolio of original art to talk to people about how drawings get turned into books, which a few budding graphic novelists really got into. Kids could complete my activity sheet to get a sticker that earned them I have no idea what, but some kids REALLY wanted that sticker!

Five minutes before my talk in the theater began. That easel got a workout.

I've done Homeschool Day before but this bunch was younger than I expected--most age 8 or younger, I'd guess. I'd aimed a bit higher--like maybe grade 4 instead of grade 2--but had no trouble adjusting. You gotta meet 'em where they are. Having been a Dad really helped.

My talk ran just shy of 25 minutes. We knew any longer could be disastrous. It was partly an old-fashioned "chalk talk," a lecture format that used to be common but is long out of style. Basically me talking while I drew on an easel. 

One thing I learned: when you ask a hundred 7-year-olds what emotion your next drawing should portray, their simultaneous high-pitched screams sound exactly like an enormous murder of crows circling for the kill.

I drew "scared" and "silly" and "happy" and then one kid called out "Superman!" I replied, "Oh, don't test me my friend, because I can draw Superman!" Then everyone wanted Superman. This was not part of the program but I had a minute to kill, so by popular demand I also added Spider-Man and Iron Man. 

Afterward, when nearly everyone had filed out, kids came up to ask if they could have the superhero drawings and if I could sign them for them. I've had few prouder moments as a cartoonist. I thought the drawings were pretty bad but one shy little girl quietly whispered that I was the best artist she'd ever seen, so I thanked her, shook her hand, and will bask in the glow of her obvious good taste for days. 

I like to think I have a knack for sizing kids up. It has nothing to do with how outgoing or "mature beyond their years" they are. It's how they approach a situation, and in about one child out of twenty you can just see it. 

One of my worksheet activities was to draw emotions on a blank face: a smile on a happy face, a frown on an angry one, etc. One girl did that, then proceeded to obscure all the faces with a scribble of black Sharpie. "Hey, what'cha doing there?" I asked. "I'm painting all their faces with face paint," she replied, and by golly I could see that was exactly what she was doing. She simultaneously broke the exercise and made it five times better. 

I guarantee it: in 20 years, she will be a force of nature. I gave her ALL the high-fives. 

One reason I agree to do these events is that I remember how much it meant to me, when I was young, to meet a writer, artist, cartoonist, scientist, etc. who was doing something I dreamed of doing. It turned out that they're real people, who just got up in the morning and did that thing! And if they could do it, maybe I could, too! I welcome opportunities to be that real person for someone else. 

Thanks to Jessica and Sara at the Schulz Museum for inviting me and running a tight ship. I've posted some pictures but was too busy to be in any of them. 

The front page of my two-page activity sheet. Because the participants were younger than I expected, nobody really got around to the other side, and that's fine. Had a couple of kids ask "Who's Calvin?" which broke my heart a little (not all the examples used in my talk or activity were by Schulz, but given the locale it did seem polite to lean into him).