Jaden’s heart started with a single mark.
© Janine Boylan

Make a Mark and See Where It Takes You

Peter Reynolds‘s goal is for each of us to have an “Oh, I see” moment about our creativity.

This award-winning children’s book author feels pretty strongly about the message in his book The Dot—that each person has creativity.

His slogan? “Make your mark and see where it takes you.”

In the book, a reluctant art student is convinced that she can’t draw. Her gentle art teacher encourages her, but, to illustrate her lack of talent, the girl just marks a dot on her page and signs her name. The next day, she is surprised to find the dot drawing hanging above her teacher’s desk. Inspired to do better, the girl creates a series of remarkable pieces and eventually inspires another reluctant student to discover his creative expression.

Any Day Is International Dot Day

Reynolds created International Dot Day as a way to officially celebrate each individual’s ability to make a mark in the world. The 2013 celebration boasted over one million participants in 84 countries. Many of these are children whose teachers and administrators believe in the power of creativity.

Although International Dot Day officially started on September 15 to coincide with the original publishing date of the book, Reynolds explains that Dot Day can really happen in a moment, over a week, within a month, or throughout a year.

Carmel, California, exhibited art from Dot Day this month. In preparation, children from the local elementary school read the story and then were given a blank sheet of paper to create a dot . . . and see where it would take them.

Students draw on a tablet with Peter Reynolds’s encouragement.
© Janine Boylan

Creative Expression Flows from Just One Dot

The results were wonderfully varied and all wonderful.

Some children made a simple mark on a page, just as the story protagonist had first done—almost a promise that something more would come.

A dot kickstarts a creative work.
© Janine Boylan

Other children started with a dot and then expanded their ideas to create elaborate scenes.  Looking at each one, I marveled at where a single dot could go.

Like Reynolds, this artist has a message to convey! Also, I appreciate her consideration to the viewer—she added helpful labels to some of the details so there is no question what her art shows.

This dot led to an inspirational message.
© Janine Boylan

One intriguing  element of art is perspective. The artist of the piece below on the left made the decision to show a different perspective—upside down. The text in the orange dot even has a different meaning depending on which way you look at it.

Consider the perspective—LOL or 707?
© Janine Boylan

And some students seemed to find inspiration from one another. I can imagine the conversation of these two artists, who had the creative idea of using dots to create art:

I’m going to draw a sun with rays.

Me, too. Can I use the gold pen after you?

I’m going to make a rainbow-colored horse.

Hmm. I’m going to do something different . . .

Twin compositions
© Janine Boylan

A Whole Different Kind of Dot

At the same time, another local school embraced the same project with very different results. They created a single dot, composed of rainbow-colored plastic, as a tribute both to their teacher Iris (the goddess of the rainbow) and to their school’s commitment to keeping plastic out of the ocean.

A dot made of many colorful dots
© Janine Boylan

A sign under the rainbow dot proclaimed:

Imagine the power and potential of a million people around the world, connecting, collaborating, creating, and celebrating all that creativity inspires and invites.

I think Peter Reynolds would say that the resulting creative expression would be pretty perfect.

More than a Token of Creativity

With the masterpieces displayed in the city’s cultural art center, the same venue where world-famous musicians and actors perform, Peter Reynolds asked all the students and adult artists in attendance to raise their hands.

Every child’s hand shot up immediately.

Reynolds waited expectantly for the adults to realize that they, too, are all capable of marvelous creative expression as well. My hand timidly rose with the rest of the audience’s.

As a wooden token was pressed into my palm that ensured my lifetime membership in the Dot Club, I reached my own “Oh, I see” moment: I can make my mark at any time, at any age. It’s never too late!

Official Dot Club member token
© Janine Boylan

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.